May 8, 2008 – Mango Tango presents Canvas and Clay from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Yacht Haven Grande location. The show includes the oil and mixed media paintings of Kathy Carlson, the oil paintings of Patty Tacquard and the ceramics of Alison Davis and Merryn MacDonald. Carlson and Tacquard are figurative painters, while Davis, a former chef, enjoys creating functional ceramics for dining and entertaining and MacDonald prefers sculpting and firing animals.
Both Carlson and Tacquard are representational artists. Carlson's images of islanders at work and play suggest a narrative, as do those Tacquard paintings of swimmers and surfers. The two painters enjoy creating florals also.
Carlson is an artist who loves to experiment with new materials. Her endeavors result in innovative abstracts. She says, "I prefer to have my art speak for itself, however, my recent experimental mixed media paintings seem to have generated questions concerning my changing style. While I enjoy creating figurative works of islanders at work and play, seascapes and landscapes, the abstract works simply come from the same inspiration, my personal experience. Whether it is a representational work, or an abstract one, I incorporate line, shape, space, form, and light and texture. Texture has become very important. I have not changed styles I have added a new one.”
Tacquard continues to excel in painting light and shadow on the human figure. She changes her composition a bit by stripping the swim wear from her surfers and sun bathers, and highlighting their tattoos.
Patty Tacquard ‘Tulips’
Davis who had been a chef for a restaurant which catered to yachts, translates her love of the presentation into her lovely ceramic serving ware and functional pieces. In the restaurant, she would have added beautiful floral arrangements to add to the ambiance. Foliage and flowers are part of the elegant designs of her ceramics for entertaining.
In her 7th showing at Mango Tango Gallery Merryn MacDonald displays an
even wider variety of animal figurative sculpture, from exotic Old and
New World apes and muscular equines to lovable piglets cuddled up in
their feed dish. She infuses her subjects with vigor and expression. Her finished works are created in raku or stoneware fired with oxides.
Blues and rock band 2 Blue Shoes adds to the evening's festivities playing interpretive blues and rock. Listen to the tunes of Bob, Tom, Randy, Taj, and Van, while meeting the artists and viewing their work. Carlson and Davis work in St. Thomas, while MacDonald creates her ceramics in St. Croix and Tacquard paints in St. John.
The show continues for one month at Mango Tango Seaside Art Gallery.
For more information call 715-2789.
