"Louisville's Ohio", by Pat Allison, Oil on canvas, 28x22in, 2018, $500

As a student in Jefferson County Schools, Pat Allison was invited to participate in after-school, free, art classes in the fifth and sixth grades at Southern Junior High School. We’re guessing that makes her an alumnus of Louisville Visual Art’s Children's Fine Art Classes. During one summer after sixth grade her parents paid for art classes at the Louisville Art Center, which was an earlier name for LVA.

"NYC’s Central Park” by Pat Allison, Oil, 12x16in, Private collection

Yet in high school, Allison changed direction, and studied Speech and Theatre at Indiana University Bloomington. In 2019 she retired from teaching at Louisville’s DuPont Manual/ Youth Performing Arts School where she founded its New Works Festival and the Young Writers Workshop. Since her retirement after 43 years of teaching, she began to devote more of her energies once again to painting.

So is Allison’s preoccupation with structural pattern in her work the natural result of a lifetime of teaching? The organization and routine of the classroom and developing new educational curriculum must have influenced her in this regard. The network of steel support in the bridge across the Ohio River is echoed in the freeway below and contrasted against the vertical lines of the architecture we see beyond, and the more subtle organic patterns of nature are present in the wintry trees and stylized examination of the lily.

Allison has been studying oil painting for the past twelve years with Winnie Harrison at the Preston Art Center in Louisville.

She was selected for the Jewish Community Center’s 2010 Emerging Artist Exhibition, and was juried into the Louisville Woman’s Club Exhibitions in 2015, 2016, & 2017. She has written and illustrated two children’s picture books, Butterfly and Roberto Robot

On September 29, Allison will be part of the Louisville Visual Art’s Juried Exhibit in the 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair. The exhibit will be available for viewing at the Marine Hospital from 11am-5pm. Jury prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: Degree in Speech & Theatre, Indiana University
Facebook: PatAllisonPaintings

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"Exploring Maine’s Coast" by Pat Allison, Oil, 18X24, $650

"Lily’s Birth" by Pat Allison, Oil on canvas, 9x12in, 2018, $350

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2018 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved. In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.

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Painting

Vignette: Margaret Bromley

Guest User · September 14, 2018

"Where's the Belle?" by Margaret Bromley, Oil on Canvas, 19X30in (framed), 2017, $1000

The moment an individual begins creating is almost certainly the act of a child; picking up a crayon, or perhaps the sublime pleasure of slipping your fingers into finger paint for the first time, seeing the possibilities of line, shape, texture at its most elemental level. Pure instinct.

So many of us strive to recapture such instinctive pleasure again, after the process of becoming an “adult” has raised innumerable impediments, and it is not at all uncommon to find artists who retired from a professional career and then rediscovered that motivation to make art once again.

Margaret Bromley is just such an artist, taking her first drawing class at the local Preston Art Center in 2001, one month after retiring from the University of Louisville as its Media/Marketing Coordinator in the Development Department.

She has studied in workshops under Jerry Stitt of Sausalito, California, Nancy Nordloh Neville of Cincinnati, Ohio and went to Umbria, Italy with students under the leadership of Janice Russell Beck of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Locally she has studied with artists Susan Howe, Judy Warren, Sue Hinkebein, and Joyce Sweet-Bryant.

"Winning Trifecta?" by Margaret Bromley, Oil on canvas, 12X18in (gold leaf frame) 2009, $350

Bromley has tried her hand at many styles, techniques, and mediums, but landscapes with a natural style seem to be her strong suite. In “Where’s the Belle?” she gives us an unconventional perspective on an iconic event during one of the most festive, tourist-dominated weeks on the Louisville calendar. There is no shortage of artists painting or photographing Kentucky Derby events, horses, bourbon, and hats are common motifs - Bromley has not ignored these (“Winning Trifecta”), but there is an unexpected power in how she portrays this simple community of locals waiting to view the Belle of Louisville during the Great Steamboat Race, a signature event that takes place three days before the Most Famous Two Minutes in Sports. Far away from the concentration of fancy crowds, these ordinary Louisvillians have come down directly to the shoreline of the Ohio River to get an up close view of the old-fashioned steamboats as they move along the river.

The unfussy approach employed by Bromley emphasizes atmosphere and a sense of place for any tendency to overwork the details. We can sense the camaraderie and easy understanding of local tradition that has brought these men together on a late spring afternoon.

Bromley has received Honorable Mentions for her work at the Kentucky State Fair on two different occasions and shows locally at Koi Gallery, Primo Oil and Vinegars’ Gallery, and has note cards at Regalo and Cartwells as well as the previous mentioned galleries.

On September 29, Bromley will be part of the Louisville Visual Art’s Juried Exhibit in the 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair. The exhibit will be available for viewing at the Marine Hospital from 11am-5pm. Jury prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm.

Hometown:
Education: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Website:

“Spello, Italy” by Margaret Bromley, Oil on canvas, 10x14in, Private Collection, Giclee available, $195

"Fisherman Bill" by Margaret Bromley, Oil on canvas, 8x10, (floating frame), $300

"Vermont Herb Garden " by Margaret Bromley, Oil on canvas, 8x8in, $225

Painting

Vignette: Lynn Dunbar Bayus

Guest User · September 11, 2018

“Painting is my divine connection with nature” – Lynn Dunbar Bayus

"Twisting the Night Away" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus, Oil canvas paint, 20x60in, $3500

Lynn Dunbar Bayus is not alone in realizing a spiritual relationship with nature through painting. Idyllic days of painting free from the elements is a rare occasion, with wind rain, dust - temperatures too far down or to far up on the barometer. The plein air artist works quickly against the vagaries of the constantly changing light, hoping to capture the ephemeral experience of one moment in one place. A sense of place is the inarguable gold standard of any landscape artist, and finding a fresh point-of-view is the challenge.

One way in which Bayus has done that is to work from aerial photographs of the landscape along the Ohio River. Although there is charm and abundant color of her closer views of gardens, racehorses, and other subjects, there is another kind of visual power in the aerial compositions, more expansive and philosophical in their attitude. They allow a perspective nearly devoid of the footprint of humanity, one in which time and the elements played a crucial role in shaping the relationship between land, water, and sky. It is also an opportunity for us to consider for a moment the primeval aspect of the landscape and the humility we should feel in the grand scheme of things.

"Crested Butte Barn and Cows" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus,  Oil on canvas, 8x10in, POR — "Crested Butte Barn and Cows" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus, Oil on canvas, 8x10in, POR

The more common view of buildings and livestock that we see in “Crested Butte Barn and Cows” is prosaic, falling somewhere between the majesty of the river seen from above and the grounded, eye-level scenes of horse and jockey, or visitors to the racetrack. The former captures a scene that might be from any point in the last 200 years, while latter is of a fleeting moment in the now, tied to fashion and special occasion.

In September Bayus will be part of two exhibits with Louisville Visual Art. September 23 through November 4 Louisville Artists: Carry On will be on view at the LVA building, with a reception Sunday, September 23 from 3-5pm. Then the LVA Juried Exhibit in the 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair will take place on Saturday, September 29. The exhibit will be available for viewing at the Marine Hospital from 11am-5pm. Jury prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm.

Bayus will be once again be participating in Open Studio Weekend (OSW), presented by LVA and the University of Louisville's Hite Institute. For 2018, OSW is scheduled for November 3 & 4 from 12-6pm. You can purchase tickets here.

Bayus’ artwork is featured on the 2018 Kentucky Derby and Oaks Posters available at Churchill Downs, and will be featured on the 2018 Holiday Edition of Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Other awards include Award of Merit 2016, Owensboro Museum of Art, Science and History, Grand Prize Portland Heritage Arts Show 2014, honorable mention at the Salon International 2013, the 2012 Purchase Prize from the Owensboro Museum of Art, and the 2011 Grand Prize from the Louisville Women's Club, and work is featured in the September 2017 Plein Air Magazine, and in American Art Review.

Memberships include Signature Status of American Impressionist Society, Indiana Plein Air Painters and Painters of the Bluegrass.

Hometown: Gary, Indiana
Education: MSSW, University of Louisville; BA in Visual Design, Purdue University
Website: http://dunbar-art.com/
Gallery Representative: Point Gallery, Prospect, Kentucky; Kentucky Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky

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"Belle and Lincoln Bridge" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus, Oil canvas paint, 18x18in, $1200

"Vine Street after Rain" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus, Oil on canvas, 5x7in, 2018, POR

"Black Eyed Susans" by Lynn Dunbar Bayus, Oil on canvas, 12x24in, 2018, POR

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Mixed Media

Vignette: Philip High

Guest User · September 6, 2018

"City by the River" by Philip High, Acrylic and mixed media on wood panel - Painted paper collage. 40x29.75in, 2018, $1400 — "City by the River" by Philip High, Acrylic and mixed media on wood panel - Painted paper collage. 40x29.75in, 2018, $1400

Even before he called himself “artist”, Philip High was a collector. It is such a common characteristic for artists for at least the last 100 years or so, certainly since Marcel Duchamp made us view seemingly ordinary and mundane objects through a different lens. Art makers were recycling materials long before it became fashionable.

For High, these items are both inspiration and medium: “Rocks, seed pods, scraps of metal and paper, thoughts personal and proverbial, and more, have all filled boxes and notebooks or been on display at some point. For me, they serve as objects of wonder and contemplation, reminding me that every form we perceive is a record of the unseen forces that created it.”

"Ethereal Picnic" by Philip High, Sumi-e and mixed media on aluminum, 24x18in, 2017, $700 — "Ethereal Picnic" by Philip High, Sumi-e and mixed media on aluminum, 24x18in, 2017, $700

“Similarly, my art combines collected visual fragments from nature and personal experience – both objective and abstract – in a search for relationships that activate the imagination and suggest meaning.”

“I prefer to work in mixed media - also reflecting my eclectic tendencies – incorporating conventional and unconventional materials and techniques such as: acrylic painting on Tyvec collage, sumi-e on aluminum, monotype, digital drawing, found wood, and concrete. Broadly, they fall into three categories: works on paper, wall-hung assemblage, and freestanding constructions.”

High’s works are dense visual constructions that incorporate all of these collected intelligentsia, highly personal assemblages of color, texture, and form that achieve a crucial balance of the cerebral and the visceral. The relationships are seductive but built upon a tight schematic foundation that echoes the discipline of Zen meditation. There is a profound sense of peace to be found there.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, High moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he began a career in graphic arts. He returned to Lexington in 1989 and in 2012 moved to Louisville where he now lives. He is currently working on a Triptych commission for a medical center in Virginia, and four of his pieces have been added to the University of Kentucky Medical Center collection.

He has received regional, National and International awards for fine art and illustration in both traditional and digital media, as well as two Professional Assistance Grants from the Kentucky Arts Council.

On September 29, High will be part of the Louisville Visual Art’s Juried Exhibit in the 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair. The exhibit will be available for viewing at the Marine Hospital from 11am-5pm. Jury prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: University of Kentucky, Fine Art: painting, 3 years, degree uncompleted.
Website: philiphigh.com
Instagram: highphilip/
Gallery Representation: Main-Cross Gallery, Lexington, KY, Mulberry and Lime, Lexington, KY, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY, Zephyr Gallery, Louisville, KY

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"In The Shallows" by Philip High, Acrylic and mixed media on Tyvek, 21x26in, 2015, Sold — "In The Shallows" by Philip High, Acrylic and mixed media on Tyvek, 21x26in, 2015, Sold

"The Labyrinth Makers" by Philip High, Mixed media assemblage, 31x50in, 2017, $2400 — "The Labyrinth Makers" by Philip High, Mixed media assemblage, 31x50in, 2017, $2400

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Fiber

Vignette: Joanne Weis

Guest User · September 4, 2018

“…respect for and celebration of the world we were given is the story I want to record.” – Joanne Weis

"The Banks of Pope Lick" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 32x18in, 2018, $350 — "The Banks of Pope Lick" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 32x18in, 2018, $350

Arguably, all art is storytelling. Even the most singular or abstract image is at least an element of a larger narrative. Joanne Weis is a textile artist working with non-representational components to create broad, elemental compositions that represent something. In the examples we see here, Weis is looking at rivers and streams but, even more importantly, the life of those waterways. Mussels juxtaposed with barges, clover growing on the riverbanks, and fish swimming alongside – even the intricate web of color at the bottom of “The Banks of Pope Lick” are suggestive of the network of organisms found within any organic body of water. The textures of fabric, whether natural or imposed by technique, speak the story of the worlds beneath the water’s surface, away from our hearing.

“My recent work demonstrates my awareness of the links between the earth’s environment and the spiritual.”

“I start with white fabric and cord,” Weis explains her process. “Then develop the piece using a variety of dyeing and printing techniques. The final layer is typically stitched with dyed cords, adding detail and texture. I get excited about every phase of the creative process – choosing and researching the subject matter, selecting the fiber, experimenting with techniques to achieve the look I want, handling, even smelling the silk, linen, hemp or other fabric, discovering new colors with dye, making composition and design decisions as the work grows, stitching into the cloth, touching the embroidered textures of the finished piece – all of these are thrilling and fulfilling. Most rewarding is when this art graces someone’s wall.”

“With this in mind, respect for and celebration of the world we were given is the story I want to record.”

Weis currently has a piece in the Fall of the Leaf Autumn Art Show at Kaviar Forge & Gallery in Louisville through October 13, 2018

On September 29, Weis will be part of the Louisville Visual Art’s Juried Exhibit in the 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair. The exhibit will be available for viewing at the Marine Hospital from 11am-5pm. Jury prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm.

Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
Education: BA English and Education, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI; MA, Fine Arts, focus on fiber; University of Louisville, KY, 2010; MSW, Washington University St. Louis, MO; Art Cloth Mastery Program, with Jane Dunnewold, 2009, ArtCloth Studio, San Antonio, TX.
Website: joanneweis.com

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"Mussels Under and Barges Over the Ohio" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 20x43in, 2018, $400 — "Mussels Under and Barges Over the Ohio" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 20x43in, 2018, $400

"Clover by the Salt River" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 40x22in, 2018, $400 — "Clover by the Salt River" by Joanne Weis, Textile - Hemp, Hand Dyed, printed, appliqued and stitched, 40x22in, 2018, $400

"Water Dance, Floyds' Fork" by Joanne Weis, Cotton, hand dyed, printed, stitched, 26.5x46in, 2018, $400 — "Water Dance, Floyds' Fork" by Joanne Weis, Cotton, hand dyed, printed, stitched, 26.5x46in, 2018, $400