The John M. Crawford, Jr. Art Gallery will host a new exhibition, “Soaring Views,” featuring the artwork of Kate Coleman. Join us for the opening reception on Wednesday, January 11th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. to meet the artist. “Soaring Views” will be displayed in the gallery through March 3, 2023.
Kate Coleman lives in Swannanoa, North Carolina with her husband and daughter. Kate finds her inspiration for her paintings while enjoying hiking, fishing, and being surrounded by nature. She searches used book stores to find vintage books on birds. She uses the pages from these books to apply visual texture to her paintings and give more information that is specific to each bird.
Kate Coleman received her Fine Art Degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. From there she went on to design and make a studio pottery line in collaboration with her husband, Ed Coleman. It was after discovering that both Kate and her daughter Irish shared a passion for painting that Kate began this creative journey. With her passion for birds and her love of painting, Kate was launched on this path of large scale bird portraits.
Kate shares the following about the Soaring View Exhibition: My most recent passion involves my love for the outdoors and a wanting for exploration. These pieces are inspired by my local hikes and bird watching in Western North Carolina. I discovered my love for painting 8 years ago and found myself immersed in painting the unique portraits of birds and nature. Defining them by more than appearance, I go further by layering information, sourced by vintage books and maps onto each specific piece. The result is a unique collaboration of visual texture and defining text, presenting a unique piece. I try to reveal the true character of each image, giving a warmth and a light to each one that I paint. These works of painted portraits of birds and nature are done in acrylic paint on wood panels. Parts of each piece are made from pages of vintage books and maps and include information specific to that piece.
Gallery Hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday by appointment only. To make an appointment, please contact Ms. Casey Arbor via email ([email protected]) or phone 828.254.6345 x 4037.