“Timeless West, Timeless Meaning” show features contemporary Western paintings of Jim Bagley and painted ceramic vessels of Laura Bruzzese
SANTA FE, NM: August 5, 2016; The two-person show during First Friday Art Walk on Friday, October 7, 2016 features contemporary Western paintings of Jim Bagley and painted ceramic vessels of Laura Bruzzese from 5:00-7:30 pm at Sorrel Sky Gallery’s downtown location at 125 W. Palace Ave. The evening will spotlight how each artist expresses their passion and enthusiasm for the West, and how the timeless nature of the West continues to give focus to their art. Both artists will be at the opening reception and the show will continue through October.
Jim Bagley is ever alert to the dramatic interaction between the land and the sky of the West. An avid outdoorsman, he often travels on foot to locate and document the splendor of undiscovered places. His landscape paintings, masterfully rendered in oil, capture the beauty and simplicity of overlooked terrains and out of the way places. While in his studio, he maintains his focus by keeping in mind the intent or meaning of a piece. “Techniques, materials, composition, color, subject matter are all essential elements, but successful art is all about intention.” Jim resides in Durango, Colorado where his work is inspired by the endless beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
Laura Bruzzese, who lives in New Mexico, a landscape replete with views of mountains, mesas and volcanic formations, takes it all in when decorating the surfaces of her porcelain vessels. Each vessel, whether a covered jar or a vase, offers a scene of the natural world, from close-ups of flora and fauna to the grand, sweeping vistas found around her. She uses a potter’s wheel and her training as a painter combined with her love for the earth to craft her nature-inspired ceramic vessels. For Laura, painting “in the round” presents exciting challenges. “I have to consider how the imagery flows together instead of how it meets the borders of a canvas. The unpredictable aspect of clay … keeps it interesting.”
Sorrel Sky Gallery owner, Shanan Campbell Wells, admires the enduring love of the West that these two artists possess and its influence on their work. “Looking at the works of Jim and Laura, it is so clear that they each take to heart the timeless beauty of the Western landscape. When you combine that deep respect, enthusiasm and even reverence with their distinctive talents and skills, the end results have their own timeless quality.”
Sorrel Sky Gallery’s fresh approach to Western art presents a select collection of contemporary and traditional fine art and jewelry for the discerning collector. Sorrel Sky Gallery was founded in Durango, CO in 2002 and opened its Santa Fe, NM location in 2014. It represents over 90 painters, sculptors and jewelers including bronze artist Star Liana York, painter Kevin Red Star, and jewelry artist Ben Nighthorse, among others.