The Laffer Gallery Presents: “From The Earth”
Featuring Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, Valerie Craig and Jill Fishon-Kovachick
May 16 – June 21, 2015
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 16, 5-8pm
The Laffer Gallery is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition. From The Earth unites three artists, Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, Valerie Craig and Jill Fishon-Kovachick, inspired by the natural world around them. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, May 16th from 5-8pm.
Influenced by the great 19th century artists who visually glorified this region, Jane Bloodgood-Abrams creates a fresh view of the landscape. Inspired by dramatic, and transitory moments, a deep connection to nature is formed through color, composition and iconographic imagery. Using layers of glazes over time, Bloodgood-Abrams embodies the emotional essence of the scene, through the veil of memory.
Painting en plein air as much as possible, Valerie Craig’s oil and watercolor paintings become suffused with soft light, evoking an emotional response and remaining sensitive to the mood and atmosphere of a particular scene. Whether painting in vast open areas or intimate spaces, through close observation, Craig captures incredible light and color.
Ceramic artist Jill Fishon-Kovachick utilizes Raku, Sagger and High Fire techniques to create subtle, yet resplendent tones and natural coloration of earth and sky in her work.
Artist Biographies
Jane Bloodgood-Abrams, received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and a Bachelor of Studio Arts degree from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. Bloodgood-Abrams’ work has been chosen for many regional, national, and international exhibitions, including the New York State Biennial, The Mohawk -Hudson Regional, The Bienniale in Florence Italy, as well as exhibitions in Austria and Germany. She has been an Artist in Residence through the Catskill Center and was selected for a Rhine-Hudson Artist Exchange in Cologne, Germany. Bloodgood-Abrams has received grants from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and was recently a semifinalist for the $20,000 Basil H. Alkazzi Award for Excellence. Her works are included in numerous corporate, museum and private collections.
Having drawn and painted nearly all her life, Valerie Craig left her nursing administration career in 1998 to pursue her passion for painting and for the outdoors. Craig travels frequently to Ireland and within the United States, teaching workshops, seeking inspiration and opportunities in the field. Honors include the Artists’ Choice Award in the 2010 Easton Plein Air Festival, First Place in the 2009 Wayne Plein Air Festival, Runner Up to Best in Show in the 2009 American Women Artists Show, and Best in Show in the 2008 Wayne Plein Air Festival. Craig lives in St. Davids, Pennsylvania with her husband Peter.
Jill Fishon-Kovachick is a renowned local clay artist and owner/director of the Saratoga Clay Arts Center located in Schuylerville, NY.