GDCA is pleased to announce our January, 2022 Group Exhibition, "Current"! 

Painting & Mixed Media Collage - Figurative, abstract, bold, hidden, fearless, brave, timeless and still. We connect to the pulse of our times through an internal journey that takes us outside of ourselves. Feelings and truths, given shape and form and color, can no longer be contained. We must share them. 

EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!

GDCA is pleased to announce our January, 2022 Solo Exhibition:

Cynthia Ann Swan:  "Tapestries"

Richard Bell

In this series I’ve painted some of the Jazz musicians who helped me cope with feelings of isolation and also some of the friends that I miss and love to paint. In my series however, I strictly only used monochromatic shades of blue devoid of any other colors to express the deep hopelessness and desolation that the whole world is feeling, yet preserves the beauty from before as a reminder for a post pandemic life.” - Richard Bell

Marlene Capell

"These paintings start with the image of a portal which is the dominant motif. They often evolve over a period of several years. I may paint over old paintings leaving some parts exposed because it goes with my attitude towards life; not to obscure what has gone before. This painting process is one of covering, scraping and redrawing in order to challenge the existing state of the work as multiple layers are built up and then partially obscured. This leaves evidence of what went before in the process of creating a rich and textured surface. Comparing my art to music, I visualize interweaving and overlaying abstract elements in the composition of my work.

I visualize these paintings as a reflection of life as well as a connection to our earliest beginnings and to other cultures. I begin by building abstract architectonic forms, which evolve from my fascination with Stonehenge and the Lion Gate of Mycenae. I use this specific kind of formal structure to help establish order out of the vast multitude of available choices. I derive a sense of stability from these post and lintel structures, which grounds me so that I can then speculate and explore non-objectively. From that, I hope for something unexpected to emerge for both the viewer and myself.

Just as each civilization is built upon the structures of previous ones, I believe our lives are a process of building one experience upon another. As many of these paintings are painted over previous ones, revealing the history of themselves, they become a metaphor for growth and evolution. For me this is also the exchange between the careful rational mind and the desire for spontaneity and a measure of surprise. The challenge becomes just how much freedom I can allow myself." - MC

Teri Dryden

'California Sojourn' Series

“By manipulating found in prepared papers, I use spatial relationships, color and form to explore connections, memory and sense place. The pieces I created for “crescent moon” were inspired by my annual sojourn to Los Angeles Where I visit dear friends and the place I used to call home” - Teri Dryden

Siri France

Dave Graham

"Each painting is a mirror of nature which I have been blessed to have spent my life studying with all of its astounding mix of patterns and colors. I have also noticed that any time I have approached a canvas with a set idea in mind, it inevitably gets thrown out as the piece takes on a life of its own and evolves into something far more interesting than any ideas I may have had to begin with. This approach for me means letting go of my ego and simply being true to the painting as it is evolving and to myself as an artist..." - Dave Graham

Karen Hansen 

"In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The practice encourages people to simply spend time in nature — no actual bathing required. And it need not take place in a forest. Any natural setting outdoors is good, like a local park, your favorite nearby trail, the beach, a lake. Time spent in nature is good for both physical and mental wellbeing. It is proven to reduce stress hormone production, improve feelings of happiness, free up creativity, lower heart rate and blood pressure, boost the immune system and accelerate recovery from illness. And any amount of time you can spend outdoors enjoying fresh air and sunshine is good.

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, take a few deep breaths and center yourself. Spend a few moments simply observing your surroundings. You could sit and watch how the trees sway in the wind or you could walk around. If you decide to walk, go at a leisurely pace and without a specific destination in mind. It’s important to let your mind and senses wander, explore, and indulge. Focus on what your senses are taking in — whether it’s the scent of clean ocean air or a chorus of chirping birds. The goal of forest bathing is to live in the present moment while immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of a natural setting.... These paintings are are reflections of my own forest bathing experiences." - Karen Hansen

Suki Kuss

"The series, “CleanSlate”,

is quite different for me. Seemingly void of detail...a departure in style...the true work lies below the surface of each piece. Hidden thoughts and detailed composition are there to be found and interpreted by the viewer. ...

The single piece, “Writer’s Block”, does not belong in a series but stands on its own as an individual statement. Each artist, from time to time, suffers from doubt and fear. I found this piece to be peaceful and restorative... a statement of my resolve to search within my self doubting and present a piece of quiet dignity." - Suki Kuss

Kathe Madrigal

"The meeting of energy and matter is creation. I bring them together as they tell me. 

Applying paint and editing back is one of my favorite techniques. Layers of structure and color are revealed through razors, blowtorch and hot wax. It’s a process of searching within our Psyche to discover our complex selves.“ - Kathe Madrigal

Stephen Schubert

Linda Stelling

“I see art as one avenue to changing our world. It is received by most to reflect our opinions, emotions and desires. This permission is granted to everyone for beauty, peace and transcendence into a more wonderful world. These works are a direct offering for that desire for calm." - Linda Stelling

Exhibition Statement

“Tapestries”

Cynthia Ann Swan

"Tapestries have been woven since ancient times, honoring the dead, preserving history, and warming the walls of noblemen. Single threads tell colorful tales, nimbly crossing the steady warp that gives their dance stability. The warp cords run the length of the tapestry, while the darting weft threads are here and there, then gone again, as new threads join the party.

These tapestries tell my story. They serve as allegories of my life. Literal weaving is the unifying element across the collection. The presentations are the warp, the foundation, the wood grain of symbolic planks, the trees that stand as solemn sentinels, the nature of my core. The weft is the color, the glass, the metal, the cloth, the changing textures, the stops, the starts, beginnings and ends, that join to be my life.

Some of the pieces are impressionistic images suggesting generalized experiences. Other pieces document my memories of specific, personal events. The poems embedded in each of them add language to the idea.

I had no master plan prior to starting this collection, only the concept of designing the fabric of my life. The titles of each series represent major aspects of my life, that qualify my character, and combine to make me whole."

- CynthiaAnnSwan