Downtown Visalia Art Exhibit Provides ‘Awakening’

“Mariposa Lily, Yosemite” by Jeri Burzin
“Mariposa Lily, Yosemite” by Jeri Burzin

Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group offers a wide range of engineering and consulting services for a diverse group of clients. They are also very active hosting artists and art exhibits at their offices at 130 N. Garden St. in Visalia. Their current exhibit, “Awakening,” features Main Gallery artists and runs through May 17. The artist reception will take place during the Downtown Wine & Cheese Walk on Thursday, April 3, from 5:30-8:30pm.

“There is ‘awakening’ of new life and color all around us and Main Gallery artists share our interpretation of ‘awakening’ through our images on display,” explains Jeri Burzin.

Every time a new piece comes to life, Toni Best feels “it awakens my imagination and my creativity.” Her “Green Crocus” is “a spring flower that epitomizes the awakening of nature with the coming of spring.”

Betty Berk experiences awakening, “like an onion peeling back the layers. In my artwork, I discover new understandings that feel like I’ve woken up to a new paradigm.”

Linda Hengst thinks of spring with the word awakening. “That is when bulbs suddenly appear and bloom. It is also when mist comes off the ponds and clouds creep around the mountain, all elements in my paintings.”

Laurie Gorman’s oranges, bird of paradise, lilac and papayas, “are all bright colorful images of spring, reflection of renewal, a time of new growth and regeneration, when trees and plants bring forth fruit and flowers, vibrant colors, lovely to look at, and fruit delicious to eat.”

“My work focuses on the natural beauty of new blooms, new life and new directions,” says Deb Nolan. “I am renewed with each view.”

“A flower garden is always awakening,” adds Lynn Ramires.

“My life has been a series of new awakenings,” says Sherley Tucker. “I am convinced I have had many reincarnations during this one lifetime. An accountant by trade, my secret goal was to become an artist.” Her artworks in the exhibition are early endeavors in collage and watercolor.

“The concept of awakening is vast and diverse, and brings about change or action, inspires movement into a new way of thinking, being or behaving,” muses Deanna Saldana, whose newest works revolve around awakening, renewing or becoming through a very natural blending of colors. “My work reflects the ‘awakening’ I experience each spring, when new life and color abound, which is reflected in my images of flowers taken in the peak of spring.”

Main Gallery is a collaborative group of artists, committed to enhancing the community with their art-making and features a wide variety of art media including acrylic, oil, watercolor, photography, collage, ceramics, stained glass, mixed media, gourds and basket-weaving. For more information, visit www.maingalleryvisalia.com.

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