NOVEMBER 2024 EXHIBIT

Join us Thursday November 14th from 5-7 PM

for Opening Night

The GRACE GALLERY Proudly Featuring Artists

Kim Blankenstein

Barbara Fontaine-White

Stephanie Chambers

Nakisha Gonzalez

Nancy McGowan

Sean Oswald

Kurt Ritterpusch

Hershall Seals

Mary Witty

Autumn Yarosz

Zhoo Lee Et

KIM BLANKENSTEIN

Originally from Arizona, Kim Blankenstein harbors a deep love for the desert and the vast expanses of West Texas, landscapes that inspire her work and fuel her soul. Her true passion lies in Native American art, a field where she finds endless inspiration and connection. Through her artwork, Blankenstein aims to share her unique impressions of life, inviting viewers to experience the world through her eyes and hopefully, to find joy and inspiration in her interpretations of life's beauty.

Blankenstein brings to the art world a unique perspective honed over 45 years of both living with and creating art. With a profound appreciation for the beauty and intricacies of life, she attributes her distinct way of seeing the world to a blessing. Her journey has been deeply rooted in Texas, where she has spent the same number of years enriching her connection to the state's diverse landscapes and cultures.

Before embracing art full-time, Blankenstein dedicated 43 years to a career in Pharmacy at Baylor Scott and White, a tenure that underscored her commitment and work ethic. Now retired, she revels in the freedom to devote herself entirely to her art, exploring and expressing her creative vision without restraint.

Warrior Chief Little Big Horn

Pastel, ink, charcoal

Quiet Silence

Ink Pastel

Barbara Fontaine-White

Experiencing the land is a physical experience that requires engagement from the participant. Painting the landscape is a related experience that forges a connection between the work of art, the artist who made it and the person looking at it. These connections become part of the human experience that recognizes our humanity and connectedness to the earth. My paintings start with observed reality and then are synthesized through composition, memory, and imagination.

From my perspective, landscape viewed as a metaphor for the human condition explores the relationship of humankind to the earth. As an artist, I explore traces of past civilization, scars of human activity and the permanence of the land itself. Vast expanses summon calmness and timelessness. Rocky ground or steep cliffs uncertain or dangerous situations. Recognizing a need for interaction with the natural world is fundamental to the emotional understanding of humans as an integral part of nature.

Beaver Dam

Oil and wax on arches oil paper

28" x 36" Framed

Glacial Lake

Oil and wax on arches oil paper

28" x 36" Framed

Mountain, Sky, Plain

Oil and wax on arches oil paper

28" x 36" Framed

Mary Witty

Mary is a senior at Abilene Christian College majoring in Graphic Design. She is an aspiring artist who explores different mediums such as graphic design, photography, sculpture and sketching.

Her sculpture "Unfortunate Demise" is a bronze horror sculpture that depicts Nibbles the Opossum in an unfortunate situation, meant to express feelings of being trapped and stressed.

"UNFORTUNATE DEMISE"

Bronze Sculpture

Not For Sale

Nakisha Gonzalez

My name is Nakisha, and I am a retired Army veteran with a passion for art. After serving my country with seven deployments, I decided to pursue my artistic aspirations. I am thrilled to share a bit about myself and my diverse artistic journey.

I recently graduated from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art and Psychology. Currently, I am furthering my education by pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology. This unique combination of art and psychology has dramatically influenced and enriched my artistic expression.

As a well-rounded artist, I have explored various mediums and artistic endeavors. My artwork spans across painting, multimedia, ceramics, glass blowing, metal art, wood carving, and wire wrapping. Each medium allows me to convey different aspects of my experiences and emotions, resulting in a vibrant and eclectic body of work.

I am excited about the opportunity to showcase my artwork at your esteemed gallery potentially and would be honored to discuss further details or provide additional information. Thank you for considering my work, and I look forward to collaborating with you.

Nature's Embrace

Reflections of Embrace

Empress of Autumn

Nancy McGowan

Nancy has been an artist since she could hold a crayon, as was evident by the numerous "sketches and drawings" that adorned the walls of her family home. Unfortunately none survived her mother's scrubbing and cleaning that could attest to her early talent! At the age off 5 while most children at the beach were busy building sand castles, Nancy drew them in the sand along with the flora and wildlife. Some of Nancy's educators thought drawing took precedence over schoolwork. However, they should have known that even great talent needs practice@ That practice honed a talent that can be seen in the artistic commissions she did for the Texas Game, Fish and Oyster Commission and the Texas Parks & Wildlife. She and her husband, Jim, began extended explorations in Mexico where they documented and sketched unique flora and fauna. Moving to Temple in 1992 she continues her artistic endeavors and now shares her talent and skills with the community.

Hill Country Latch - Bewick's Wren

Watercolor

Keel-Billed Toucan - Papaya

Watercolor

Ladder Backed Woodpecker Old Stump

Watercolor

Chipping Sparrow - Grapevine

Watercolor

Sean Oswald

Drawing and painting from life is the foundation of my work. Decisions as to how to compose and what to communicate are intuitively made from a knowledge of theory and art history. I’m trying first to be faithful to my perception, but more like the visual descriptions of a poet than a camera.

Sean is a painter and draftsman whose work consists mainly of portraits, landscapes, and still lives. Originally from the Midwest, he holds a BA from Miami University and an MFA from DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. He has also sought much additional education as a student of Garin Baker’s studio and several workshops of notable artists that can be found in his bio. Sean serves as Assistant Professor in mostly painting and drawing at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He lives in Waco Texas with his wife and three children.

Backyard in June

Oil on Canvas

Bridge and Park behind UMHB

Oil on Paper

Cameron park from circle point, overcast day in spring

Oil on Canvas

View from Mother Neff State Park

Oil on Canvas

KURT RITTERPUSCH

Kurt grew up in Maryland, Illinois, Virginia and New Jersey. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, DC with a Fine Art degree in Studio Art and a concentration in painting. After completing training in the Army Reserve, Kurt became an Art Teacher in Arlington, Virginia public school system teaching Art, Photography, Art History and Graphic Design.

Kurt cal called up to active Duty in 2001 serving two combat tours in Iraq and two combat tours in Afghanistan receiving four Bronze Stars. Retiring from the Army in 2020, he has turned his focus toward painting and capturing nature.

Kurt is a figurative painter.(Plein air and studio). He frequently paints local central Texas scenes, especially local central Texas scenes and has recently begun portraiture.

Airstreams gathered in the Wild

Oil on Canvas

Creek at G Street, Kerville

Oil on Canvas

Old County Courthouse, Belton

Oil on Canvas Panel

Night, Night Airstream

Oil on Canvas

Main Street Bridal

Oil on Canvas

HERSHALL SEALS

Hershall Seals’ roots in South Texas have deeply influenced his connection to the land and its historical heritage, which serve as a cornerstone for his artistic expression. Seals incorporates ancient pictographs and petroglyphs from the Southwest into his diverse array of art forms, including jewelry, glass blowing, printmaking, assemblage art, sculpture, and painting. His work reflects a fusion of traditional visual languages with contemporary materials and techniques, exploring themes of transcendence, power, and the mystical. Seals holds a BFA in Art Education from Sam Houston State University and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from Louisiana State University. His career has spanned over three decades, including a role as Visual Arts Co-Director at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple and a long-standing tenure as a professor at UMHB. Seals’ art is a testament to the enduring impact of cultural heritage and the transformative power of creativity.

My family often played the Animal, Vegetable, Mineral Game on long car trips when I was a child. Someone would think of any object they could think of and if no one could guess correctly within 10 guesses, then that person would get another turn. It fascinated me back then that the world of things could be simplified to just three classifications. Three objects from each category make up each of the assemblages.

Found object art started in 1913 when Marcel Duchamp coined the term “readymades” and mounted a bicycle wheel to a stool and titled it “The Bicycle Wheel”. Then in 1017 he exhibited what he called the “Fountain”, a men’s urinal, at the Society of Independent Artists in New York City.

Since then, countless artists have used objects in new ways, putting aside normal ideas of beauty and aesthetics in favor of humor, creative play, and enlarging aesthetic boundaries.

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral #20

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral #11

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral #21

Autumn Yarosz

Autumn Yarosz, a Troy, Texas native, currently dedicates her days to educating young minds as a middle school science teacher in Temple, Texas. Her academic journey led her to Texas State University, where she pursued and earned a degree in wildlife biology, a field that reflects her deep-seated fascination with the natural world. This profound interest in nature's wonders serves as the cornerstone of her artistic endeavors.

Yarosz's art delves into the rich biodiversity of native Texas species, weaving each piece with a narrative that transcends mere realism to capture the essence and potential stories inherent in each habitat. Her technique is notably versatile, incorporating mixed media such as pen, gouache, and colored pencil to bring her visions to life. Through her artwork, Yarosz invites viewers on a journey of discovery and appreciation for the natural world, aiming to ignite a passion for conservation and a deeper interest in the myriad lives with which we share our environment.

She hopes that her work not only educates but also inspires a love and respect for nature, fostering a communal effort to safeguard the diverse species that inhabit Texas and beyond.

From Rock

Pen, Colored Pencil, and Gousache

You Can't Prove They're Not There

Pen, Colored Pencil, and Gousache

Meet Me at the Passion Vine

Pen, Colored Pencil, and Gousache

The Mockingbird's Oak

Pen and Colored Pencil

Zhoo Lee Et

I am a figurative/abstract painter living in Belton, Texas. My art career began in the Peace Corps in Latin America as I spent many years living abroad and working as an artist and educator. I exhibited in Brazil and in Spain and for most of my art career, in Texas. For me, a colorful palette is the beginning.

The imagery which is present in my work includes geometric and architectural forms, human contours, animals forms, figurative shadows and vessels, Much of the imagery comes from my everyday life, whether it be sensations which dictate my artistic direction or actual surroundings that envelop my world. I often paint the female form often to represent myself in the struggle and duality of my own grounded-ness vs. vulnerability.

I have a Masters in Art Education from Texas Tech University; as art educator and high school guidance

counselor, my students benefit from art therapy activities to promote self-reliance and healing. Art is healing.

Self-expression is the essence of self-actualization.

"Thinking Man"

32" x 32"

Acrylic on Wood

"Human Forms"

30" x 30"

Acrylic on Canvas

Michaeangelo's "David"

24" x 40"

Acrylic on Wood

Stephanie Chambers

Nature's rules are clear and simple, and its limits are easy to define. I can see the immediate effects of my actions and know that my decisions alone are critical to my continued existence. Unimportant issues are filtered out, leaving only those elements that truly matter. I am forced to make decisions quickly and decisively, and I am aware of the consequences, both good and bad. My work is a meditation on the struggle to honor and appreciate the beauty and danger of the natural world. In this process the mystery of things takes over and nature's forms begin to speak in terms that seem just beyond. They are an attempt to give visual form to that which is abstract, spiritual, and intangible. My work is a journey that explores the known and unknown and offers a glimpse into the hidden depths of nature. The wilderness is a profound setting for the pursuit of understanding the bond between nature and the inner self and these paintings offer a glimpse of the exploration into my own spiritual and emotional encounters, emphasizing the individuality, intimacy, and complexity of our responses to the natural world.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse