Artists Reveal Inspirational Narratives Behind Work in 'story TELLERS'

Jeanne Bessette at Mirada Fine Art, 'All I Need,' Acrylic on Canvas, 30" x 30"

By Jan Thompson

'Tell me facts and I'll learn.  Tell me truth and I'll believe.  But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.'

So states a Native American proverb.  And visual stories are no exception to that ancient wisdom.  Often, artists hesitate to explain the thought process behind their work, preferring to have each viewer draw their own conclusions.  Frequently, art is a spontaneous expression, with no clear outcome when begun.  In a very unique exhibition at Mirada Fine Art, however, the story behind the art and its creators will be on clear display.  Numerous works by many of the gallery’s core artists, including nationally-acclaimed North Carolinian Jeanne Bessette and Mirada’s newest artist, Coloradan Janice Suggs, will be accompanied with explanations on how each piece was born, how it was developed, and why.

Michael McGlaughlin at Mirada Fine Art, Squirrel & Oak, Bronze Sculpture

For instance, sculptor Michael McLaughlin explains that his whimsical ‘Squirrel and Oak’ piece began as an homage to the furry friends surrounding his Connecticut studio and foundry.  Having previously fostered two baby squirrels, which when healthy and strong had been returned to the forest, McLaughlin was inspired to recreate the high-wire acrobatics of the creatures.  Housed in a steel Quonset style building, a hickory tree has spread a beautiful canopy over much of the workshop. While working on the sculpture, a squirrel with a ravenous appetite for nuts lingered in the tree above the studio and unceremoniously rained a seemingly infinite number of shells clanging down upon the steel structure. This inspiration/torture lead Michael to include an oversized nut in his fanciful piece.

Janice Sugg at Mirada Fine Art, 'Yellow Light Through the Water,' Acrylic on Canvas, 16" x 16"

Painter Janice Sugg will explain how her painting ‘Yellow Light Through the Water’ was inspired while living on a farm in Longmont, gazing into shimmering light reflecting from irrigation water on full moon nights, as well as why the horizon is a reoccurring theme in her work.  Throughout Mirada Fine Art Gallery other anecdotal explanations will be highlighted with corresponding artwork during the ‘Storytelling’ exhibition, which will run October 15 – November 6, 2016.  An opening reception will be held on Friday, October 14^th from 6-9pm. 

William Barnhart at Mirada Fine Art, 'The Point of Relaxation,' Oil on Canvas, 48" x 48"