Nature’s Geometry: Bethany Mabee and Shannon Woodford
Art & Light Gallery is happy to present “Nature’s Geometry”, a two-person exhibition of work by Bethany Mabee (Peoria, I.L.) and Shannon Woodford (Waxhaw, N.C.) launching on the Art & Light website and in the gallery at 10:00 AM (EST) on Tuesday, September 2 with an opening reception on Friday, September 5 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Nature’s Geometry finds commonality, in two very distinctive painting practices, in the form of color, composition, line and layering.
Shannon Woodford creates multilayered, expressionistic, dramatic snapshots of nature. Working largely in florals, Shannon uses the deceptively everyday nature of her subject matter to explore the hidden depths of their unexpected appeal. She likes exploring as many mediums as possible, and has worked extensively with watercolors, acrylics, and encaustics. Her current focus is in oil paint and mixed-media on canvas. Shannon employs large brush strokes and repeated marks to convey her exploration of the natural world. She loves to stretch her artistic capabilities with the use of a bold color-story, the striking natural juxtaposition of foliage hues, and lush multitextured layers. Shannon draws inspiration from vistas of imperfect beauty searching out under-sung flowers (or even weeds) to coax forth their raw, wild charm.
Bethany Mabee is an abstract painter and textile designer who has spent over 20 years immersed in the interior design industry while simultaneously cultivating her painting and studio practice. Her experiences in interior design serve as pivotal stepping stones in her development of a textile line and remain a constant source of inspiration in her studio work. Each step in Bethany’s process refuels a future process, becoming a symbol of continuous and cyclical expansion. Her work serves as a moving meditation that explores improvisation through interactions with color and material. Completed paintings take on new life through the methodical process of pattern creation for fabric and wallpaper. This pattern creation becomes an extended exploration of contrast by transforming painting improvisation into intentional digital design.
