SURFACESPaintings by Michele Cormier
From cracking sidewalks to weathered façades, Michele captures the deterioration of urban surfaces over time. Erosion, decay and traffic take their toll. What was once a blank canvas becomes a landscape of the inevitable urban condition.
Just Because by Michele Cormier Whether it is a child’s chalk drawing, a gouge in a curb, or traces of rusted detritus, every sidewalk, stone or wall offers evidence of life and tells a story. These are surfaces where a child explores his imagination, where you catch a glimpse of your shadow or where the debris of daily living leaves layers of history that create infinitely varying shapes.Michele’s work interprets these transformations through multiple layers of paint, glazes, imprints, and mysterious details with random lines and markings.
Raised in Shediac, a small Acadian village in New Brunswick, Canada, Michele’s work is influenced by the French Canadian culture where her ancestors lived principally off the sea and the land. Her work reflects this tug between those simple rural influences and the sophisticated urban life she leads.
This is Michele’s second solo exhibit at Touchstone. Her work is also represented by Gallery 555 in Washington DC, and she has shown in many juried art venues in her short (three year) stay here. She has also exhibited in many Canadian galleries and art shows in Ottawa, Ontario and her native hometown. See more images at: www.michelecormier.com
INSPIRATIONPaintings by Betsy Forster
Golden Hills by Betsy Forster Betsy Forster receives the inspiration for her work from nature. She has a tremendous love for and feels a great spiritual connection with nature. As with a number of northern romantic painters, Forster seeks the supernatural in the natural.
She creates for us a wide variety of delightful views: from the forests, fields and mountains of Wyoming and Montana to the hills and valleys of the Virginia countryside. She shows us her incredible ability to depict uninhabited spots that are becoming more difficult to find in our increasingly urbanized society.
The work in this exhibition includes pieces painted in oil, pastel and mixed media. When asked what her favorite medium is, she responds, “pastel, as I love to draw and the pastel stick is a wonderful drawing tool”.
Born in Madera, California, Forster spent most of her childhood in Dallas, Texas. Her childhood memories of the brown hills of California and the big skies of Texas are reflected in her desire to produce landscape paintings. She received a BA in Art from Auburn University, Montgomery, Alabama and later an MFA in painting from the American University in Washington, DC.
For more information please contact Ksenia Grishkova, Director, at 202-347-2787 or e mail info@touchstonegallery.com
Touchstone Gallery
901 New York Avenue, NW
202.347.2787
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