21 Mar Sorrel Sky Gallery Features Three-Person Show During First Friday Art Walk on April 7

The three-person show, “Southwestern Chronicles,” during First Friday Art Walk on April 7, 2017 features the Southwestern inspired paintings, sculpture and ceramic vessels of Jim Bagley, Gerald Balciar, and Laura Bruzzese. Opening reception is from 5:00-7:30 pm at Sorrel Sky Gallery’s downtown location at 125 W. Palace Ave. The show continues throughout the month of April.

Jim Bagley is ever alert to the dramatic interaction between the land and the sky of the West. An avid outdoorsman, he often travels on foot to locate and document the splendor of undiscovered places. His landscape paintings, masterfully rendered in oil, capture the beauty and simplicity of overlooked terrains and out of the way places. While in his studio, he maintains his focus by keeping in mind the intent or meaning of a piece.

Gerald Balciar is interested in portraying a mood or feeling in his sculptures rather than creating exact replicas of his subject. When creating a sculpture, Balciar’s deep understanding of an animal’s life and world, gained through his exhaustive study of its behavior and habitat, enables him to create a work that is full of life, a portrait of the essence of the animal. His extensive library of wildlife material allows him to chronicle the inner spirit seen in nature.

Laura Bruzzese depicts scenes of the natural world, from close-ups of flora and fauna, to the grand, sweeping vistas found in the landscapes of the Southwest. Each vessel, whether a covered jar or a vase, presents exciting challenges as she paints “in the round”. She uses a potter’s wheel and her training as a painter combined with her love for the earth to craft her nature-inspired ceramic vessels.

Shanan Campbell Wells, owner of Sorrel Sky Gallery, sees the work of each artist as a chronicle, or visual journal, of the Southwest. “Jim, Gerald and Laura all listen attentively to their inner voice and to the voice of the Southwest, creating what could be called chronicles of our natural world. Their work vividly translates what they see into a visual journal for us to interpret and treasure.”

Sorrel Sky Gallery’s fresh approach to Western art offers a select collection of contemporary and traditional fine art and jewelry for the discerning art enthusiast. Sorrel Sky Gallery was founded in Durango, CO in 2002, opening its second location in Santa Fe, NM in 2014. Representing over 90 painters, sculptors and jewelers, including bronze artist Star Liana York, painter Kevin Red Star, and jewelry artist Ben Nighthorse, among others.