Contemporary Landscapes by Artist KC Collins
February 7 – February 28, 2020
Opening Reception: February 7, 2020 5:00-8:00 PM
Robert Lange Studios upcoming exhibit, “Parallels,” features the work of the contemporary landscape artist KC Collins. “Parallels” is a meditative body of paintings that chronicle the areas around the artist’s home in Charleston, including the barrier islands, Lowcountry marshes, and pristene southern beaches. Collins’ is known for her soft, atherial landscapes. “This body of work explores the theme of parallels. Not only in the literal sense of lines moving in the same direction, but also how separate elements in a painting are interdependent. The relationship between sky and sea, shadows and reflections,” says Collins.
Collins’ painting style is unique within the landscape genera; she departs from traditional hard edges and crisp lines and instead creates soft almost blurred paintings. The end effect is calming. “I always feel an overwhelming sense of peace and quiet in the places where I find inspiration and reference for my paintings. Even when standing knee deep in the ocean in the middle of a storm with waves crashing around me, I feel I’m in a moment of calm and suspension,” Collins said. “I try to convey that in my work. I want the viewer to not only feel the power and energy in a moment, but also serenity and stillness.”
Collins uses a type of brush called a mop brush, similar to a women’s blush brush, to slowly soften the edges of her work and she often paints water. The title piece for the show, “Parallels” emerges the viewer into the middle of a vast ocean as the clouds are rolling in. Collin’s said of the 24-by-36 inch oil on panel piece,“The inspiration for this painting came from a morning spent floating on a paddle board in the Gulf of Mexico. The clouds were breathtaking that day, and I loved the triangular composition created from the reflections on the rippling water.”
This exhibit is a celebration of the peace and mindfulness that exists in the natural world and Collins’ desire to bring that feeling into the home. The exhibition will hang from February 7 – February 28, 2020, and a festive reception, featuring music, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, is open to the public on February 7, 2020 5:00-8:00 PM, in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.