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Blog Post
Sparkling: A Contemporary Celebration of Maximalism
BySara Kent-Schneider
•
14 Jan, 2025
Is ^ that an oxymoron? See for yourself at the show, debuting Friday, Jan. 17!
To begin the year, step into a kaleidoscope of color and texture with Sparkling, where every canvas bursts with layered patterns, vibrant hues, and intricate details. This collection embraces the "more is more" philosophy, blending eclectic influences to create dynamic, immersive works that captivate the senses and defy convention. Prepare to lose yourself in a world where creativity knows no bounds. Whether you visit the gallery in person or explore the exhibit online at www.lizlidgett.com, these works are sure to make a statement.
Meet the geniuses behind these innovative contemporary delights.
MADISON SUMMERLIN
Madison Summerlin is a mixed-media abstract artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Madison has been passionate about abstract art for most of her life. Raised on her grandparents ranch, she spent many summer days quilting with her grandmother. Madison believes working with her hands at such a young age sparked her creativity. The inspiration for Madison’s work and her recognizable collection, The Dawt Studies, comes from her attraction to color relationships, pattern, and organic shapes. Madison hopes that by using her art to illustrate beauty in imperfections and differences, she can inspire viewers to see the beauty in the differences of the people that surround them. Madison believes that by loving one another in our truest form we, in turn, learn what it means to truly love.
NATE NETTLETON
Nate Nettleton is a conceptual sculptural artist living and working in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His art practice explores the importance of simplicity, and constructs abstract physical representations of personal & societal progress, empowerment, and possibility. Nates artworks have been exhibited in galleries across North America, he has created public sculptural works shown throughout Canada, his works have been featured in Canadian and American art publications, and he is represented by Wallspace Gallery and Liz Lidgett Gallery.
RON GIUSTI
"I am inspired by so many sources; at times it can be overwhelming. There are days when ideas, song lyrics, random thoughts are competing for attention – I’m typically out of bed by 3:30 am. The modern greats have left a significant impact on my personal style: Warhol, Kline, Basquiat, Rothko, Lichtenstein, Pollock, Takashi, Kakinuma. My Mini paintings are inspired by Kline and Kakinuma and I love their bold simplicity, standing alone or in a grouping. The Kokeshi Doll Heads was where the Mini Collection began, and inspired the rest – Abstracts, Hearts, LOVE, and my newest pieces Wagasa (based on Chinese/Japanese umbrellas) and Hebi (which is my Japanese birth symbol). My larger graffiti-esque paintings are a throwback to my career as a Creative Director. Seeing items in different contexts provides depth and dimension to those elements. I’m heavily inspired and influenced by the masterful way Asian culture can make simple items so elegant and combine ancient themes in vibrant and modern works – it’s gorgeous. On most of my bigger pieces you will see Chinese takeout cartons, origami animals, chopsticks, and vintage Chinese matchbook art – they represent the culmination of thoughts I jot down, song lyrics playing in the moment, random logos I liked. You’ll find I like to repeat visual elements – this is a nod to my personal style – that there are many sides to me. If I had to sum up my art, they are snapshots from my mind over the course days/months/years/life."
ELISA SHEEHAN
It takes a robust vocabulary to get closer to describing the indescribable. But my vocabulary isn’t just comprised of words ... It contains entire spectrums of color. Along with a varied and wide-ranging palette of joy-inducing colors and styles of mark-making, many of my eggshell paintings also include gold leaf “cracks.” I’ve always loved the Japanese art of kintsugi wherein broken pottery is repaired with gold and rather than trying to disguise the break or flaw, it is highlighted and therefore elevated to a status of beauty. Its age is celebrated, its history is seen, its flaws are revered. I think this is a great way to think about ourselves, others and our relationships as we age - not to try to look like our former, younger selves but to embrace our “breaks and flaws” and to honor them and see the beauty in them. A chance pre-dawn eggshell painting session where I dropped and shattered a shell I’d been painting led to the connection of this ancient practice to my eggshell paintings. I hand paint each eggshell before gold leaf is carefully applied as a visual representation of kintsugi. Each delicate eggshell carries not only visual beauty but representation beauty and meaning as well.
KRISTI KOHUT
Kristi Kohut’s art philosophy is quite simple: There are no rules. With so much of the art world behind closed doors or within intimidating galleries, Kristi wants her work to be inviting and uplifting. Using bold brights, shiny crystalline touches, mixed mediums and unexpected materials, Kristi creates special pieces that draw the viewer in and radiate joy. Her journey as an artist began after taking time off from her job as an advertising director when her son was born in 2007. Kristi found that she had a creative force rising from her core, so she picked up a brush and began painting. In a month, her studio was filled with canvases from wall to wall and she knew she was onto something. After honing her craft for several years, Kristi was ready to market her work. But the typical artist’s path and exclusive representation didn’t feel like a fit — she wanted to connect one-on-one with potential buyers. Bucking the norm at the time, Kristi sold her art online and began sharing her story on Instagram. In one click, someone could become a collector and own a first edition, and in one message a person could have a conversation with Kristi. Today, Kristi’s work has been featured in over 70 publications, including Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Forbes and World of Interiors, and purchased by entrepreneurs, Hall of Fame athletes and magazine editors across four continents. Demand for her work is also increasing: Pieces often sell within minutes of going live on her website, and the value of an original has increased 25% each year since 2014 when she officially established her studio. There is currently a waitlist for commissions through 2020. Kristi’s success shows there is no one-size-fits-all solution to artistry —she’s happy being an outlier — or more aptly, an artlier.
THEODORA MILLER
After a traumatic brain injury forced Theodora Miller into complete isolation and cognitive rest, artful living took on a new meaning; it became an essential part of her healing. Today, Theodora has a thriving creative practice and has cultivated a signature style as a visual artist, ceramicist, and creative entrepreneur. Studio time is her sanctuary, a way of tuning in and following her intuition. Theodora’s ever-evolving visual language and calligraphic designs are an authentic expression of her Greek identity, merging memory, emotion and history into visual statements that are uniquely her own. Each soulful creation carries intricate details, texture, and a story. Her artwork is featured in corporate collections and treasured by art lovers around the globe. She resides in Richmond, Virginia, but her spirit dwells on an island in the Aegean Sea.
LOGAN LEDFORD
Logan Ledford was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1987. She received her Bachelor of Interior Design from Louisiana State University in 2009. She studied at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts in 2015. Ledford previously worked within the film and advertising industry for 5 years as a professional graphic designer. She worked with Nike, Adidas, The Hyatt Regency New Orleans, Fireball Whiskey, South Walton Tourism Council, and Gulf Coast Seafood. Ledford has exhibited in Louisiana at the VanGuard Gallery, the Aquarium Gallery, The Print Shop, New Orleans Art Center, Katie Koch Home, Martine Chaisson Gallery, Claire Elizabeth Gallery, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Her work has been reviewed by Garden & Gun, LSU Art & Design College Press, The Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. Ledford lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is currently working on a new series of work that utilizes a minimal composition using acrylic paint, birch panels, and plaster. This year she will continue to show her work at Dimmit Contemporary, Gregg Irby, and most recently Liz Lidgett in Des Moines. Logan’s work is simply about women. Being a woman. Logan expresses this through her work. Woman have voluptuous lines that are sensual and soft. Their emotions can change through time and are varied like an array of color. What are their thoughts? How do they see others? What stories to they tell? What do they struggle with most? Logan’s work uses plaster, objects and acrylic paint combined with color theory exploration to create her work.
Learn more about the gallery and artists at www.lizlidgett.com. Sparkling will be on display January 17th through to our next show beginning February 14th.
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