Vibrant Abstractions: A Dynamic Celebration of Color and Movement

Featuring works from six innovative artists—AK Hardeman, Vicky Reddish, Jessi Raulet, Sarah Schwartz, Allison James, and Michelle Armas—Vibrant Abstractions invites viewers to explore expressive forms, bold hues, and dynamic compositions. The exhibition highlights movement, spontaneity, and unexpected elements, captivating the senses and celebrating the beauty found in abstraction and the freedom of creative expression.

What we know: AK Hardeman’s November solo show was a huge success, selling out all 10 pieces in just two weeks. Sarah Schwartz recently created amidst the challenges of California wildfires—show her some extra love. Michelle Armas co-hosted an art class in Des Moines, a rare treat since her workshops are usually in her studio. The team also traveled to Strasbourg, France, to visit Jessi Raulet, who partners with brands like Target, Anthropologie, and Pottery Barn. Both Allison James and Vicky Reddish joined us in Des Moines for the gallery’s five-year celebration last year–what fun!

"As an artist I am interested in the interaction of color; how the arrangements of colors create a work of art. I use acrylic and oil paints, oil pastel, colored pencil, and paper to create my work on canvas and paper. Color affects appetite, vision, sexuality, design, art, emotions and myriad aspects of life that impact the very psychology of people. Color is expressed in all of our surroundings especially in nature and science. Colors can be complementary, harmonizing, adjacent, or they can contrast and clash. Color is the central theme of my work. I focus on colors that express my emotions and feelings in an image that leaves the viewer room to interpret." - AK

Sarah Schwartz navigates deliberate choices and curious moments by utilizing mixed media and found objects. She challenges traditional painting norms by repurposing unconventional supports like vintage frames, wooden trays, and even worn skateboards. Informed by her training in design, she explores duality within her work, holding certain conversations in contrasts: textured and smooth, neutral and colorful, traditional and contemporary. Oftentimes, her pieces become a reflection of the process of art-making itself.

Michelle has been painting and making things always. Her dad supplied her with endless paper and pencils and paints. He encouraged her by teaching her how to use oil paints and pastels. Her mother is also a talented seamstress and from her she learned to keep trying until you know your piece is perfect.
"I owe my creative upbringing in muggy Texas surrounded by my vibrant Spanish family for cultivating a love of composing colorful art. I live a simple life with my beautiful daughter and (very handsome) husband in Atlanta where I am surrounded by artists and makers of every description. I feel very fortunate to live in the south where the people are truly as friendly as you have heard and the pace of life is just a bit slower." -Michelle

Jessi Raulet is an American midwest-born artist living in Strasbourg, France. She began her creative career as an Art Director, working with top San Francisco Bay Area brands. In 2013, she moved to Paris for love. Inspired by her new life adventure, she let her creativity take flight and thus the EttaVee brand was born. Jessi’s art, and the EttaVee brand, has become well-known for its bold patterns, playfulness and optimistic color palettes.

Allison James is continually inspired by the messy (but thrilling) human experience. Her work is fueled by personal events and memories, along with conversations overheard from strangers and inside storybooks. James reconfigures these felt emotions into a preferred outcome, translating feeling into her own abstracted storytelling. With this trio of internal processing, Allison is able to construct a new visual narrative of self through her paintings, each piece emanating with saturated color and subtle details. She uses her training as a representational artist and printmaker to build up her signature silhouettes with layers of thin paint, elusive details and recognizable shapes that she endearingly refers to as her ‘decoder ring things.’

Vicky Reddish is an abstract artist from Nashville, TN. Her heart is sharing happiness, love, and joy with others. Her philosophy is simple: make stuff that makes you happy, and people will be happy too. Her love of color is evident in her work. Her art ignites a sense of fun, warmth, and personality that hopes to inspire and uplift. Vicky uses acrylic paint, oil pastels and a variety of catalysts to create expressive, colorful works of art. She is passionate about capturing the emotion and complexity of a moment or a memory in her work.

Learn more about the gallery and artists at www.lizlidgett.com. Vibrant Abstractions will be on display February 14th through to our next show beginning March 21st.