Born with a love for nature and art, painter Jhenna Quinn-Lewis has established herself as one of the country’s preeminent contemporary painters through her skillfully executed still-life and feathered subjects. Where can you catch her most recent works?
In a similar way to mathematics, art is a language that can be understood universally. The aesthetic sense –- the ability to appreciate ordered form and beauty –- is a hard-wired facility each of us possesses. There is something elemental or fundamental about art in the way it can investigate our understanding of nature and the mystery of life. These are precisely the key motivations for painter Jhenna Quinn-Lewis, who has always felt the need to express, explore, and create on canvas.
Jhenna Quinn-Lewis, “Flicker,” oil, 5 x 7 in. (c) Meyer Gallery, 2015
Opening on December 18 at the outstanding Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a solo exhibition of Quinn-Lewis’ recent works, and they’re sure to delight. Featuring 41 paintings, the exhibition will undoubtedly showcase Quinn-Lewis’ penchant for still life and birds, each of which are executed with care and keen observational skill.
Jhenna Quinn-Lewis, “Book Critic,” oil, 16 x 12 in. (c) Meyer Gallery, 2015
Several examples, such as “As the Evening Passes,” combine both birds and still life in unique and creative ways. Set against a dark unpopulated background, a gorgeous black, blue, and yellow bird stands on an ornately carved green tabletop. At near center, the feathery subject is accompanied by a copper vase and extinguished candle. Although interpretations are subjective, the extinguished candle –- its wick still glowing and emitting wisps of silky smoke –- often symbolize the passing of time, death, corruption, or the loss of virginity. Be that as it may, feathers and, more importantly, birds, could connote resurrection, hope, and faith. If granted, the piece would be a beautiful juxtaposition of triumph over death or hope over despair. Other works, such as “Flicker,” are small portraits of birds majestically presenting their beauty in profile. The subject here displays brilliant red highlights beneath the beak, with a black chest and spotted torso.
“Jhenna Quinn-Lewis: New Works” will hang through December 31.
To learn more, visit Meyer Gallery.
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