Submitted by Seifert & Jones Wine Merchants
Join us for our new art show reception. We have one Bellingham’s favorite local artists, Lorna Libert, in house presenting her work. You will easily recognize Libert’s art as her work is much loved and respected in the region and beyond. Best known for large format pieces of old buildings, boats, trucks, animals and landscapes, her warped expression of these old, weathered subjects is very cool.
The opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 8, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Libert’s work will be up through July.
The same weekend we will be celebrating our 1st Anniversary. Diane and I are very thankful for all of your loyal support and we have several tastings planned to help show it. The year flew by and we are thrilled to be downtown Bellingham’s exclusive wine shop.
Events scheduled:
Thursday, May 8
- Dusky Goose Tasting, Dundee Hills Oregon Tasting 4-5:30
- Lorna Libert Opening Reception 5-8 pm.
- Local Spanish wine importer-Basi Rodriguez Grueso from Casa Ventura Imports will be present pouring a selection of new arrivals during the artist’s reception.
Friday, May 9 – Ridge Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mnt. Tasting Starts @ 4pm
Saturday, May 10 – All day Saturday we will be pouring some of our favorite shop wines.
For more information about the art exhibit opening, the one year anniversary celebration and more, contact Seifert & Jones Wine Merchants by emailing your inquiry to Ted Seifert at ted@sjwinemerchants.com, or calling 360-393-3271.
Lorna Libert artist statement:
My paintings are inspired by old structures: abandoned buildings, weathered boats and rusting trucks. Aesthetically, these edifices have magnificent forms and shapes, yet I am attracted to their crookedness and decay. The fading wood, peeling paint and broken windows provide each image with a personality and a history. Utilization or these subjects imparts cultural metaphors relating to time, society, man and nature. They hold within them mysteries and suggestions of the past. Who built that house? Did teenagers ever sneak in and out of the windows? What happened to the family who lived and loved there? What storms and hardships did that vessel endure? Who was the Captain? Who created the beautiful lines of that boat? Who proudly drove that once brand new shiny red truck? Did a dog get to sit up front or did one ride in the back? These commonly found subjects are now beaten and worn, yet they speak of strength, dignity, love and time. Their future is questionable. The old truck will continue to rust and crumble. Nature may take over a vessel and send it to the bottom of the sea. Man may tear down an old beloved house leaving it to be paved over and parked on by Wal-mart shoppers. I am attempting to open peoples’ eyes, to draw their attention to the human side of life and to remind them of the humanity that these 20th Century relics and ruins represent.
Through the warping of space and the subtle nuances of color, I emphasize the significance of these worn and decaying structures. I employ Renaissance theories of perspective along with multiple viewpoints in order to establish an ambiguous, all-encompassing pictorial space. This space invites the viewer to experience the subject and the place. It creates a feeling, expresses a personality and emphasizes the dignity of my subject. Using brushstrokes of color and light, I describe the movement or stillness of the environment. Weathered wood, dripping rust and peeling paint create patterns and colors that provide for a sensuous surface. By focusing on these tactile qualities, I am emphasizing the feeling of solidity and decay of each building, vessel or vehicle.
The process of creating my work includes various procedures and experiments. I make several on site visits to the subjects which I am attracted to. I will do some sketching and take photographs to use as references in my studio. My small canvases are usually painted on location, while the larger pieces are worked in the studio. I experiment with variations in the shapes and sizes of my paintings, including diptychs and triptychs. Some pieces are worked on canvas, while others on wood panel or masonite. My works are always changing through composition, space and color until I reach what I feel is the most effective visual statement.
Through creativity, experimentation and research, I am suggesting historical and sociological concepts that are connected to these abandoned and decaying structures. By placing these commonly found structures in a unique space and emphasizing specific characteristics, they become icons and metaphors relating to our culture. The abandoned buildings, vessels and vehicles of the 20th Century will continue to decay, but through thick strokes of paint I am seeking to immortalize their profundity.
