An Adventure in Color and Line…

This is the title of an imaginative and diverse art exhibit, opening Saturday, April 26th at the Richard Low Evans Gallery of The Art Center on West Main. The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association is proud to introduce the public to more than 50 pieces of oil, pastel and watercolor paintings by three Georgia award winning artists. They met several years ago at the Atlanta Art Center where they attended a weekly art group, became close friends, resulting in showing many exhibits together.

Joan Christopher-Quillen works in pastel, her landscapes, still lifes and figures and many of her creations are found in art collections and well known galleries. She majored in art in college, first at Wesleyan then at Auburn University. But it was not until raising her children and a successful career in advertising, that she "retired" in 2004 and started her second career, in fine art and her life long dream became a reality. Her work reflects a bold palette with strong colors. "For me,"says Joan, "pastel is the most exciting medium because of the brilliance and intensity of the colors.

Top: "Sunset Over the Barn" by Nancy Blum. Bottom: "Ryan's Garden" by Judy Holden Howard. Right: "En Pointe" by Joan Christopher-Quillen.

Nancy Blum paints in a variety of media and is a skilled portrait artist, but more recently paints landscapes and still lifes as well. She is a graduate of Duke University and pursued graduate studies at the University of Georgia. Next to painting, Nancy has judged art contests and demonstrates her talent at many art venues. "Going beyond portraying the obvious external features", says Nancy," I'm interested in revealing transcendent human emotions".

Judy Holden Howard has worked in oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel for more than two decades. Judy earned a bachelor's degree in art from East Tennessee State and a master of fine art from Florida State University. She has taught art in high school and college. "As I paint, I enjoy savoring light, color and form of the scene. I want viewers of my painting to experience the same enjoyment ".

The public is invited to the opening reception on, Saturday, April 26th from 3:00- 6:30p.m. and admission is free. You'll meet the artists and enjoy their works. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments are served. The exhibit closes on May 21, 2008. For more information call the Art Center office: 706-632- 2144.