“Chinese Brush Painting” Andrea Allen
The November opening reception at the Coast Highway Art Collective in Point Arena will be a one-woman show, featuring the works of local artist, Andrea Allen. Allen, a Chinese Brush artist, has a unique style, combining the traditions of the Chinese Masters with a subtle, contemporary flair. The opening reception is on Saturday, November 2, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
Allen studied with a Chinese Master for six years and has been painting and teaching in this style for over 20 years. She utilizes many ancient Chinese techniques, such as grinding her own Sumi ink, often mixing it with watercolors, loading the calligraphy brush and applying it to handmade rice paper, with a minimal number of strokes to complete each painting. She carefully balances the unpainted and painted spaces in each composition, creating a tranquil flow throughout each painting.
“Ancient Chinese symbolism and philosophy influence my work,” explains Allen “enhancing the feeling of vital energy and serenity. The inherent effect is for the viewer to be effortlessly invited into each painting, to experience a peaceful balance and harmony in a timeless continuum.
The show runs from November 2 through the 30. In addition to Allen’s paintings, many of her ceramic pieces are included in the show. The Coast Highway Art Collective is located at 284 Main Street, Point Arena, the little red building with the big yellow sun, located next to the Redwood Coast Credit Union. Regular hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11:00am to 4:00pm. Visit the website at www.coast-highway-artists.com for information about the collective’s artists, upcoming events and how to join.
“Although we mostly work separately on our own art and projects, we sometimes appropriate each other’s ideas and materials. Because we work in physical proximity, there is an unconscious cross-pollination of ideas. We also do collaborate from time to time on an artwork or series. We have in common a love of materials, art processes, experimentation and abstraction. This led us both to use hand papermaking as a medium because of its malleable, flexible and tactile qualities. Working with handmade paper and playing with its techniques is a jumping off point for many of our mixed media artworks. We are the first person to view each other’s work and respond to it. Sometimes we actually take input and suggestions under consideration, and they broaden our original vision. See if you can tell where we influenced one another.”
The Coast Highway Art Collective is located at 284 Main Street, Point Arena, the little red building with the big yellow sun, located next to the Redwood Coast Credit Union. Regular hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11:00am to 5:00pm. Visit the website at www.coast-highway-artists.com for information about the collective’s artists, upcoming events and how to join.
