September 4 - 30, 2021
From Archway Gallery:
“Archway Gallery presents Parallel Journey, featuring new paintings by Cookie Wells and wood furniture by Tom Wells, on view September 4 – 30, 2021. The artists will be available to visit with guests during the opening reception on Saturday, September 4, 2021 from 5 – 8 p.m., with an Artist Talk at 6:30 p.m.
Longtime Archway Gallery member Cookie Wells’ new exhibition showcases a completely new direction in her painting style. Known primarily for her paintings of the figure, Cookie took a giant step outside of her comfort zone and began painting totally non-objective works. “I felt driven to make this change,” Cookie recounts. “It was exciting, almost joyful, to be so free in this body of work. And it’s always interesting to hear the viewer’s interpretation of a piece. Every person brings their own experiences to what they see.”
The reflections and observations that inform this body of work began in late 2019 and continued through the pandemic and into the beginning of 2021. “It was a period of time that tested me — mind, body, and soul — in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” she says. One series of paintings that she calls, “Fenced In” speaks to the isolation of lockdown. As we started the new year full of hope and were then hit with the freeze of the century, Cookie created another series called, “Recovery,” observing the hope for new life amidst the devastation. Using her new artistic voice, Cookie painted the highs and lows of this unique and challenging time.
Cookie’s new direction can be best described in a quote from one of her favorite artists, Henri Matisse: “Color was not given to us to imitate nature. It was given to us to express our emotions.” This exhibition reflects Cookie’s search for new ways of using color and texture to express emotion, movement, and action. Allowing herself to be led by her materials – an attitude she considers critical to her creative process — Cookie discovered that acrylic inks on yupo paper create incredible color and texture. This discovery played a major part in her transition to non-objective painting, and features prominently in this exhibition.
Cookie is sharing this exhibit once again with her husband, Tom Wells, who builds fine wood furniture. Cookie and Tom met at work where she was a graphic artist and he a chemical engineer. After retirement, Tom turned their garage into a woodworking shop and started making furniture. After filling their home with his unique creations, Tom started doing pieces on commission. Since 2007, he has made more than one hundred and fifty pieces of furniture, first for friends then for a larger client base. Referrals and expanding opportunities led him to pursue new ideas and learn new techniques. With the mind of an engineer and the soul of an artist, Tom continues to design and build unique furniture.”
Reception: September 11, 2021 | 5–8 pm
2305-A Dunlavy
Houston, 77006 TX
(713) 522-2409
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