Art Exhibit: Driven to Abstraction

Date: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/15/20 JANUARY EXHIBIT: DRIVEN TO ABSTRACTION EXHIBIT DATES: January 4 – February 1, 2021 Sonoma County artist, Gail Morgan, presents Driven to Abstraction, a collection of abstract works aptly named for the process by which they came into being during this year of nameless days and undefined seasons. The overwhelming emotions of horror and confusion led Morgan to escape this reality and connect with another that encapsulated her feelings and frustrations. “Like others, I tried music and videos, but disconnecting with reality and letting my thoughts flow into a space of color, form and line allowed me to express the confusing boundaries of time and space,“ explained Morgan. Morgan’s works take the viewer on a journey, sometimes evoking reality - a figure or landscape – or simply generating a sense of calm or wild adventure. In these works, forms float, colors vibrate, lines dance, creating a happy place for the viewer. “I hope they evoke a spirit of endless opportunity, hope, and looking forward to a brighter future,” said Morgan. Morgan has loved art since a very young age – her mother, an artist, was her first teacher. This year she had to abandon her medium of choice, printmaking, as the presses she uses were unavailable since March. She is now working in oils, cold wax and encaustics. Her degree is in Art History and she continues her studies here and in San Miguel de Allende. She has exhibited with Art at the Source and in local galleries. Guest Artist: Sonoma County artist, Becky Wells, presents a collection of abstract acrylic paintings that translate memories of rafting the Rogue River into color, shapes and line. These paintings are beautiful examples of Wells’ work that explores the mystery and essence of the natural world. A graduate in Art History from Arizona State University, she has participated in Art at the Source for seven years and exhibited in juried shows throughout Sonoma County. Wells’ guest artist exhibit runs until February 28, 2021. The Small Works Showcase on the stairway features Being There a collection of oil paintings by local artist Donna Schaffer. From Palau to Amsterdam to favorite California spots, Schaffer has dragged her blank canvases and oil paints to many spots in the world. These on-location or plein air works are just some of them. “In the 90s it was easy to take all your equipment along but in recent years, it’s gotten trickier, but with planning, it’s still doable,” commented Schaffer. Upstairs Art Gallery, 306 Center Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. (707) 431-4214.: Open daily: S & S: 11am – 6 pm; M – F: 11 - 3 www.upstairsartgallery.net Attachments 1. Gail Morgan “Any Way You Turn It,” Mixed Media 2. Donna Schaffer “Big Island, Hawaii,” oil For further information: Contact: Beverly Bird, Press Contact, at bvdrio@sonic.net or 707-799-1490. Sonoma County artist, Gail Morgan, presents Driven to Abstraction, a collection of abstract works aptly named for the process by which they came into being during this year of nameless days and undefined seasons. The overwhelming emotions of horror and confusion led Morgan to escape this reality and connect with another that encapsulated her feelings and frustrations. “Like others, I tried music and videos, but disconnecting with reality and letting my thoughts flow into a space of color, form and line allowed me to express the confusing boundaries of time and space,“ explained Morgan.