"Beauty is quietly woven within the moments of our lives. We often look for the grand awe-inspiring kind, but in making art I want to reveal and bring into awareness the more timid beauty - something we may not immediately notice."
Cathy Breslaw
"Time is the receptacle that holds the fading past. Memories lost, words spoken and words left unsaid. In time access is no longer possible to mine these layers."
Viktoria Ford
"Combining found objects and mixed media, I create narrative works Where stories are told. Stories that shift From viewer to viewer, In which titles give trace hints to the action within. These are compositions on the edge of abstract, Where conversation can occur; Works in which stories unfold."
Ellen Burnett
"My art explores both literal and metaphorical layers. I construct and manipulate sculptures, building and deconstructing them until they take on their own life. This process mirrors the hidden depths of our lived experiences, reminding us that what we see on the surface is only a fraction of the whole. By delving into the concept of layers, my artwork encourages contemplation of the complexities that shape our understanding of reality."
Jordan Segal
"When I am out hiking my eyes are automatically drawn to art that was already created by the layers found in nature. I just go exploring. I am not able to plan my pieces because I have to discover them. It's being at the right place at the right time."
Kristi Ekern
When my family walked past this mountain river, they observed this...
But I saw something else and created: Colorado Evening Sky 2023 by Kristi Ekern
"Some of my favorite times have been getting up to see the light and clouds from Pelican Beach in the San Juan Islands. I bring it back to my studio remembering those mornings. My art is a combination of childhood play and discovery of what might show up in the work. I look for the final feeling of calm and joy when the art finally shows itself and my combined communication with the art is finally completed."
Kathy Kimball
RADIANCE
In front, the obstacles.
Behind, the beauty.
Within and behind that, the black lattice that complicates the open blue sky.
And underneath everything, the radiant ground of being
Britt Block
"Parts of images are sacrificed to the whole. It is this - what is possible and what must be destroyed- that has led me to research visually and intellectually this phenomenon in the natural world. These specific images- of cut, fallen and burnt trees are images that reveal layers of time, decay, fire, human interaction, regeneration, mapping of oxygen and carbon."
Laura Ahola-Young
"The intersections are everywhere – in the light, in the shadows, in texture and in shapes and lines, in color and in lack of color. Photographing has become a meditative practice: a reminder to slow down, to withdraw, to notice, to appreciate, to wonder, to be moved."
Susana Berdecio
"My works on paper are a representation of the search for balance between industrialism and nature. The reliance of humanity on industry pushes our natural connections aside, leading to imbalance and the craving for stability. Humanity’s effect on the ecosystem has made its way around the food chain, making our environment less inhabitable for everyone. I use patterning through stencils and linework to build on this theme through layering. The balance between what is and is not seen influences my work, using printmaking processes to guide the meaning of my work."
Adriane Berris
"I create my sculptures by attaching selected cast bronze figure fragments with cut blocks of stone. I introduced meaning through the use of pose, material and method of construction that speaks simultaneously of antiquity and contemporary. In doing this, I hope to use past ideologies as a catalyst for considering issues that are currently relevant. I try not to impose any particular interpretation on the viewer, but rather, develop layers or suggestions of possible readings. This leaves greater room for the viewer to intellectually develop personal meaning."
Bryon Draper
Arduinna
by Bryon Draper
"I have discovered that being an immigrant puts you in a sort of limbo.
I think my art reflects that. There is always some sort of mash up; large bold shapes and tiny scribbly lines, blocks of dominant color and specks of contrast, clean edges and smudged overlays. It’s as though I am positive about some of the elements but others are mere educated guesses. This creates a level of tension, perhaps even, confusion. Hopefully it also makes the work more interesting because things are not exactly as they first appear."
Robin Kerr
Visit the STRATA II: Manifesting Through the Layers Exhibition page to see all the works!