DAYDREAMS IN BRIGHT HOURS
AN EXHIBITION OF MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS BY POLLY JONES
Daydreams in Bright Hours is an exploration into the possibility of transcendence in the midst of ordinary life. Bright sunlight shines through the studio window and illuminates objects on a table. Eventually, flowers wilt and the sun changes position. That one perfect moment passes and a broader recognition of time filters into the evolving image. A sense of mindfulness and gratitude for a particular moment becomes a part of the painting.
Polka dots reference and make room for faith in atoms, spirit, pixels, and all the things that are difficult, if not impossible, to see in our world. Grappling with these ingredients is a serious and joyful form of play––a delight in the properties of color, light, pattern, and texture. Layers of paint and vintage paper ephemera bring other voices and viewpoints into the image and invite a closer look. This slowing down and time spent with paper is an antidote to scrolling through digital screens. It asks us to daydream. |
Polly Jones grew up in the flat lands and big sky country of Littlefield and Plainview, Texas, and received her BFA in painting from Abilene Christian University. She has had solo exhibitions in Tennessee and Texas, and participated in numerous group and juried exhibits. Her work is collected across the US and internationally. Polly has been featured in Create Magazine and Studio Magazine. She lives and works in Abilene, Texas, with her husband.
IMPORTANT DATES Gallery Exhibition Dates | March 9 - May 1, 2022 Opening Reception | Saturday, March 12, 2-6pm Related Workshop | Saturday, March 12, 9:30a-12:30p View Artist Profile for Polly Jones |
VIEW THE EXHIBITION
Welcome to our online gallery for DAYDREAMS IN BRIGHT HOURS by Polly Jones. Please click on an image below to enjoy scrolling through the gallery slideshow. To learn more about Polly, see additional views, and to purchase artwork, click on the button below.
ABOUT THE ARTISTARTIST STATEMENT
I paint from life as a way to practice gratitude and mindfulness in a world that doesn’t always encourage a slow gaze. The still life setups are composed of daily life—finding energy and delight in ordinary moments and objects. I often use dishes that have either been handed down from my mother and grandmother or found at thrift stores or estate sales. Using ephemeral flowers or fish are also reminders of the fleeting quality of life. Landscapes are painted from photographs of places I have visited. With layers and heightened color, they become about the memory of the experience of place. Paint and paper are combined on canvas to create a rich surface that invites a close look. I often use vintage ephemera such as map fragments, ledger paper, hymns, poetry and Little Golden Book Encyclopedia pages for children. This is a way of sharing other voices and viewpoints within the image as well as carrying a sense of the past. I have a nostalgia for paper and analogue in contrast with the infinite amount of information in a digital age. Drawing and painting from a still life set up or photograph is a beginning point. I feel the freedom to pursue intense color, light, pattern, and texture as their own forces. Grappling with these ingredients feels like a serious and joyful form of play. The polka dots refer to faith in atoms, spirit, pixels, and all of the things that are hard to see that pervade the physical world. — Polly Jones ARTIST BIO Polly Jones learned early to find beauty in unexpected places. She was born in Brownfield, Texas, then grew up in Littlefield and Plainview. Blessed with creative parents who encouraged her early love for art, Polly practiced drawing and often turned to art books for inspiration. She also owes a debt to her grandmothers’ influence via fad crafts and sewing. Those early experiences helped her develop a “maker” attitude. For over 40 years Polly has maintained a studio practice with work primarily focused on still life. Domestic life as a source material has helped create a body of work that is intensely personal yet connects with other’s experience of the world. Contemporary and Post Impressionist painters have been important sources of inspiration. In the last decade, her trips to Europe sparked a passion for landscape painting. Whether painting still life or landscape, Polly’s work is instantly recognizable for its mixed media approach using bold color and collaged ephemera--these are layered together to create images that are full of intensity and joy. Polly has had several solo exhibits in Tennessee and Texas and has participated in numerous group and juried exhibits. Her work is in collections all over the USA as well as many other countries. She is an artist member at The Center for Contemporary Art in Abilene, Texas. She has been featured in Create Magazine and Studio Magazine. Polly received her BFA in painting from Abilene Christian University. She lives and works in Abilene with her husband, an artist and Professor. www.pollyjonesart.com |
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