Santini & Friends: Quattro Artisti

Featuring the works of Wisconsin artists: Michael Santini, Gina Litherland, Nancy Davis and Keith Clayton.
Exhibit and Sale Dates: Sunday, February 12 through Sunday, March 18, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday, February 18: 6-9 pm

Winner of the 2011 "Little Show", Michael Santini describes his artwork as "an allegorical portrayal of the constant spiritual and worldly struggle of good versus evil, inspiration from the Bible, and everyday life depicts this concept. As in reality, the elements and characters...exist within a constant, yet ever changing boundary, rearranging them in each new piece. This is a framework of juxtapositions where repetition, symmetry and position continuously respond and evaluate the essence of life." Learn more on Michael's website: www.michaelsantini.com.

Gina Litherland describes her work as "having always been interested in the interplay between myth, the natural world, and the domain of dreams and memory. As a child, I spent many hours exploring natural wooded areas and empty lots inhabited by multitudes of insects and wildlife. This, along with a fervent interest in reading, particularly fairy tales, laid the foundation for my current investigations as an artist. Much of my work is inspired by folklore, myth, and literature reflected in my own personal preoccupations, specifically themes of desire, femaleness, the natural world, the human/animal boundary, children's games, ritual, intuition, and memory. The painting techniques that I use, traditional indirect oil painting techniques similar to those used by fifteenth century Sienese painters, combined with textural effects created by using various tools other than the paint brush, allow me to create a detailed, layered, and complex surface of images recreating the experience of looking at the forest floor with its rich blanket of diverse matter in various stages of decay." Read about Gina's artwork on her website: www.glitherland.com.

Nancy Davis indicates her paintings are "about the pleasures of the natural world and the pleasures of the imagination. I like to work with the tension between geometry, formal structure, and the emotionally cool balance of classical elements on the one hand, juxtaposed against the warm perfection presented to me in the natural world. I enjoy the paradox of knowing the nature always does it better than I can, and yet I want to improve on nature. I revel in the perversity of showing nature disobeying the laws of nature."

Keith Clayton creates striking glass pieces using and ancient glass technique, “Pâte-de-Verre," a French term meaning "paste of glass." His vessels hearken back to classical styles, while conversely belonging to a more modern era. Clayton's glass works can be found in numerous galleries throughout the Door County area and beyond.