On Friday April 20th, Melody and I welcomed friends and family to our joint showing of new artwork at the new Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery and Cafe here in Lexington, Kentucky. We truly couldn't have asked for more perfect weather to roll the garage door up for an evening full of good company, conversations, balloons and cups of coffee!

Over the past few months, Melody and I had been meeting about once a week over coffee to catch up on the creative joys and woes of running our own businesses. Our conversation quickly turned into dreaming up a body of work to showcase together.

After brainstorming buzzwords (such as refresh, encourage, nourish, wonder, renewal) and sharing our own current inspirations gleaming off the seasons of life we were each in, we landed on the title "Fresh Air" for our show. Melody brought this quote to my attention by Henri Mattise “I find it impossible to copy nature slavishly: I am forced to interpret it and bend it to the spirit of the picture" that really helped us sync our creative rhythm. To put it simply, we both knew our work would be our own take on the feeling that comes from being in nature and experiencing its elements.

We dove right into planning and made a trip to the art supplies store together. We picked out complimentary sizes of canvas and paper, but avoided putting limitations on one another to allow for a safe and renewing space to create. We knew our work would be different based on our styles and hoped people would see the value for the unique interpretation of each artist.

We kept in touch throughout our process from the start and finish of each piece. It wasn't till the day of the show when we saw all of our pieces in the same space and how they complimented each other beautifully. Not only was our process a breath of fresh air for us, but we felt it stewarded beauty to others as well.

Below you can read more on our individual bodies of work.

Mallory's Artist Statement

Shop all my originals here

"Throughout history, landscape paintings have always had the recognition of a spiritual element. Dating back to the 15th century, the earliest “pure landscapes” are without human figure. I find that fascinating. Over the years, my artwork has explored the spiritual experience that one has in nature and trying to replicate it. My current body of work was derived from a simple question that I asked myself, “why do I love the mountains so much?” which provoked an even better question of “why do I long to be in their presence?”. For many people a beautiful view can be freeing, refreshing and captivating. I believe it is because our hearts are longing for the kingdom. When we are in those views, we are experiencing a refreshing glimpse of heaven on earth. We feel closer to our maker. My hope is that this work reflects the beauty of its original creator and provokes you to ask yourself what you long for?"

Melody's Artist Statement

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“I found myself inspired by the gentle movement of a meadow, the way the sunshine lifts my spirits, and the calm I feel when I look at clear blue skies. My work is most often inspired by the way something makes me feel, and my goal while I paint is to pass those feelings on to you, the observer. So when I began my lastest work my creative aim was to pass on a breath of “fresh air”, in hope that through the beauty of art you will find some refreshment to your soul.

For this series I decided to paint a few landscapes to compliment my abstract work. It felt fitting for the series to show the way I interpret what I see in nature through both abstraction & impressionism.”

We are beyond grateful for everyone's love and support of our artwork! Melody has become a dear friend of mine and it was so life giving to collaborate with her! If you are a fellow creative out there, I would highly encourage you to find a friend to dream with! We both learned so much about what it takes to put on a show and we look forward to sharing more together soon!

Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery and Cafe 124 Malabu Drive Suite 110 Lexington, Kentucky

"Fresh Air" Spring Show Recap