From 4 to 7 p.m., this Friday, March 24, the George Billis Gallery in Fairfield will hold a “Wine and Design” social event, showing off art in its current exhibit, “Eight Women Artists March On.’

Don’t get drunk on the wine, just sip and drink in the art. (The exhibition runs through April 16.)

The George Billis Gallery is located at 1700 Post Road in Fairfield. Leave plenty of time to get up there. (It’s also close to the Fairfield train station.)

‘Eight Women Artists March On’ Exhibit

Featured artists, as described by the curator, Amy Zoller:

Laurie Fisher is a contemporary process painter focusing on color, allowing the work to emerge through the engagement with the materials rather than a preconceived vision. Her approach is an intuitive exploration of color and the space, form and light created within and around color to create a visceral experience of beauty and energy. Laurie resides in Portland, Maine.

Carla Goldberg artworks are impressions and interpretations of water in motion. She describes herself as an experimenter at heart, using variations on the theme of water in movement through her drawings, paintings and sculptures. Carla works primarily with resins to create water concepts while also focusing on the combination of non-traditional industrial materials and traditional art mediums. This experimental process brings what Carla describes ‘happy accidental discoveries’ as she dives deeper into the realm of the ethereal. Carla resides in Milford.

Lee Krasner was a major Abstract Expressionist painter who painted with large gestural brushwork. Krasner’s large-scale canvases reflect these concerns for markmaking as well as an infatuation with hieroglyphics and natural forms. The artist also embraced ovular shapes and pink hues. This lithograph is a perfect example of her work in print form. Krasner studied at the Women’s Art School at Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design, and the Art Students League. Krasner’s work belongs in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Tate and more. [Darienite.com editor’s note: The Wikipedia article on Krasner says, “She was married to Jackson Pollock. Although there was much cross-pollination between their two styles, the relationship somewhat overshadowed her contribution for some time.”]

Melissa Mack’s mixed media art captures the beauty of natural elements and their inherent energy. She studies natural forms, especially plants, water, and space to express the energy, movement, flow of these forms and the life force they exude. She depicts the concrete world in an abstract form and is intrigued by what lies beyond our sight. Melissa resides in Fairfield.

Julie Bowers Murphy is best known for her contemplative, cinematic figurative paintings and soft-edged landscapes. Her work as a painterly realist references bygone eras in an effort to preserve quiet, introspective moments. Her work, inspired by the power of the sea, provides the perfect tension for a never-ending story exploring the lives of those who are dependent upon it for work. Julie splits her time between Norwalk and Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Dale Najarian works in several mediums including watercolor, acrylics, mixed media, and oils. She has a passion for photography and documenting her experiences is an important part of her creative process and source of inspiration for much of her work. Dale’s Shadow Series merges the realistic quality of a photograph with the abstract translation of a scene, to depict a dreamlike painting that draws you in. She is fascinated by the perspective that shadows create and uses people’s movements to capture the ever changing relationship between dark and light. Dale resides in Westport.

Wendy Briggs Powell’s watermarks utilizes the fluidity of water to be the perfect vehicle for the expression of both overwhelming as well as nuanced feelings, feelings that are fleeting and ones that stay for too long. The process of working with containers of dyed water allows her to play with a lot of variables and with the relationship between taking control and letting go. The vibrant fabric dyes become even more vibrant the longer they saturate. As the paper is submerged over many days, the evaporation of the water on the surface of the paper leaves its unique mark. Marks emerge organically so that viewer gets to attach whatever meaning they choose to the results. Wendy resides in New Hampshire.

Katie Riesco finds her inspiration in abstract movement, the human form, and the Connecticut coastline she now calls home. Her new series is inspired by vintage photos of strangers from another time when personal photos were mostly shared with family and friends to enjoy, instead of a public forum. Katie’s interest lies in the societal shift around personal photos, the loss of innocence and spontaneity in candid and imperfect photos which reveals their authenticity and realness. Her passion for the nostalgia and classic styles of the 50’s and 60’s shines through her work, shapes and color merge into abstraction, creating a modern design. Looseness, loose visual detail and differences in perspective bring these paintings into focus. Katie resides in Fairfield.

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