SERENDIPITY: allowing for the unexpected; the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for. Serendipity plays a major role in Johanna Morrell’s current exhibition which consists of work done with an emphasis on making surprising and positive discoveries. It’s not just luck, but intuition, based on prior knowledge, experiences and artistic training that determines the direction of a piece. Morrell works on the back of the plexiglas and sometimes also paints on the panel that suspends it. Being able to look thru to the panel and let the light cast shadows of the strokes is part of the message. She is a process artist, most often having nothing in mind when she starts. She will intuitively do a few strokes and then layer on other elements, pulling it all together in the end. As a final step, of course, Serendipity is in the eye of the beholder.

Kristy Smith practices hope and stays in touch with the creative energy of life through her playful process of making art. This is especially true when she’s painting. Most often, her paintings begin when she is drawn to a color or a combination of colors. The act of creating then becomes an intuitive, organic, intimate connection between Kristy and the materials she uses. Her work develops freely in sweeping gestures of lively color. Kristy honors and trusts what is happening in each stage as the piece before her resolves into its own moment of completeness. As a result, Kristy Smith’s works are vibrant, energetic invitations for the viewer to enter the celebration of life’s complex beauty.