Explosions Of Color Dominate The Abstract Paintings Of One Local Artist

By Nancy K. Crevier

If you missed the opening reception on Friday, June 5, at the Blue Z Coffee House on South Main Street, there is still plenty of time to stop by and browse the exciting artwork of Newtown artist Kathy Grose. Her exhibit of 15 abstract paintings, her first in Newtown, will be on display there through the end of June.

A successful corporate interior designer for many years, Ms Grose dabbled in painting in her spare time for several years before the economic downturn affected the designing business last May and she decided to pursue painting full time.

“It was something I wanted to dive into and it has opened up such a huge, soulful place for myself,” said Ms Grose, whose works have developed recently from realistic watercolors and acrylics into the bright, bold acrylic abstracts that line the walls this month at The Blue Z.

“Doing abstracts is still relatively new for me,” Ms Grose said. “There was a sense of freedom that started with watercolors, and then I really started breaking out,” she said.

About three-quarters of the pieces in the exhibit are done in her earlier “veil painting” style, in which the mostly primary colors are layered, merging with each other to create a structured, soothing flow. “Once I got into the bigger canvas, I was able to explore the abstract more,” Ms Grose said.

“Light Breaking Through,” a 36 x 48-inch canvas dominated by thick, bright red and yellow brush strokes bursting from a darker blues and greens that fill the bottom half of the painting, was her first real abstract. Stepping back from it, she saw in it a river running through a dark forest with the sun rising above it all. “But I don’t paint with a specific idea in mind,” she said.

“Reborn” echoes the colors of “Light Breaking Through,” as do several of the veil paintings and other abstracts. Only one of the paintings in the show is of muted colors.

The opening reception on June 5 gave Ms Grose the opportunity to do one of things she enjoys: watch others as they take in her art. “It’s very interesting, the way the paintings affect people differently,” she said.

When she is not working on her own paintings, she shares her excitement about the process with students, some of whom she teaches one on one, others with whom she works collaboratively.

“I’m building on collaborative painting right now,” Ms Grose said, particularly at the present time when mothers and children are looking to create a special work of art for Father’s Day.

Her role in collaborative painting is to act as a guide, helping the new artists to move on when they are “stuck,” recommending a different brush, or suggesting the introduction of a new color into the work.

“It’s a wonderful experience for the people I guide,” she said, “but for me, too, as I watch the unfolding of their creativity.”

The end result of a collaborative work is a piece that blends the individual styles together into a cohesive, finished work of art. She steers collaborative painters toward abstract experimentation, she said, not only because of her love for the style, but because it is too difficult for several people to decide on one “thing” to paint.

“I’m always looking to try different styles,” Ms Grose said, adding that she has been strongly influenced by the style of Georgia O’Keefe, and finds emotional inspiration in the works of Impressionist artists.

“My work is always evolving,” she said. “That’s the beauty of being creative.”