New Art at Huff Harrington

We’re busy gearing up for a new art show that we debut at Huff Harrington Fine Art on Friday, April 25th.  This one’s called Resinate and it plays nicely to our ongoing obsession with abstract paintings created from epoxy resin and mixed media.

Definition, Please:  So what exactly is epoxy resin?  It’s a manipulable adhesive that creates a shiny, glass-like surface to a painting.  We’re seeing it used more and more now and we love the way its glossy nature plays with the textural aspect of the paint beneath.

Did You Say Blowtorch? It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.  It’s difficult to manipulate, toxic when wet (but not when it’s dry) and completely temperamental.  It doesn’t like cold weather, hot weather or humidity.  It takes its time drying and if you look at it wrong, it will form a nasty little bubble or two just where it shouldn’t be.  (Oh and to remove the bubble, you need a blowtorch. We’re not kidding.)

Let’s Continue Over Coffee, mixed media and resin, 30 x 40.

Artists Love It:  Huff Harrington Fine Art artist Judy Cox has been using epoxy resin for years and has this to say about it: “For several years, I’ve been drawn to epoxy resin especially its beautiful thick shiny coat and the way it can enhance color. It is extremely seductive while wet and is a wonderful complement to my style of expression.”

We love it when our artists show a wide range of work and inspiration and Judy’s a great example of that.  She’s really mastered her manipulation of resin and she’s nailed the tender and sweet tone of these new paintings.  We’re proudly showing off these new works in the show:

Summer Rain is Delightful, mixed media and resin on board, 30 x 40.

Oblivious to Everyone, mixed media and resin on board, 24 x 24.

Resin Resonates: Another Huff Harrington artist whose work “resinates” with us is Aaron Whitehouse.  Here’s what endeared  him to us: one day he simply broke all the rules and showed up at the gallery with a trunkful of resined paintings.   We were hooked – and it’s been wonderful to watch Aaron progress with his resin infatuation. (By the way, Aaron’s also a gifted up-and-coming musician and we love the whole creative vibe he gives off.)

Teenage Rebellion, sold long ago.

A piece from Aaron’s Gold Phosphorous series. Mixed media and resin on board, 36 x 24.

One of the Gold Phosphorous pieces hanging at The Saltyard in Atlanta. We love the painting’s movement and warmth on that gray wall.

You’ll be able to see Aaron’s work up close and personal at the show…and you really do need to see them in person. We’ve found the photography is really tricky and doesn’t capture the intricate nuances that make these pieces so special:

Birthing New Horizons, 40 x 48, mixed media and resin on board.

It’s All About the Texture:  Also painting for this show is Andrea Costa, a delightful and vivacious artist whose paintings seem to find new homes on a daily basis.  Andrea’s always used a mixed bag of media and she loves painting on burlap for the exquisite texture it offers.  But she has also dived into the resin frenzy and told us this: “I love to use resin when I feel like a painting needs more depth or I want to make a contemporary or abstract piece.  I love to create paintings with texture – and when I use resin,  you can see the texture but can’t feel it.”

 

Andrea just completed this mixed media piece on burlap: Guilty Pleasures, 60 x 60.

 A dpitych from Andrea Costa. This one is oil on gesso-ed canvas. Beautiful Day, 60 x 36.

 Andrea painted Sun Up with resin on board. 24 x 36.

Brag Book: We’ll also be bragging Mel Rea about next Friday. Mel’s a relatively new member of the Huff Harrington family but we’re crazy about her paintings and her earnest, dedicated work ethic. Mel paints big, open abstracts that are welcoming and warm:

Rounding Yellow (mixed media, 48 x 48) is one of our faves from Mel.

Blocked In by Mel Rea is a 16 x 16 resin piece.

 

You need to see this in person: Somewhere In Between, oil with resin on panel, 40 x 40. Swoon.

If you’re in town on Friday, April 25th come by Huff Harrington Fine Art for a sip and a nibble and feast your eyes on this thoroughly original and to-die-for new art.  We want to know: does resin resonates with you?

Ta ta.

p.s.: still confused about abstract art? Pick up a few tips here.