Annie Stegg Gerard “Halcyon Garden”
June 24th – July 30th, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 24th, 2017, 6-8pm
*The artist will be in attendance
Northport, NY– Haven Gallery is honored to present “Halcyon Garden”, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Georgia based artist Annie Stegg Gerard. “Halcyon Garden” is Stegg Gerard’s first solo show with the gallery and will include twelve paintings featuring her airy and ethereal, classically rendered women as they wander through the secret corners of lush gardens and forests. “Halcyon Garden” finds inspiration from the artists childhood adventures in the furtive woods behind her family home. Each canvas is masterfully painted with influences and traditions stemming from classically trained and revered artists of the past commingled with the artists own enchanting tales of nostalgia and natural harmony.
A bygone era of nature-centric compositions and attention to detail is found and further expressed through these echoes of historic old masters, specifically of the Rococo and Pre-Raphaelite period. Classical poses coupled with lush landscapes and dreamy compositions create magical tableaus reminding us of the beauty that still exists all around us and the harmony of the natural world.
A welcoming narrative harking to the Golden Age of fantasy illustration can also be found in each story brought to life by Stegg Gerard’s hand. Stegg Gerard reveals hidden biospheres as viewed from the prospective of her youth and derived from her own imaginative reminiscences.
“I grew up in Northern Georgia, on a property that backed a beautiful stream and forest. Many of my formative memories were created in these woods. An entire world could exist under a rock. Something that was hidden until I came to uncover it. There were so many questions and so much mystery.”
The beauty and wonder found in each painting rekindles a sense of nostalgia and rediscovery for the viewer harking back to their own childhood. Sentiments of curiosity and uncovering the majestic beauty of the smallest leaf, a friendship with a frog and the larger than life natural world that befalls a child during their explorations enchants us and brings us back to our native roots. The romantic and slightly quixotic biospheres are natural homes to the youthful yet sophisticate females who appear all familiar and at home with their surroundings. Gossamer threads of serene emotion and intrigue befall their expressions beckoning you to join them in their adventures in arcadia.
ABOUT ANNIE STEGG GERARD
Annie has a special love for the 18th century Rococo painters who have had a large influence on her own method. Inspired by nature, folklore and mythology, her work evokes emotion and imagination in the viewer. She finds inspiration in their imagination, and the dreamlike palette and lively brushwork that combine to create a wonderful atmosphere of enchantment. She believes that they sought to transport us to different worlds and fantastic places though their works. In her own work, known for it’s beautiful, enigmatic figures and lively creatures, Annie strives to depict this same transportive effect to the viewer.
Annie has been exhibiting her work for seven years and has done notable publishing work for clients such as Disney, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, Easton press, Ballistic Publishing and more. Her work is found in private collections all over the world.
