Jhenna Quinn Lewis Av i a n R e a l m s
Jhenna Quinn Lewis Av i a n R e a l m s December 17 - 29, 2021
Meyer Gallery 225 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.983.1434 800.779.7387 www.meyergalleries.com
For her 2021 solo exhibition at Meyer Gallery, Oregon-based artist Jhenna Quinn Lewis presents a new body of minimalist, avian-inspired paintings depicting highly realistic birds in quiet still-life settings. Avian Realms opens on December 17th with an opening reception from 5-7pm. Lewis’ painting style is largely inspired by Japanese art as she is particularly drawn to the austere beauty of silk screens, the flat patterning found in wood block prints, and the rhythmic meter of haiku poetry. Her current body of work continues to have an Asian influence in its presentation, with references to the style both in composition and subject matter. “I came upon a beautiful Asian-style blossom wallpaper pattern that I have used in a number of works,” she says of her new paintings. “I have enjoyed seeing the results of its graceful curves against my soft and dusky atmospheric colors. It accentuates the birds with a beautiful rhythmic pattern.” While playfully presented, Lewis’ birds are highly realistic as they represent specific species. Her subjects in this show feature passerines, known as migrating song birds or perching birds. The birds are depicted in still-life scenes with a whimsical nature as they help themselves to missing keys, lost earrings, or stolen jewels. Birds with jewelry is a recurring theme in this show, with Lewis referencing Renaissance masters as her inspiration for the subject. Lewis removes all that is unnecessary in her compositions, exercising restraint and simplicity. Her painting technique involves a limited color palette and many layers of glaze and varnish, which she says “gives a greater sense of atmosphere and jewel-like appearance to the avian subject matter.” Her stylistically simple compositions emphasize negative space for a soothing mood. “My pieces are about exploring a mediative state of mind,” she says. Lewis began studying art in 1976 at the University of Illinois, where she also took courses on the Japanese Tea Ceremony and the art of flower arrangement, sparking her interest in Japanese philosophies. Lewis worked as a gallery owner and art director in Ferndale, California before ultimately pursuing her passion to become a full-time painter. Her work has since been featured in publications such as Southwest Art Magazine and American Art Collector, with a 2020 feature in Fine Art Connoisseur. Her paintings are included in numerous public and private collections including a commissioned painting for the collection of Lawton Chiles, the former Governor of California.
What! Not Us. We are Vegetarians oil
12 x 24
Always oil
12 x 9
Without Asking
oil
12 x 6
Contemplation
oil
8x8
Before They are Missed oil
16 x 12
I Don’t Think it is the Right One oil
14 x 11
Summons oil
24 x 12
Within Silence oil
14 x 11
The Bird Who Waited oil
14 x 11
Symbol of Devotion oil
8x6
Presence oil
8x6
Where The Jewels Belong oil
12 x 9
Remembrance oil
12 x 9
Chazutsu
oil
12 x 9
A Keepsake oil
8x6
Price List What! Not Us. We are Vegetarians
oil
12 x 24
$6,000
Always
oil
12 x 9
$4,500
Without Asking
oil
12 x 6
$3,500
Contemplation
oil
8x8
$2,600
Before They Are Missed
oil
16 x 12
$5,800
I Don’t Think it is the Right One
oil
14 x 11
$5,200
Summons
oil
24 x 12
$6,000
Within Silence
oil
14 x 11
$5,500
The Bird Who Waited
oil
14 x 11
$5,500
Symbol of Devotion
oil
8x6
$2,800
Presence
oil
8x6
$2,400
Where the Jewels Belong
oil
12 x 9
$4,800
Remembrance
oil
12 x 9
$4,500
Chazutsu
oil
12 x 9
$4,500
A Keepsake
oil
8x6
$2,400
Meyer Gallery 225 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.983.1434 800.779.7387 www.meyergalleries.com