Chapel Hill artists

“Open Sky Art” Exhibit at Caribou Coffee

Blueplate PRLeave a comment
Artist Scott Myers at work on an "en plein air" painting for Open Sky Art.
Artist Scott Myers at work on an "en plein air" painting for Open Sky Art.

June 11, 2009 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Joseph Rowand, director and curator at Somerhill Gallery in Durham, was stunned to learn that the artists who participated in Kimberly Alvis’ “Open Sky Art” event on Sunday, June 7, began and completed their paintings in just a few hours that day. Rowand arrived at Caribou Coffee on 110 West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill late that afternoon to select the top three ribbon-winners among the 8 completed works.

“I thought they started three days ago,” he said as he studied the paintings now displayed on the walls of the downtown coffee shop.

Artists in the gardens
Artists in the gardens

Open Sky Art was an “en plein air” (French for “in the open air”) painting session hosted by Chapel Hill artist Kimberly Alvis in her lush gardens just outside the downtown district. Participating artists chose whatever element or view they wanted to paint on Alvis property, which includes a pond and small wooden bridge, pool, gazebo, extensive gardens in bloom and ornamental trees.

The artists brought their own supplies and painted outdoors from 8 a.m. to around 2 p.m. before delivering the completed works – most of which were also framed – to Caribou Coffee’s West Franklin Street location, where they became part of the Open Sky Art Exhibit to celebrate “en plein air” painting.

Painting "en plein air"
Painting "en plein air"

An advocate and veteran of open-air painting, Kimberly Alvis contributed three of her own oil paintings for the show, although as host and a member of the Somerhill Gallery stable of artists, her works were not included in the judging for the three winners.

For First Place, Rowand selected an 8×10 piece of the pond and bridge, rendered in pastels, by Linda Wood of Wood Design & Art Studio in Raleigh. The painting is titled “June Garden” and Wood will receive the only cash prize.

Second Place went to Scott Meyers of Chapel Hill, a member of the Orange County Artists Guild, for his 14×17 oil painting of an old Adirondack chair sitting by the bank of the pond.

Third Place went to Tesh Parekh, co-owner of IWP Photography and a member of the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh, for a 12×16 watercolor of the pond and surrounding gardens — one of two pieces Parekh completed that day.

Open Sky Art event, sponsored by Kimberly Alvis
Open Sky Art event, sponsored by Kimberly Alvis

Kimberly Alvis sponsored the Open Sky Art event and exhibit to celebrate “en plein air” painting and go expose artists who enjoy it to a wider audience.

“I’m very grateful to the management of Caribou on Franklin Street for allowing us to display our exhibit there,” she said.

The Open Sky Art Exhibit will remain in Caribou Coffee at 110 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill,  through mid-July and will be part of the town’s Second Friday Art Walk.

About Kimberly Alvis: An accomplished artist, Kimberly Alvis is recognized for her representational work in oil on canvas, linen and panel. She is represented in the Triangle area for Somerhill Gallery in Durham (www.somerhill.com) and the Little Art Gallery & Craft Collection in Raleigh (www.littleartgalleryandcraft.com.) According to Somerhill Gallery’s Joseph Rowand, Alvis’ work offers “a style reminiscent of the 17th century Dutch and Spanish masters. We encounter with Kim’s work an artist who celebrates the past, deploying paint and light to exquisitely delineate her own compositions.”  To see more of her work, visit www.alvisart.com.

posted by blueplate pr

Chapel Hill Artist Hosts “En Plein Air” Session In Her Gardens

Blueplate PRLeave a comment
Kimberly Alvis in her studio
Kimberly Alvis in her studio

April 24, 2009 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Artist Kimberly Alvis loves her gardens, which spread out among the trees and pond around her home just outside downtown Chapel Hill. Well tended, they provide her with constant sources for still life paintings, landscapes, and people in landscape paintings – especially when she can capture one of her sons outdoors among them.

On April 27, Alvis will share her gardens and the subject matter they provide with PAINT NC, a group of emerging and professional artists from Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill who meet together regularly to paint en plein air, or “in the open air.”

Alvis is a regular participant in plein air events, both through PAINT NC and
Outdoor Painters, a group based in Graham, NC.

“I love plein air painting because it’s so challenging,” she said. “You never know what you’ll have to deal with. It could be wind, cold, manipulating the easel so the sun isn’t shining on it, which messes up the values.”

Frank LaLumnia, a founding member of Plein-Air Painters of America, explains the challenge – and attraction — of plein air painting:
“Painting from life is a pursuit unlike any other painting technique,” he writes on the organization’s website (www.p-a-p-a.com). “It challenges artists to concentrate every sensory nerve on the information in front of them. They absorb it all, from sight to sound, from temperature to atmosphere, and then channel those feelings from head to hand, re-creating the vision in paints on paper or canvas.”
The late April session in Alvis’ gardens will offer PAINT NC artists a vast assortment of flowers on which to focus their attention and talents including “Lady Banks” roses, Vibirnum and Foxglove. Ducks also wander through Alvis’ gardens regularly, and their likenesses are bound to wind up on a painter’s canvas.

Artists visiting from out of town are welcome to join the PAINT NC group at this spring event by contacting the organizers via the website: www.paintnc.org.

Kimberly Alvis is an accomplished artist represented in the Triangle by Somerhill Gallery in Durham and the Little Art Gallery & Craft Collection in Raleigh. To see more of the artist’s work, visit www.alvisart.com.

posted by blueplate pr

Chapel Hill Artist Turns Travel Into Art

Blueplate PRLeave a comment

Fajardo, Puerto Rico
February 22, 2009 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Artist Kimberly Alvis recently completed “Fajardo, Puerto Rico,” a 20hx24w oil on canvas painting inspired by a moment on a recent journey she made to Puerto Rico.

“I was eating dinner at a little restaurant on the water and I was staring at this scene the whole time,” Alvis said of the painting that captures two small sailboats, mainsails down, bobbing near the shore on an azure sea as masses of white clouds drift overhead.

Alvis, a representational artist, looks for subject matter whenever she travels. A trip to Sedona, Arizona, last year resulted in a series of paintings depicting the red sandstone formations that glow orange or rusty red depending on the time of day. A visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, resulted in paintings that captured human moments on the shore.

A collection of Alvis’ oil paintings and charcoal sketches were displayed in the Carrboro Town Hall last October. Four of her oil on canvas and panel still-lifes were included in Somerhill Gallery’s Holiday Exhibition in Durham in December.

According to Somerhill director Joseph Rowand, Alvis’ work offers “a style reminiscent of the 17th century Dutch and Spanish masters. We encounter with Kim’s work an artist who celebrates the past, deploying paint and light to exquisitely delineate her own compositions.”

Kimberly Alvis is represented by Somerhill Gallery and The Little Art Gallery and Craft Collection in Raleigh. For more information and to see more of the artist’s work, visit www.alvisart.com.

posted by blueplate pr

Artist’s Garden Inspires Paintings, Sales

Blueplate PRLeave a comment


December 15, 2008 (RALEIGH, NC) – The relationship between artists and their gardens — and how they inspire each other — is well documented in books, galleries and museums. Monet, for one, created countless paintings that were inspired by his legendary gardens at Giverny.

In the countryside near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at least one artist frequently depends on her carefully tended gardens to provide the subject matter for her collection of rich still-life paintings, many of which can be seen in both Somerhill Gallery in Durham and The Little Art Gallery and Craft Collection in Raleigh, where she is represented.

That artist – Kimberly Alvis – recently sold two oil paintings through The Little Art Gallery that depict the forsythias and lilacs of that bloom profusely in her gardens to herald the beginning of the spring season.

“Lilacs” is a 16”x20” oil on panel. “Forsythias,” purchased by Claudia Kadis of Raleigh. The second sale, “Forsythias,” is an 18”x25” oil on panel painting.

As her gardens sit dormant in the winter months, Alvis muses, “I always look forward to spring because of all the fresh flowers I can put in my still lifes. All I have to do is walk though my backyard and I get dozens of ideas.”

Somerhill Gallery (www.somerhill.com) is currently featuring a collection of Alvis’ small stiff-life paintings – featuring foliage drawn from her the artist’s gardens – in its special holiday show. Others remain available at The Little Art Gallery (www.littleartgalleryandcraft.com).

For more information on Kimberly Alvis, and to see more of her work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.
###

Chapel Hill Artist Offers “The Gold Ribbon” To Charitable Fundraiser

Blueplate PRLeave a comment

December, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) — To show her support for The Arc of Orange County’s mission, Chapel Hill artist Kimberly Alvis recently donated a unique Christmas tree “ornament” to the Festival of Trees, The Arc’s December fundraising event held at University Mall in Chapel Hill.

Alvis’ ornament is actually an original 5”x7” oil painting that she contributed to hang on the tree sponsored by Chapel Hill Magazine owners Ellen and Bill Shannon. The tree’s theme is “local artist.”

Entitled “The Gold Ribbon,” Alvis’ small painting features red roses in a green teapot with a gold ribbon looped around it.

Many local businesses donated decorated trees for the Festival. The trees are auctioned off to raise money for The Arc of Orange County. The Arc works with and for people who have or are at risk for having developmental disabilities.

The Festival of Trees Preview Party was held December 4 and including entertainment and a silent auction. The display remains in University Mall through December 8.

Kimberly Alvis, an award-winning artist represented in the Triangle by Somerhill Gallery, has contributed her artwork to many worthy causes, including the annual Works of Heart auction in Raleigh that benefits the Carolina AIDS Alliance and a fundraiser for the Triangle Day School in Durham.

“I enjoy opportunities to help people through my art,” Alvis said. “I love painting and people appreciate being helped. It’s a win-win situation.”

For more information on the artist, visit http://www.alvisart.com.

For more information on The Arc of Orange County and the Festival of Trees, visit http://www.arcoforange.org.

###

Chapel Hill Artist Participates in “Plein Air” Paint-Out

Blueplate PRLeave a comment
"Two Goats" by Kimberly Alvis
"Two Goats" by Kimberly Alvis

November 20, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – On a recent weekend this month, Chapel Hill artist Kimberly Alvis joined a group of painters who took their paints, palettes, canvases and easels to Elodie goat farm in Bahama, NC, to participate in an en plein air (French for “in the open air”) painting session coordinated by Outdoor Painters of Graham, NC.

The result is a 12”x16” oil on panel painting entitled “Two Goats” that captures a pair of goats around a large watering pot in a field, their shadows indicating mid-morning. A small wooden shed in the background squats before a grove of tall trees in full autumn color.

“I love plein air painting because it’s so challenging,” Alvis said. “You never know what you’ll have to deal with. It could be wind, cold, manipulating the easel so the sun isn’t shining on it — which messes up the values — or trying to keep a goat from eating your canvas! When I get back to painting in my studio it’s so much easier.”

Frank LaLumnia, a founding member of Plein-Air Painters of America, explains the challenge – and attraction — of plein air painting:

“Painting from life is a pursuit unlike any other painting technique,” he writes on the organization’s website (www.p-a-p-a.com). “It challenges artists to concentrate every sensory nerve on the information in front them. They absorb it all, from sight to sound, from temperature to atmosphere, and then channel those feelings from head to hand, re-creating the vision in paints on paper or canvas.”

According to LaLumnia, plein air painting began in 19th-century Europe. “Englishman John Constable believed the artist should forget about formulas and trust his own vision in finding truth in nature.”

French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir also advocated en plein air painting, and much of their work was created outdoors.

Outdoor Painters in Graham facilities and promotes artists who enjoy plein air painting by working with property owners or agents to secure access to restricted or private property for “paint-outs.” For more information, visit the website: http://www.outdoorpainter.org.

Kimberly Alvis is an accomplished artist represented in the Triangle by Somerhill Gallery. She is currently showing a collection of recent works at the Carrboro Town Hall in Carrboro, NC. To see more of the artist’s work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.
###

Chapel Hill Artist Kimberly Alvis Sells “Children On A Beach”

Blueplate PR1 Comment

"Children On A Beach"
September 12, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Chapel Hill artist Kimberly Alvis recently sold an oil painting entitled “Children on a Beach” to Mrs. Kristen Morrissey, also of Chapel Hill, who intends to give the piece to her mother as a birthday gift.

In the 18 x 24 oil-on-panel painting, four small children are lined up behind each other on a beach, standing on the wet sand at the very edge of the water’s reach. Their reflection is captured in shallow pools of water left from the receding tide. The child in front holds the string of a kite that flutters above and small waves. A woman – presumably their mother – stands behind them, facing away from the water, with a baby in her arms. From the angle of the light, it appears to be late afternoon.

Alvis, a representational artist who looks for subject matter whenever she travels, described the painting’s evolution:

“I was painting at Myrtle Beach and I was not very happy with what I was painting, when suddenly these children just lined up behind each other for a split second and the image just froze in my head. I was able to finish it in my studio a couple of days later.”

Somerhill Gallery director Joseph Rowand recently commented about Alvis’ paintings: “In a style reminiscent of the 17th century Dutch and Spanish masters, we encounter with Kim’s work an artist who celebrates the past, deploying paint and light to exquisitely delineate her own compositions using her knowledge of history, her intellect, trusting her own true instincts as well as her keen eye of observation, into her own fresh masterpieces.”

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Kimberly Alvis has had her work exhibited nationally at such venues as The Art Students League, The Salmagundi Club and the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, all in New York City, and the Huntsman Fine Arts Gallery in Aspen, Colorado.

Alvis’ work has received numerous awards including Best In Show two years in a row from The Arts Students League Annual Student Exhibition in New York City.

She is represented locally by Somerhill Gallery in Durham. For more information and to see more of the artist’s work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.

###

Chapel Hill Artist Kimberly Alvis Donates Oil Painting to “Works of Heart”

Blueplate PRLeave a comment
The Pumpkin Patch
The Pumpkin Patch

August 21, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Award-winning fine artist Kimberly Alvis of Chapel Hill, NC, has donated one of her oil paintings to Works of Heart, the Triangle area’s premiere charity art auction to benefit The Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina (AAS-C), which will be held Saturday, October 11, in downtown Raleigh.

Alvis’ painting, entitled “The Pumpkin Patch,” is 18h x 24w oil on linen with a retail value of $950.

“I’m so happy to be a part of any effort to combat this disease,” Alvis said.

The 2008 Works of Heart gala and auction marks the 18th year of the annual event to raise money for those living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

“At no time has it been more apparent that our success is tied to the success of the artists whose works are on display,” said Adam Cave, the 2008 chair of the Works of Heart Art Committee.

Cave notes on the organization’s website that this year’s event is set to surpass one million in total dollars raised since the auction was launched in 1991. For complete information visit http://www.worksofheart.org.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Kimberly Alvis has had her work exhibited nationally at such venues as The Art Students League, The Salmagundi Club and the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, all in New York City, and the Huntsman Fine Arts Gallery in Aspen, Colorado.

Alvis’ representational art has received numerous awards, including Best In Show two years in a row from The Arts Students League Annual Student Exhibition in New York City.

She is represented locally by Somerhill Gallery in Durham and The Little Art Gallery and Craft Collection in Raleigh. For more information and to see more of the artist’s work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.

###

Drawing Is The Foundation: Artist Kimberly Alvis Completes Portrait Commission

Blueplate PRLeave a comment

August 16, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) —  When fine artist Kimberly A. Alvis of Chapell Hill, NC, recently completed a portrait commission for Ann Engles, also of Chapel Hill, she discussed the challenge it presented and the process she goes through to paint a family portrait.

“Ann hired me to do a family portrait from a photograph taken in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico,” she said. “Working from a photograph isn’t unusual. The challenge for me was that I didn’t take the photo myself. When I do my own photography, I’m seeing the details and nuances in person, which I can recall later in my studio.”

Fortunately, this particular photograph offered “great composition,” she said, “of the family sitting around a pool with the children splashing in the water.”

She approached it as she would any painting: “First I decide how I want the viewer’s eye to move through the painting, and I determine my center of interest and find good colors and shapes. Then I proceed to lay these elements in, in a very abstract manner.”

Yet the most important skill in a painting of figures in a landscape, she said, is drawing. “It is the foundation of the painting. And as I paint in details, I remain very focused on the composition because details draw one’s eye to that area. I must keep asking myself: How important is this area to the composition?”

Alvis first studied portrait painting at the Art Students League 10 years ago. She admits that her focus has shifted since then to landscapes and still life “because I love it more. It’s important to paint what you love most.”

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Kimberly Alvis graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1987 with a B. A. in Art. Since then she has studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, the Fechin Institute in New Mexico, The Ecole Albert Defois School in France, and The Art Students League and Parson’s School of Design in New York City.

Her work has been exhibited internationally at such venues as at The Art Students League, The Salmagundi Club and the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, all in New York City, and the Huntsman Fine Arts Gallery in Aspen, Colorado.

Alvis is represented by Somerhill Gallery in Durham and The Little Art Gallery and Craft Collection in Raleigh. For more information and to see more of the artist’s work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.
###

Artist Kimberly Alvis Donates Painting to Triangle Day School Fundraiser

Blueplate PRLeave a comment

August 12, 2008 (CHAPEL HILL, NC) — Kimberly A. Alvis, an award-winning fine artist based in Chapel Hill, recently donated a 35” by 40” oil on linen painting to help raise funds for Triangle Day School in Durham.

Horses in a Pasture, 35" x 40" oil on linen
Horses in a Pasture, 35

Founded in 1991, Triangle Day School (www.triangledayschool.org) is an independent, co-ed, non-sectarian, non-profit school with a current enrollment of 200 students, including the artist’s two sons.

The painting, entitled “Horses in a Pasture,” is indicative of Kimberly Alvis’ affinity for representational art that captures “the essential beauty inherent in every object as honestly as possible,” she says. “Each painting springs from my initial impressions. However unlike most impressionists, I am unable to resist the richness in shadow and colors as I see them. I am also unable to resist the challenge of making a three-dimensional object look realistic within a two-dimensional medium. I strive to capture the form of an object as it emerges into light and express it in terms of paint.”

“Horses in a Pasture” was sold at auction during a school fundraising event.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Kimberly Alvis graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1987 with a B. A. in Art. Since then she has studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, the Fechin Institute in New Mexico, The Ecole Albert Defois School in France, and The Art Students League and Parson’s School of Design in New York City.

Her work has been exhibited internationally at such venues as at The Art Students League, The Salmagundi Club and the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit in New York City and the Huntsman Fine Arts Gallery in Aspen, Colorado.

Kimberly Alvis is represented locally by Sommerhill Gallery in Durham and The Little Art Gallery and Craft Collection in Raleigh. For more information and to see more of the artist’s work, visit http://www.alvisart.com.

###