Connolly Art

Evening in Santa Fe side one shown
Morning in Memphis side two

preview location: 2282 Madison Avenue | Howard Hall

medium: vintage screen door, pine panels, acrylic, paper

artist statement
The ambiance of Santa Fe and Utah - dry riverbeds, red rocks of Sedona, the open sky of the desert – those were inspirations for Side 1. Having another canvass in the other side of the piece, I wanted a completely different look, a different mood. I felt compelled to create a Memphis scene as well – the beautiful old hardwoods at Overton Park, the pansies and bright flowers in the center of East Parkway – these were inspirations for decoupage and art on Side 2. 100% of the original door was retained in the completed piece. My husband Robert cut the door in half lengthwise, and then I hinged the two pieces back together. Adding two 12” x 6’ shelving boards to the outer edges to serve as braces to allow the piece to stand, it was at this point that I decided to make this an outdoor patio or porch privacy screen. After five coats of urethane, perhaps it will last a while.

artist bio
I began painting two years ago with mentor and teacher Kay Spruill. Now I paint everything I see, using primarily acrylics, adding found and discarded objects, driftwood, rusty things. This past March I studied with silk artist Suzanne Silk in Santa Fe using pieces from vintage silk kimonos. As a writer of fiction and creative non-fiction, I believe everything and every person contains a story. I lead writing workshops for those who have traditionally been silenced. Painting dream images led me to begin looking for methods to express the symbols and images that appear in my dreams. Within both the writing and the dream workshops I use mixed media art as a method of leading others into manifesting one’s inner life in unlimited outward expressions such as in mandalas, artist trading cards, writing prompts, collages, and silk painting.

Emma F. Connolly

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