One of our most popular collections of artwork for both our design projects as well as in our online boutique comes from our artist-in-resident Shannon Plourde. Her unique paintings and sustainable practices make her pieces highly sought after.
{tools of the trade}
Shannon and her husband Bruce recently spent several weeks in Europe. The beautiful landscapes of Paris inspired Shannon's latest collection that will debut at our downtown boutique this weekend. Her new collection called Somewhere Vast Is Like Forever features beautiful landscapes and scenery from their trip.
{blending colors}
We asked Shannon a few questions about this new collection and the inspiration behind it.
1. This latest collection is fabulous. What was your inspiration? A recent trip to France inspired the views from this collection, Somewhere Vast Is Like Forever. To journey through these paintings brings one into the vastness of the sea in Nice, the Provence countryside, the streets of Paris, and open fields of fresh lavender.
2. What is the most challenging part of creating a new collection? The most challenging component of my painting process is merging the beauty of the preliminary drawing with the fluid paint washes. As the color washes absorb and stain the raw canvas substrate, there is a careful balance of drawn and painted forms/spaces that must continually work together.
{sketching in progress}
3. What is your favorite of the new pieces and why? Covered in The Leaves of Eleven Autumns. This piece captures the essence of "Mending," a theme found in all of my work/collections. The pieces of organic forms of stain and color come together as a whole in this serene, autumn landscape of the South of France, forming a patchwork quilt that tells a familiar story - my familiar story of mending that has become a profound place to reach those who connect with my paintings.
4. How is this collection different than previous collections? The variety of views - seascape, landscape, cityscape, and florals - and a cohesive, pure color palette set this current collection apart.
{sustainable practices in action}
Please join us this weekend at our downtown boutique and be the first to see this new collection up close and in person. And Shannon will be on hand for discussion about the new collection as well. Our downtown boutique will have slightly extended hours this weekend only:
- Friday, May 9: 10am - 6:30 pm (Shannon here from 3pm - 5pm)
- Saturday, May 10: 10am - 6:30 pm (Shannon here from 1pm - 5pm)
- Sunday, May 11: 1pm - 5pm (Shannon here from 1pm - 3pm)
{final piece: streets to dwell}
While you are downtown, be sure to check out the Artisphere festival in its entirety to experience additional art exhibits from artists across the country. Festival hours this weekend are as follows:
- Friday, May 9: 12pm - 8pm
- Saturday, May 10: 10am - 8pm
- Sunday, May 11: 11am - 6pm