Artsy Girls
A local shop is showing — and selling — seven local artists’ work.
On
Thursday, a group of talented women gathered together at Perfect Home on Shorter Avenue.
For a few days, the store will be transformed into an art gallery of sorts. They’re here for the second annual Artsy Girls art show.
Reesa Milton, the store’s owner said last year she had the idea to bring together a few local female artists in one place to display and sell their work. Since she owned Perfect Home of Rome — a home decor store — she thought it was a perfect fit to have the show there. So Artsy Girls was born.
Though social media and word-of-mouth, the women were able to get lots of guests to last year’s event and this year there were even more visitors.
This year, each of the seven local artists participating — Milton, Karen Jordan, Kati Moss, Cheryl Riner Hodge, Sophie Drake, Melody Boggs and Ginger Alexander — have their own little area of the store to display and sell their work.
Milton’s paintings are in acrylic and oil while Katie Moss specializes in pen and ink drawings, architectural renderings and more recently, floral paintings.
“I love this sort of show,” Moss said. “I love these women and the different styles of art here. We all have a different style and that’s great to see. I like mingling with all the guests and the friendly atmosphere.”
Moss said Artsy Girls seems to attract visitors who are extremely supporting of the local art scene and who appreciate the artists’ work.
Her drawings and paintings lined one area of the store and visitors were drawn to the delicate lines and fresh, clean colors.
“I’m also an interior designer so I know that blues and whites are trendy right now. I try to use those in some of my pieces and people seem to like that. As an artist and designer it’s important to stay relevant.”
“But you have to love the florals,” she added. “They’re timeless.”
An artist who was new to this year’s event is 13-yearold Sophie Drake. The Darlington student said she’s always loved painting but it wasn’t until this past July that she started printing her work to sell.
Milton asked her to be a part of the event and she was excited to participate.
“Everyone has their own style,” she said. “So people get to see all these different types of art and find the ones that appeal to them the most. I love doing the abstract mixed with some realistic stuff.”
Her acrylic and watercolor pieces are done mostly during the summer or on the weekends, as she’s a busy high school student. her paintings and notecards illustrate things that she sees all around her, from animals to fruits to people.
Karen Jordan brought about 25 pieces to the show. She participated last year and said it was great exposure for her and the other artists. Her sheep paintings and florals seemed to be most popular.
Melody Boggs’ oil paintings in the Old Master and Representational styles were displayed next to Ginger Alexander’s acrylic, watercolor and oil impressionistic pieces. The women agreed that the event was a success because it brought people together and that the venue itself was perfect for an art show because it complemented the home decor around them.
As visitors perused the many pieces on display, their eyes moved from subdued tones to bright, vibrant colors such as those of Cheryl Riner Hodge. Her notecards featuring brightly colored crabs, birds and flowers sat next to her intricately painted Christmas ornaments.
On Thursday, visitors wandered around the store browsing and buying while sipping on wine and enjoying light snacks. But while the main event is over, Milton said the pieces would still be up and on sale through Oct. 20 for anyone who would like to view and/or purchase the art.
Perfect Home of Rome is located at 2013 Shorter Avenue.