‘Happy Rainbow Flowers’
Two artists show colorful works at Canvas + Clay Gallery
Donna Albers and Iris Smith are best friends and busy artists.
“They share big smiles, laughs, cookies and a love for flowers, rainbows and happiness. Donna gives great big hugs and Iris loves to sign ‘I love you,’” said Jen McLaurin, manager of the Canvas + Clay Gallery, where Albers and Smith will share their artwork with the public in a new, colorful exhibit, “Happy Rainbow Flowers,” opening April 1.
“Donna has been working on a collection for a flower-themed show for a while. Iris loves putting flowers in her hair as well as in her paintings,” McLaurin said. “In addition to being that time of year when the rain stops pouring and flowers start blooming, April is Donna’s birthday month. It felt like the perfect time to celebrate spring, rainbows and this beautiful friendship.”
She added, “It feels like a very special occasion to host a show for two best friends that have spent a lot of time creating art and joy together.”
Canvas + Clay Gallery, located at 233 F St. in Eureka, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. Two Arts Alive! receptions are planned: April 1 and May 6, both from 6 to 9 p.m.
Canvas+Clay is a nonprofit that provides an inclusive studio environment and a gallery for artists of varying abilities to foster an authentic art
practice and professional growth. Artists have the choice to work on their personal art practice in a painting and drawing studio, a ceramics studio, a video workshop studio or at the gallery.
“I enjoy seeing how artists can come to The Studio or gallery and be given the tools and the space to create in their own style, and to use their personal abilities and skill sets without judgment,” McLaurin said. “Here, they will always be celebrated for creating something that came from within.”
Smith has been part of the Canvas + Clay Studio since 2000. Her paintings depict “fields of smiling flowers and shamrocks, happy suns and moons, and abstract geometric compositions painted in a rainbow of colors,” McLaurin said.
“She brushes thick layers of acrylic onto canvas, paper and occasionally plexiglass. Iris will combine analogous colors or a dark and a light mix of the same hue, which can make her shapes seem multidimensional,” McLaurin added.
Albers is a painter and ceramist who has been part of “The Studio” since
2014. Her work reflects her life experiences, from appreciating the beauty of flowers, animals and landscapes to portraits of herself and loved ones.
“Donna is always full of joy upon completion of an art piece. Having
a show at Canvas + Clay with her good friend Iris makes Donna very happy,” McLaurin said.
For more information about the Canvas+Clay Gallery and Studio, go to https://canvasandclaystudio.org/.