By Andi Bedsworth

It is Thursday, and if you do not have plans, I have a suggestion. Tonight, a reception will be held for the well-known local artist, Carlyle Wolfe at Southside Gallery on the Courthouse Square. Her newest exhibit, Green, new paintings by Carlyle Wolf, has been in the gallery since Aug. 8, and will come down on Sept. 3 which makes tonight an opportune time to see the show. The reception is open to the public and will be held from 5-8p.m. tonight. This is the seventh exhibit that Wolfe has had in the gallery since 2005.

I think it is safe to say that Wolfe is inspired by plants, and botanical compositions are her specialty. Her stencil paintings inspired by local plant life, and her line drawings of various garden varieties have graced the walls in prior shows. As well as studying the lines of plants and flowers, Wolfe is interested in color studies.  For this current body of work, she developed color studies from memory and describes several occasions that were an impetus for her to create this work. Those occasions involved outdoor activities such as “paddle-boarding on the lake, walking her dogs at sunset and watching light move through the foliage on a friend’s back porch”. Also in the show, are some “shadow paintings” which she creates by positioning panels beneath the foliage outdoors and then she traces each shadow case by the natural light on the substrate. The movement of the shadows change depending on cloud drifts and accumulation, making indistinct shapes and creating a sense of movement in the piece. The paintings are created gradually over time as Wolfe collects shadows from different locations and layers them on top of one another.

To me, Wolfe’s work is delicate, detailed, misty, and beautifully hued. It is subtle, pretty, and mysterious, nature captured in it’s very essence and is unbelievably peaceful and serene. She masterfully layers hues and shades of color and shape. Her work is in many private collections in the area, and can also be seen at the Graduate Hotel in Oxford. She knows flowers and plants, and her paintings capture all the glory and beauty inherent in these living specimens.

For more information on this show please call 662-234-9090 or email southside@southsideartgallery.com.