The Modbo and SPQR present October’s Arts Alley Openings. The Modbo will contain Stardust, a new body of work by Modbo Collective artist Lindsay Hand, while SPQR hosts collective member Phil Lear and Christian Medovich. The opening reception is Friday, October 4th, between 5:30 pm and midnight. The show runs through Friday, October 25th. The Modbo and SPQR are located at 17b and 17c East Bijou, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. 719.633.4240. themodbo.com. themodbo@gmail.com
Stardust, Lindsay Hand’s most recent body of work, is a collection of twelve figurative oil paintings dripping, raw and loose in their rendition. The ethereal reference of stardust is brought into play with sparkling, stark white stars surrounded by earth tones and accented with pops of color. Works, deconstructed through technique and color, reveal layers in process and concept, all together resulting in an exhibit sweet and honest in its portrayal of life’s moments.
Lindsay Hand, born and raised in Colorado Springs, has consistently exhibited her work at various galleries throughout the state, beginning with Wunderkind 2001 at the BAC and most recently at The Modbo for the past 4 years consecutively. Her most recent body of work, “Stardust”, will open October 4th at The Modbo. Hand was nominated for a Pikes Peak Arts Council Excellence in Arts Award for Best Visual Artist 2012 and is featured in Studio Visit Magazine in 2013, Volume 21. She is scheduled in April of 2014 to show her work at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum as part of an exhibit marking the 100 year anniversary of the Ludlow Massacre. You can see her work at www.lindsayhand.com
In SPQR:
Phil Lear’s painting strives to present a certain poetic insight into the world around. His style and brushwork harmonize with the character of his subject, to reveal the inborn charm of painting.
Born in Ontario, Canada in 1975, Phil grew up with a very close love of art. Always drawing and sketching, he expressed his creativity early by writing and illustrating stories and cartoons. His family moved to the United States in 1990, where Phil developed his skills in all the high school art classes, and worked with a select group of young artists known as Smiling Shep Designs, producing banners and artwork for the surrounding community.
In 1993 Phil enrolled in Pensacola Christian College’s Commercial Art program, where he studied for four years under established illustrators and designers. It was during this time the he began to realize a passion for painting, and for expressing the beauty he saw all around. Personal study and a deep love for the art of the Renaissance and late-Victorian eras increased both his knowledge of painterly innovation, and his fast-beating desire to become an artist himself.
After illustrating for missionaries in Switzerland in 1999, Phil returned to the United States and began taking steps toward entering the professional world of painters. He became a charter member of the Portrait Society of America, and has displayed work in several public exhibitions and competitions. Phil now furthers his study and artistic journey in the company of other fine artists at the Cottonwood Artists’ School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
His paintings deal with the beauty in common scenes of nature and everyday folk. He finds inspiration in the touching effects of light and shadow, and the narrative splendor of the simple things in life. Like the Academy painters of the 1800’s, Phil prefers to work with a warm, limited palette, using subdued colors to bring a calm and natural mood to the canvas.
Christian Medovich has spent over two decades in the visual arts. He has taught technical theater at Colorado College as well as papermaking and Art History at the Club of the Arts. Christian can also be found at the Fine Arts Center building scenery, teaching at the ModboCo and designing lights for various dance performances in Colorado Springs. In 2010, Christian reinvested his time back into drawing and painting through the Modbo classes, training with Brett Andrus. It has been through careful instruction and curiosity that Christian finds himself participating in the tradition of peddling his created images. He thanks those who have had a hand (you know who you are). His newest body of work was inspired by the Tom Waites song, “Murder in the Redbarn,” as well as the artist’s interpretations of various societal taboos.