The two-person show brings together contemplative minimalist landscape paintings by Colorado artist Cynthia DeBolt and vibrant still life and portrait paintings by Texas artist Merri Ellen Kase for a look into the varied interests in subject matter by contemporary women painters in today’s West. Meet DeBolt and Kase at a reception for the artists on April 1 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Cynthia DeBolt’s landscape-based oil paintings are quiet, restful places that invite focused contemplation. Using a reductivist approach, DeBolt simplifies and eliminates elements she observes in the landscape to create new and invented places on her canvasses. DeBolt offered, “I try to see the canvas as a whole - not things in isolation but how they interact, independent from the subject matter; not a tree, but a shape, an area of color; the canvas as an arrangement of abstract shapes and colors and their relationship to each other.”

DeBolt hopes her paintings function as a meditative source for the viewer - a focus for contemplation in a busy and complex world. Her paintings are a visual hint to the viewer and the artist to eliminate the unnecessary details in one’s life and strive for a general economy of lifestyle.

Merri Ellen Kase’s dynamic realistic paintings depict close up subject matter with an emphasis on color and texture. Whether her subjects are flowers set against a backdrop of western icons, whimsical arrangements of objects such as Americana toys or portraits of long horn steer, Kase’s able use of realism commands the viewer to take a very close look. In her paintings, Kase creates worlds that are fun, visually stimulating and honor the history and traditions of the American West. “I enjoy making people smile with my paintings. I love color, close-up visuals, and use of humor to evoke a good feeling for those who see my work,” Kase offered.