A new exhibit at Kunze Gallery at the grain elevators illustrates the versatility of Creston Valley artist Maggie Leal Valias.
After recently creating prints from altered, often super-enlarged portions of prints, Valias has turned to painting on old wood and linen for her current exhibition.
“I am inspired by the works of Alberto Burri, an Italian artist,” she said on Monday. I really like his style.”
Burri (1915-1995) painted on many different surfaces, and also developed processes to create Cretti (cracks) on some of his art works.
Pointing to one piece, Valias explained that she had found an old piece of weathered plywood on her Lakeview property.
“I was able to separate the surface veneer and I used that for this painting,” she said, pointing to the red-based painting in the top right photo on this page. “Then I used the next layer for this one,” she added, indicating a nearby piece.
While the series is distinctly modern visually, the use of aged and weathered materials lends a depth and sense of mystery to the paintings, which range from subtle earth tones to vibrant reds.
“I love red,” she laughed.
Valias finds working in various media stimulating, and she moves from clay to photographs to painting with remarkable ease.
Her newest exhibit continues through this month, and is now joined by new Stewart Steinhauer stone carvings that are situated outside the gallery doors. Buffalo Dream, a collaborative effort between Steinhauer and gallery owner/painter Sandy Kunze, remains on display in a separate room inside the gallery walls.