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October Issue 2009

Broomfields Gallery in West Jefferson, NC, Features Works by Ramona Lampell and Elliot Coatney

The Broomfields Gallery in West Jefferson, NC, will present the exhibit, Barn Quilts of the North Carolina Mountains: Two Distinct Visions, featuring works by Ramona Lampell and Elliot Coatney, on view from Oct. 9 through Nov. 7, 2009.

Ramona Lampell

When you see Ramona Lampell and Elliot Coatney together, you might not pick them out to be collaborators in a show of their artwork. Lampell is a delicate woman in her early 70's; Coatney is 40 years her junior and stands over a foot taller. Lampell's art is gentle and precise, done painstakingly in the unusual medium of colored pencil. Coatney's paintings are loose and vibrant and look as if they just fell off the brush. But Lampell and Coatney get along very well, speaking easily and frankly with one another about their show and often cracking jokes between themselves. They share a love of the North Carolina High Country and were excited to work together on a project that is as much about a connection to their region as it is about their art.

Elliot Coatney

As the name suggests, all of the artwork in Barn Quilts of the North Carolina Mountains: Two Distinct Visions depicts barns adorned with barn quilts - hand-painted squares with colorful, geometric designs reminiscent of traditional quilt blankets. These barn quilts are affixed to barns around the North Carolina High Country.

Julia Bishop, organizer of the show and owner of Broomfields Gallery had the idea for an exhibit that would showcase in an engaging way the beauty of the barns, the quilts, and the surrounding landscape. "I was intrigued by the idea of bringing together two very different people and two very different styles. It has been rewarding to see Lampell and Coatney weave their distinct visions together."

Lampell is a noted folk-art collector and co-author with her late husband, singer and screen-writer Millard Lampell, of O Appalachia: Artists of the Southern Mountains. Though she has traveled the world over, Lampell calls herself a "mountain woman from West Virginia." She owned art galleries in Los Angeles and The Hamptons before making Jefferson, NC, her home. In Lampell's artwork, one quickly senses her deep love and appreciation of Appalachian folk art. Her compositions are simple, with a distinct childlike quality about them.

Describing her style, Lampell says, "Children make art without pretense, without guile, and without ego - they create for the love of it. That's where I wanted to go with my art. Ironically, I think some viewers find this very challenging."

Speaking of his background and resume in the art world, Coatney laughs and says, "I'm an emerging artist - that means I don't have a resume." In reality, Coatney's resume is quickly growing. He has participated in five juried art exhibitions around the Southeast in the past twelve months. Though he started painting and drawing when he was very young, Coatney didn't start painting seriously until he landed in a workshop several years ago with Canadian artist Brian Simons, whom Coatney credits with giving him the tools to paint with confidence and determination.

"I paint pretty loosely, with a lot of energy. I don't think about what a painting is saying or meaning - I just like the unique effect that paint on canvas can have on a viewer." Coatney moved to Boone, NC, from Kentucky 15 years ago and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2001.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 336/846-4141 or visit (www.broomfieldsgallery.com).

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