Blue Moon Gallery launches summer season with new exhibitions

GRAYSLAKE – Blue Moon Gallery kicks off its summer season with new exhibitions featuring whimsical, nature-based collages by Aurora artist Laura Lynne, a new series of 10 ballpoint pen drawings by Chet Griffith of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a collection of dioramas inspired by literature, music and pop culture created by Round Lake Park artist Matt Darst.

An opening reception will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. June 26 at the gallery, 18620 Belvidere Road in Grayslake.

“It is a wonderful process to bring our exhibitions to fruition from start to finish. We love supporting our artists in this way, and we love presenting beautiful shows for our patrons and collectors.” Kendra Kett, director of the Blue Moon Gallery, said in a news release. “We invite everyone to come out and see our new show on June 26. The show will run weekends 1 to 4 p.m. through July 11. We are very excited to showcase three impeccable guest artists who are all new to the Blue Moon. There is nothing more uplifting and positive than experiencing a great art exhibit.”

Lynne creates art that is inspired by the deep connection with nature she developed as a child living in Wisconsin, plus the study of yoga, poems and song lyrics, fairy tales and poster design. She is best known for creating boldly colored, whimsical, mixed media collage art and murals. She uses paper of all kinds, scissors, a hole punch and sometimes an X-Acto knife to create her collages, which have a rich, raised texture formed by multiple layers of papers and acrylic medium. She often includes metallic foil papers and her printed photography in her work while gravitating toward striking, bright color combinations in her compositions. She is presenting a collection of collages that feature her iconic imagery of unicorns, sunbursts, birds, dragons and more.

In the uncertain early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Griffith discovered that inspiration was difficult to find. Nevertheless, he kept his sketchbook close at hand and soon found himself immersed in these “small, fussy, ballpoint pen drawings. The spontaneous, nonobjective doodles seemed to satisfy his desire to remain connected to his creative interests while at the same time proving to be curiously cathartic. Griffith describes the drawings as “completely automatic, stream-of-consciousness therapy sessions.” Many of the 10 ballpoint ink drawings share organic traits, with an emphasis on growth.

“Perhaps my subconscious was dealing with virology, perhaps the biological, or perhaps none of these. It’s impossible to know what catharsis will look like,” Griffith said in the release.

The gallery will be presenting one of his most ambitious works. “A Singularity Duel” measures 60 inches by 40 inches and is created entirely in graphite.

Inspired by sci-fi and fantasy imagery as well as folklore, music and pop culture, Darst creates highly detailed, complex dioramas with accompanying mixed media backdrop paintings. During the pandemic, the creative endeavor became a release, occupying time and providing an opportunity to exert some form of control, albeit of a miniature universe. He uses a mixture of media to create each diorama, incorporating acrylic and spray paint and everything from train model parts to everyday household items. Backdrop paintings enhance each diorama’s other-worldly atmosphere, and rotating bases plus magnifying glasses give viewers an in-depth view of the curious scenes.

“The dioramas are highly engaging, igniting the viewer’s curiosity, and the craftsmanship is stellar. Many feature LED lighting, and all of them come with a magnifying glass, a rotating base and a 12-by-12 backdrop painting by Matt,” Kett said. “The result is a perfect ensemble of mixed media art.”

The gallery’s five 2021 Collective Artists – Leisa Corbett, Bob Nonnemacher, Michael Litewski, John Kirkpatrick Jr. and Michael Bellefeuille – also will be exhibiting new works, including paintings, assemblages and metal sculptures. These artists show year-round at the gallery and present evolving collections of works in impressionism, abstract expressionism and modern/contemporary genres.

The gallery will be open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. June 25 and 1 to 4 p.m. June 27. The gallery also will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. July 3, 10 and 11. The gallery ships artwork to buyers nationwide.

For information, call Kendra Kett at 224-388-7948.