New guest artists to kick off summer season at Blue Moon Gallery

GRAYSLAKE – The Blue Moon Gallery welcomes oil painter Marjorie Davidson of Evanston as one of two new guest artists kicking off the summer season.

Davidson, a classically trained pianist and accomplished teacher and performer, has studied at Carnegie Mellon and DePaul Universities and is a graduate of the Northwestern School of Music.

Davidson grew up in a small western Pennsylvania town where the Midwest landscape became a source of endless inspiration for her as a lifelong artist. A mostly self-taught painter of still life and landscapes, her work is an exploration of the interplay of color and surface both in watercolor and oil. Her strong love of nature has focused her paintings primarily on the landscapes of Lake Michigan and the Carolina coast.

“The aim of my artwork is to capture the depth of feeling inspired by the quietest time of day, the movement of the sea, the wind through trees and the endless shifting of light over land,” Davidson said. Her calm, serene paintings, saturated in monochromatic blues and whites, ably evoke the timeless beauty of water and sky.

The gallery also welcomes Kristin Ashley of Lake Bluff as a guest artist this month. Ashley is equally at home in the worlds of fine art, graphic design and photography. Graduating with honors, she holds a BFA in Studio Arts from Barat College. Ashley has made creativity her career in her chosen field as a graphic designer and as a fine artist specializing in painting and photography.

Inspired by her love of nature photography and her expertise with computers, color, and composition, Ashley creates digital works of art by layering her own photographs and using Adobe Photoshop’s filters and effects.

By weaving images into an ethereal tapestry that represents her dreams and visions, Ashley’s montages take on an otherworldly appearance rich in color and symbolism. Her lifelong interest in symbols, mythology and archetypes helps her create a mystical world that melds the reality of nature with the magic of the unseen world.

Both exhibitions will be open to the public at an artist reception from 6 to 9 p.m. May 28. The event is free. Live music will be performed by the Oakton College Guitar Ensemble, and the gallery will have its popular fire pit going. Patrons are invited to bring chairs and their favorite beverages while enjoying an evening of art, music and socializing.

The exhibition will be on view through July 10.

Last month’s guest artist Susan Schneider continues her exhibition of oil paintings featuring the peacefulness and simple beauty of lush agricultural landscapes, farmhouse scenes and local flora and fauna. The exhibition is on view through June 12.

The 2022 Blue Moon Collective Artists – Tony Armendariz, Mike Bellefeuille, Leisa Corbett, Juli Janovicz and John Kirkpatrick Jr. – will be exhibiting new works including contemporary realist watercolors, repurposed metal art, acrylic photo collages, watercolor florals and acrylic figurative expressionism. The collective artists show their works year-round at the gallery and are award-winning artists in their respective mediums.

“We are so excited about this summer. We have an exciting new slate of artists exhibiting throughout the season as well as some fun pop-up shows during our artist receptions. We’re also planning live music each month. We recently added a coffee station for our patrons to enjoy during weekend gallery hours when we are open from 1 to 4 p.m. We want to invite folks to meet a friend at the gallery, experience all the beautiful art and stay awhile enjoying a complimentary flavored coffee,” said Kendra Kett, gallery director.

The gallery is at 18620 Belvidere Road in Grayslake on Route 120, just east of Route 45.

For information about the event, visit thebluemoongallery.com or call Kett at 224-388-7948.