The September/October Featured Artist in the James Keefe Gallery is Nikki Ponce.
Bold organic lines are a strong characteristic of her work. The idea of blind contour has been her practice, and she has come to appreciate the free-flowing organic lines it creates. Ponce has a Master of Fine Arts from Eastern Illinois University where she focused on printmaking and the boldness of the line. While exploring this technique, she has found that it has quickly become her signature. Each painting is first drawn using this concept of blind contour or drawing without looking. From there the composition is refined, some lines erased while more added to enhance the organic nature of the lines. Once the initial lines are painted on canvas, she begins to apply paint – it can be either acrylic or water-based oil and in some cases, she sticks to paper and watercolor. The freeness of the line and dependence upon muscle memory is what makes the artwork flow. Much like a person’s handwriting, she has her own tempo or rhythm. It is a signature. The idea of making quick line drawings into finished works also explores the concept of creating art that is void of perfection and allows the viewer to get lost in the paintings.
This body of work is themed in celebration of the Fall season. Ponce wanted to use some iconic images like the jack-o-lantern for the Halloween holiday, while also trying to connect the changing of the seasons with “Sensing the Storm.” There is also “The Carr House” with its hint of the upcoming haunted houses that will be opening up for all to enjoy, and lastly, her cultural ties to The Day of the Dead, using the "Catrina" image.
Her works are on display in the James Keefe Gallery, as well as in the front window of the BCA in October. Stop in today and check out her fall collection.
Artist credit: "The Carr House" acrylic and paper on canvas, $450
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