"Luminosity"

by Mandy Roeing, Catherine Flynn, & Tracey Maras

Main gallery

Exhibition Statement:

When seen under a microscope, a painting done in the medium of soft pastel looks like it is comprised of

layers of tiny, brilliantly colored diamonds. This faceted shape allows the particles of pigment to refract light

in many directions, resulting in an almost glowing effect. Compositionally, soft pastels are practically pure

pigment which provides exceptional color power.

While we each have our own unique painting style and way of working with pastel, we share a desire to

express our emotional connection to the natural world through pastel’s beauty and purity of color. We hope

this exhibition sharing our three different takes on painting the outdoors will not only resonate with viewers

on an emotional level but demonstrate the versatility and brilliance of soft pastels.

Tracey Maras

Growing up next to a river shaped me into the person that I have become. It was my playground and where I

learned about life. It is where I became an observer, a listener, and a learner. It nurtured an appreciation for nature and a protector of wildlife. It is how I became adventuresome.

The lessons learned at the river continue to influence my life and my art. As a result, the connectedness to

nature returns again and again in the subjects that I paint. The many personalities of nature offer endless

opportunities for inspiration, whether creating paintings of wildlife or lush landscapes.

And within each painting, I embrace a sense of adventure as I push the creative limits of the pastel medium,

relishing each new discovery.

Catherine Flynn

My college experience at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD allowed a total immersion

in art: design, painting, printmaking, photography, color studies, and art history. I loved everything about it.

The terminology, the tools, the mess, and the creativity.

After a career as a graphic and web designer, I returned to my early focus on painting and drawing with

pastel, gouache, and watercolor. Art opens my mind. It pushes me to look at the world with attention; to see

the relationships between elements: between nature and people; between land and sky; between light and

dark; between large shapes and that descriptive detail. I’m drawn to the landscape as a way to express those

relationships. I feel my paintings are successful if the scene I paint creates a satisfying emotional connection

for the viewer.

Mandy Roeing

I spent a lot of time outdoors growing up, and it instilled in me a love of nature in all its forms. We lived on a

river first, then a wooded area with a delightful creek running through it. My grandparents’ farm fields were

surrounded by woods with ponds and creeks to be explored. These landscapes each held beauty and a sense

of wonder for me, with the common thread of water. The first time I experienced the ocean, I felt intuitively

drawn to the water with its vastness, its power and energy, but also with its restorative and calming nature.

This connection to nature resonates deeply, and it inspires me to create work capturing those emotions so

they may be experienced by others. Soft pastels are always my medium of choice – they are so versatile and

dynamic, and each layer of color I add to the surface of my painting interacts with those below to create a

rich visual interpretation of the pleasure I find in the natural world.

"Hardcore Bubblegum" by

Trevor Basham

Project Space

Exhibition Statement:

Noble Stabbings is the resin-filled brainchild of Bloomington, IL based artist and graphic designer Tee Trashem. He has done graphic design for tons of your favorite local businesses like; Mother Murphy’s, White Oak Brewing, Waiting Room Records and Coffee Hound just to name a few. Art that’s all about finding the happiness in the bummers of life and smiling in the face of defeat! The work is highly inspired by the punk scene and skateboard culture from the 80’s & 90’s. There are imaginative explosions of action with a pop of cartoon aesthetics. The designs feature bold, clean line-work with a pop-art pastel color palette. The artwork is primarily done in acrylic paint, watercolors and spray paint.

The work will be on view September 1st- September 26th, 2025.

Gallery events are always free and open to the public.