

Winter 2010
BARN DOOR by Stephen Craig Rowe
“Space is only as deep as one makes it,” writes Stephen Craig Rowe at his website Painting Studio – a remark that plays over and over in the viewer’s mind when looking at the work of this artist and poet.
LIAM WILKINSON
Three Lights Gallery, Modern Haiga
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Fall 2009
PENZAI by Francisco
Still a major branch of Chinese popular arts, the creation of miniature
landscapes via the potting of dwarfed trees is now a familiar sight in the
Western world. Penzai translates as ‘plant in a pot’ and in Francisco’s piece,
entitled ‘Penzai’, the miniature tree is set against the light and shade of the
deep purple background, creating in itself a vivid, abstract landscape.
The shape and detail of the plant, almost caught in a quiet explosion of earthy
colour, crossing the threshold between the two contrasting shades of the
background, is as expressive as Pollock’s approach to his canvas. The central
form of the tree is reminiscent of Joan Mitchell’s brush work, as are the
purples, reds and greens that give this piece its unique ambience. However, the
‘action’ in this work, the movement and the articulation is the work of nature
itself – but a nature that is, thanks to the art of Penzai, a collaboration
between man and the natural world.
Francisco, originally from Venezuela, is a resident of Asheville, North Carolina. Whether he's painting (oil, acrylic, etc.), sketching, designing a home, or taking photographs, he enjoys the creative process. His work can be seen and purchased at his blog, One A Day, where the goal is to produce and publish a unique piece daily.
LIAM WILKINSON