Neltje: In The Family of Things

Artist, writer and entrepreneur Neltje overcame abuse, alcoholism, and suffocating social expectations to pursue a life of freedom and creativity in Wyoming. She was awarded the Wyoming Governor’s Art Award in 2005 and her works are held in numerous museum’s permanent collections.

Artist Statement: “The majority of this exhibition plays with the concept of joy. Repetitive forms allow me to search out my feelings about summertime and the outrageously happy colors of my garden. Another part of the exhibition is, in a more tactile way, a time of memories.”

: McMurry Gallery, January 2020.

: Vibration, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Sisyphus Sunday, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Mostly Just Me I, 2019. Mixed media

: Soft Desire, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Difficult Time To Be Wise, 2019.

: Held Within, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: I Don’t Want Much, 2019.

: Floating High, 2019. Acrylic on canvas. Look at the various colored shaped. What do they remind you of?

: Cradle of Impulse, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Language of Silence, 2019.

: Heartbeat, 2019. Acrylic on canvas. What kind of music would match this painting. Why?

: There It Is All Around Us, 2019. Mixed media

: Inevitable, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Awake After Midnight, 2019. Acrylic on canvas

: Mostly Just Me II, 2019. Mixed media.

: Pleasure of Recall, 2019. Mixed media.

: Molten Memories, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Evolution, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Bird Calls, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Reflections, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Loose Change, 2019. Mixed media.

: Whose Bones Were New, 2019. Mixed Media.

: Mostly Just Me III, 2019.

: Wind Sprint, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Those Who Know, 2019. Acrylic on canvas.

: Crevasses of Time, 2019. Mixed media

: Thoughtful License, 2019. Mixed media.

Neltje is an Abstract Expressionist painter. Abstract Expressionism is an art style that uses color, line, and shape to convey emotions and meaning rather than reality. Each artist has their own unique way of ‘expressing’ emotions in their art.

The works in this gallery explore feelings, instead of focusing on how things look. Neltje uses vivid colors and bold brushstrokes to express joy inspired by her garden.

WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?

DO YOU SEE COLORS AND SHAPES THAT REMIND YOU OF A GARDEN?

WHAT COLORS AND SHAPES WOULD YOU USE TO EXPRESS JOY?

Learn more about Neltje and her work at http://neltje.com/.