Elaine VanGelder exhibit opening reception

Artist Statement:

Spiritually, I believe that we are all connected: to each other, nature and the earth we inhabit. Recent work at MIT discovered the fertilization of an egg creates familiar patterns “similar to the waves generated in other, seemingly unrelated systems, such as the vortices in quantum fluids, the circulations in the atmosphere and oceans, and the electrical signals that propagate through the heart and brain.” (source) Who knew, except perhaps Buddha?

As a painter, I am fascinated and challenged by these patterns in nature, such as the skin of a pineapple in a bowl of fruit, the nautilus shell on a beach or the fractal design of branches in a tree. Challenged to create accurate representation, I discovered Sacred Geometry and my journey began. I started studying the Seed Of Life and continued into fractals, Islamic geocentric patterns and other sequences. I was also inspired by artists, such as Steven Meakin, who was creating large mandalas with interesting and unusual shapes and colors.

Once I started painting this series of eight, it became my daily meditation practice. The paintings themselves, done in casein paint, take a life of their own, the end result different than what I initially imagined them to be. Once completed, I loved observing and letting them take me into peaceful realms versus the frenetic state of suffering we see in our world today. I hope they do the same for you.

Artist Bio:

Elaine VanGelder was born a twin, in Mattoon, Illinois. She attended Charleston University where she received a Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education with a minor in Art. This was followed with a Masters Degree in Special Education from Northeastern University in Boston, Ma. Elaine met and married her husband, Robert VanGelder, from Conway, Ma, who is also an artist and designer. The couple eventually made their home in Conway. Elaine has multiple interests which include painting, gardening and swimming. After years of painting watercolors, she began to experiment with oils and casein paints. Her recent work has been in the fascinating study of patterns in natures, resulting in a series of mandalas, painted in casein paints.