Behind the egg tempera and oil
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 7 years, 1 month AGO
COEUR d’ALENE — The Art Spirit Gallery at 415 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene is offering opportunities for art enthusiasts to learn the stories behind two upcoming exhibits.
The free artist talk with Mary Frances Dondelinger will take place in the gallery at 6 p.m. Tuesday. All are welcome to attend. Dondelinger will discuss her current show, "The Land of Milk and Honey," and how life's situations and opportunities influenced the theme and process of her work.
Dondelinger uses visual allegories, metaphors and icons to observe the anxieties and motivations of humanity in the West. She was born in Auburn, Calif., then moved to the Northwest, where she earned her bachelor's degree from Seattle University in 1992. She was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fast-Track grant through the Idaho State Arts commission in '95 for her exhibit, “A Place Called Ferdinand,” a series of oil pastel paintings about the demise of small towns focusing on a rural Idaho community. She also received an NEA Professional Development grant from Washington State Arts Commission and was awarded a position in the Florence Biennale in Italy with sponsorship from Ampersand Art Supply and private supporters.
Since 2003, Dondelinger has studied the ancient tradition of orthodox religious iconography — its theology, history, materials and practice. She studied at the Monastery of St. Gertrude in central Idaho with iconographer Sr. Carolyn Miguel ('03 to '04). In 2005, she apprenticed with master iconographer Fr. Gianluca Busi in Bologna, Italy, and thereafter, he continued online education and critiques of her work. In 2006, she assisted Busi in the United States as he worked and taught at St. Gertrude’s. These crucial experiences have proven beneficial to the maturation and development of Mary Frances’ contemporary work.
During a residency at Jentel Foundation in Wyoming, Dondelinger focused on synthesizing the antiquity of the iconography with concerns of modernity. Out of this residency came a series of works titled “Modern Icons: Endangered Species,” which explores the human use and sacrifice of water, land and animals for a perceived human benefit. She uses materials of the ancient masters: gold leaf, rabbit skin glue, marble dust and egg tempera and the basic concepts of sacred images.
During a free talk in the gallery at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 1, featured artist Victoria Brace of Spokane will discuss her approach to cityscape, still life and figurative painting.
Brace was born and trained in Russia and graduated from the Moscow College of Art. Her work can be found in private collections across Russia, Western Europe and the United States, including the Art Spirit Gallery since 2008.
"As I paint, I find that colors carry emotions and tell stories," Brace states in her biography. "The brush strokes build up textures, conceal or enhance the previous layers, and things start happening under the surface as if the painting takes on a life of its own.”