Rhonda Doré specializes in abstract collage and painting. Her work is in private collections in the United States, England and Scotland. She has been an award winner in the National Collage Society’s annual juried exhibit, and has shown her work in exhibitions nationally and in the Southwest. You’ll find her work at The Art Avenue Gallery in El Paso, Texas.
“These are little watercolor and gouache paintings I make when I travel or when I’m not working on bigger things.” You’ll find them just the way they’d look in a Paris apartment or a French flea market: new or vintage frames (some complete with dings), different sizes and shapes, all full of charm — and framed with archival backing and UV-protective glass.
As we progress towards Fall a collective of artists share their recent travels in Summer Memories.
Remember the fun you experienced on your summer vacations with family, friends or even alone? Chances are you photographed much of it on your smart phone and brought back a memento from each trip—a t-shirt, a coffee mug or perhaps even a piece of art.
Four local artists are sharing their recent adventures through Summer Memories, a collection of paintings and photography documenting a piece of their travels and experiences.
Rhonda Doré, Terrance Flores, Adriana Peraldi and Sirous Partovi each present a unique angle for sharing their trips from a vacation in Paris, France, a wedding in San Miguel de Allende, and adventures in Sedona, Arizona and various parts of Texas.
“Sometimes it’s the little things you remember of summer. Painting a little French spoon (with its signature bee on the handle) takes me to a rainy day at the Paris flea markets. I revisit pomegranates growing, a lovely chair in a New Orleans shop or platters of shrimp on a table. These pieces are my secret memories of summer,” said Rhonda Doré
“I love this particular show because it ignites conversations. People see one image and it creates an atmosphere to share their personal experiences. The dialogues are guaranteed to occur because people enjoy describing their journeys,” said Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek, The Art Avenue Gallery owner.
Contemporary artist Adriana Peraldi exhibits a set of butterflies she noticed while at a wedding in San Miguel de Allende. “I was sitting outside the church waiting for the bridal party and these beautiful butterflies, two of them, were flying and they were beautiful color of red but I painted them with my colors. The butterfly is a change of a lot of things so that is why I painted them,” said Peraldi.
Summer Memories opens Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 6 p.m. and will be on display through October 14, 2017.
Local artist Rhonda Dore´has garnered international attention for her abstract acrylic artwork. Dore´’s latest collection, Sighs Too Deep, currently on display at The Art Avenue,takes a turn from her usual style–recognized for her ability to collage scraps of paper into colorful acrylic designs–taking on a softer, lighter, dreamier tone. Sighs Too Deep premiered at The Art Avenue on Thursday, May 25.
Psalm from the Sighs Too Deep Series
“This series [Sighs Too Deep] is a double challenge for myself,” Dore´said. “Usually I work in saturated color. But I thought, what if I make it quieter?”
Acrylic paint dries rapidly, especially in the southwest desert, becoming a hard, plastic-like substance. The artist has to work quickly.
“But I wanted [Sighs Too Deep] to look soft,” Dore´said. “How I can make these paintings look contemplative and quiet?”
Throughout the entirety of the Sighs Too Deep collection, the brush strokes appear wispy, with a lighter color range compared to previous work.
“I wanted to see if I could make it whisper,” Dore´said. “I think I am getting there. [The paintings] have a very different feel [than past series], like veils of smoke, or waves of incense in church.”
“The paintings speak to me,” said Lynne DuMond, a viewer at the preview of the Sighs Too Deep collection. “To me, the paintings are full of faces, animals, and people. [Dore´’s] artwork speaks and appeals to everyone. That’s why I love Dore´.”
Dore´explains her inspiration for Sighs Too Deep centers around an indescribable feeling.
Psalm, acrylic with gold and silver leaf on canvas, 48″ x 24″
“We have all been enveloped by [the feeling] at one point or another,” Dore´ said. “The usual words are ‘lost in your work’ or ‘unaware of time.’ These paintings are evidence I have been in that state.”
Through soul-searching and prayer, Dore´named the collection on Romans 8:26. The biblical passage by Saint Paul says, “…for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
“Making art is like prayer,” Dore´says. “I try and I have help to take it the rest of the way.”
Art may be a natural avenue of self-expression for Dore´now, but for many years she strove in a different direction.
“Art training was not the plan,” Dore´said. “Becoming a doctor or lawyer was. Still, I admired visual artists so much though. I became convinced I wasn’t capable of drawing or painting and settled for admiring those who did.”
Dore´graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) with a degree in mass communications with an advertising specialty. She became the Vice President and Group Creative Director at Sanders/Wingo Advertising in El Paso, TX. It wasn’t until 2001 that Dore´’s draw towards the arts began to surface.
Naxos, acrylic and collage on wood panel, 48″ x 24″
After taking a painting class at UTEP with a friend, her world took an unexpected turn. For a painting exercise, students were commissioned to paint a flip-flop. “It looked like the particular flip-flop!” said Dore´with a laugh. “I was astonished beyond description. A world fell open. I leaped in.” Since then, Dore´has not looked back. Her work has received critical acclaim. Most noteably, Naxos, a Greek-inspired painting, was chosen for Acrylic Works 4, a survey of noteworthycontemporary acrylic paintings chosen from artists worldwide.
“We are only human,” Dore´says. “We can only get so far. I believe if we ask, God helps us with work like making art. The Spirit himself intercedes for us [through artwork] with sighs too deep for words.”
Dore´’s latest collection is on sale and viewable in store and online. Follow our Facebook and Instagram to stay updated!
