by SEAD Gallery | July 17, 2017
“Prickly Pizazz 2” by Hailey E. Herrera, watercolor batik, 12”X16”, Herrera Collection
SEAD Gallery is excited to present a fantastic BCS local artist, Hailey Herrera. Herrera’s exhibit, “Calligraphy + Color: Watermedia Abstracts” will be SEAD Gallery’s featured exhibition for the next two months.
While the collection is comprised of abstract pieces, Herrera only recently became interested in creating abstract art in 2016. The beauty of abstract art is the notion of creating just to create. Herrera says unless she has considered a specific theme, she begins a piece with nothing but calligraphic lines. She goes into the piece without a preconceived idea or end result in mind and allows it to become what it is. If she likes the way a certain theme or color combination is going, she will work in a pair or series, in effort to see which permutations or combinations bring the most pleasing result. She said in the process of interplaying lines and creating shapes spontaneously, an idea emerges and the painting reveals something new which her intuition and emotions respond to.
Herrera is a watermedia artist and uses a batik technique in her watercolors. She uses wax to block the areas she wants to keep a certain color for each layer, similar to that of traditional batik techniques. She is inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi and has created a palette which is colorful, vibrant and intense with depth and brilliant tonal ranges.
Hailey has been painting off and on since she was seven years old growing up in South Korea. She moved to the United States in 1996 in pursuit of graduate studies. She graduated with a PhD from Texas A&M University in 2004. She has worked as a research scientist, a lecturer and has co-authored a book titled, “The Art of Painting Sea Life in Watercolor”. As revealed in the book, her paintings reflect her love for colors and masterful ability to control water.
We are so excited to decorate the gallery walls with Hailey Herrera’s art and will not only have her abstract art on display and for sale, but we also have prints of her other works available for purchase.
Join us for the Opening Reception for “Calligraphy + Color: Watermedia Abstracts” on Thursday, July 20th from 6:30 – 8 PM. Hailey has chosen to raffle off a piece of her work to benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank. The cost of a raffle ticket is $10, and the winner can choose any of Hailey’s work sized 12” x 16” and below. SEAD Gallery would also love to thank our sponsor, Sterling Auto Group, for making this exhibit possible and continuing to support local art in Brazos Valley. Hailey’s work will be on display until September 16, 2017.