Show Preview | Aar River Gallery: Heather Coen & Kathie Disner

Heather Coen, Longs’ Light, pastel, 12 x 18.

Westminster, CO
June 1-July 31

This story was featured in the June 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art June 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art June 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!

Colorado artists Heather Coen and Kathie Disner present new works in a two-person show opening this month at Aar River Gallery. An opening reception is on Friday, June 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery opened four years ago and features paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and glass by 25 local artists. In addition, the gallery hosts shows for different guest artists every month. “I try to find artists that haven’t really broken through yet—up-and-coming Colorado artists that I really like—and give them an opportunity to show their work,” says gallery owner Becky Silver.

Kathie Disner, Ewer in Trouble, oil, 18 x 12.

Coen recently moved back to Colorado and is excited about working with the gallery and “getting connected to the community and to other artists in the area.” The artist describes herself as “a realist and a colorist.” Her subjects include landscapes, water scenes, horses, still lifes, and more. “It depends on what strikes me at a particular point in life,” she explains. Coen displays 20 to 25 new works in the show, about half of which are plein-air paintings of Colorado’s beautiful natural scenery, including Rocky Mountain National Park and Longs Peak. “As soon as the weather warms up, I’m outside doing plein-air work,” Coen says, adding, “I’m so lucky to live where I do.”

Colorado native Kathie Disner refocused her life toward creating art after raising four children. She and her husband collect antiques, which are often the inspiration for her still-life paintings. Her most recent work involves pairing a fragile artifact with a destructive one. “It’s about finding two opposing things that don’t normally go together, and putting them together in a way that still looks beautiful,” she says. Disner facetiously calls this “the marriage series,” explaining that after 25 years of marriage, she and her husband have learned that a sense of humor is crucial to making it work. Just like the opposing forces in her paintings, “in a relationship, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug,” she says with a laugh. —Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
303.426.4114
www.aarrivergallery.com

Featured in the June 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art June 2013 digital download
Southwest Art June 2013 print issue
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!