Show Preview | Gallery 822: Jami Tobey

Santa Fe, NM, July 27-August 20

Jami Tobey, Revelry, acrylic, 36 x 36.

Jami Tobey, Revelry, acrylic, 36 x 36.

This story was featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download here. Or simply click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!

Jami Tobey’s paintings capture the infinite whirl of energy that envelopes us, and they signal a sense of unity and connectedness. The artist, who says she’s been in an introspective mood lately, has worked hard to portray her deep connection to nature in the 20 or so paintings that make up her solo show entitled All Colored In. “These new paintings clearly reflect a new direction in my work,” Tobey says. “The skies are bigger and bolder and infused with more detail. People are going to see more pointillism and dazzling patterns on the canvases.” The show opens at Gallery 822 on July 27 with an artist’s reception from 5 to 8 p.m.

Tobey’s previous works have focused on the landscape, featuring dynamic representations of mountains and cloud formations. But visitors to this show can expect a few surprises in the artist’s choice of fresh subject matter: “I’m a bit fascinated with birds right now,” Tobey says. “They are messengers of hope, and [they are] full of tranquility. They flow so easily into my style. I enjoy capturing their bold colors and detailed forms and featuring them among big, bright skies or masses of dark trees.”

Sara Shawger, director of Gallery 822, is enthusiastic about the new collection and feels collectors will be, too. “These paintings consist of amplified skies with energetic patterns and high-chroma colors that instill a feeling of wanderlust in the viewer,” she says. “There is a spiritual element to Jami’s birds—they are fascinating, wise, and mystical.”

Jami Tobey, The Stillness Between Night and Day, acrylic, 36 x 36.

Jami Tobey, The Stillness Between Night and Day, acrylic, 36 x 36.

Art has always been at the heart of Tobey’s life, and for as long as she can remember, she’s been drawing and painting. After graduating from Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison with a bachelor of arts degree in both English and art, and an emphasis on painting, Tobey worked briefly as a teacher before becoming a full-time professional artist.

Although Tobey now lives in Murrieta, CA, the spacious New Mexico landscape she grew up in continues to inspire her, as do memories of her father’s art and work ethic. An acclaimed Santa Fe artist who passed away in 2006, Gene Tobey and his wife, Rebecca, created sleek animal sculptures, which they then incised with intricate, petroglyphic patterns and markings using a technique called sgraffito. Their work evoked a sense of mystery, of historic continuum, and Jami is carrying this tradition forward. Once her painting process is complete, Jami likes to go back into it the next day with gold and silver ink, inscribing and embellishing and “releasing the vibrant colors.”

Tobey was selected as an Artist to Watch by Southwest Art in 2006, and, since then, her work has been commissioned for private residences and nonprofit organizations and is exhibited throughout the United States. “Tobey’s skillful use of shape and pattern combined with her affinity for nature and landscape create a cohesive whole,” Shawger says. “Jami Tobey’s work is truly original.” —Rosemary Carstens

contact information
505.989.1700

www.gallery822.com

Featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition
Or click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!


 

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