VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Artists unveil their latest works at Canal Street Gallery on September 11.  Artists Valentina Atkinson and Susan Jackson are avid travelers and longtime friends. When they decided to have an art show together, they did not bother to discuss what they should paint. The resulting collaborative exhibition, Colors of the World, runs through September at Canal Street Gallery. An opening reception, held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, September 11 at the gallery’s 2219 Canal Street location, will also feature a performance of Celtic music by the band Wyndnwyre.

“We look forward to unveiling our composite work as a way to recall our travels,” Jackson said. “We enjoy the chance to see the sights again through each other’s eyes.” The show will feature work in oils and watercolors, as well as photographs from trips and other subjects that have made a lasting impression on the artists.

Both women are active members of the Watercolor Society of Houston and have studied under several well-known instructors. While they use the same media, their approach to art and subject matter is different. Atkinson uses her art to identify and translate emotions, while Jackson prefers to explore the textures, mood and drama of nature.

“Art is a celebration of life,” Jackson said. The former university linguistics instructor credits her involvement in art as part of a mid-life crisis. Now her paintings, mainly inspired by her travels, can be found in galleries, public buildings, and private collections throughout the country. She also has painted for the Clyde Drexler Foundation and the Center for Christian Spirituality, is a coordinator of the Bunker Hill Village Art Project, and has facilitated several Artists’ Way groups in Houston.

According to Atkinson, “The core of painting is to identify and translate an emotion.” Her interest in painting came after the birth of her second child in 1985. Prior to that she worked as an industrial designer and even created a popular children's character "Makiko" in collaboration with Matell Toys and the television program “In Family” in Mexico. In 1990, Atkinson and her family moved to Houston where she became the executive director of the Mexican Cultural Institute and later served as chair of its Board of Directors. She also worked with Studio 95 in the former Transco Tower and taught art to underprivileged students at Thomas Pilgrim Elementary School. Atkinson has collaborated with the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Glassell School, and the Art League of Houston.

Her work has been in numerous exhibitions, including PanAmerican University, the House of Culture Delegation Benito Juarez, Gallery Group Santorini,, Gallery Aztecs, Club San Angel, Mexico de Consulate General in Houston, Bunker Hill City Hall, the Hall of Watercolor, the Museo del Carmen and the Gallery of the Society of Watercolor in Houston. Her works have been recognized with numerous awards and medals. Atkinson has also received commissions from several Houston public buildings, including Las Alamedas Restaurant and Chapelwood United Methodist Church. She was commissioned to prepare a painting for President Felipe Calderon of Mexico, which was presented on November 2008.

About the Canal Street Gallery: Located blocks away from Minute Maid Park, this downtown gallery features the original works of all 8 board members, as well as rotating work from resident and visiting artists. Canal Street Gallery also serves as a classroom, where member artists share their talents with students. www.canalstreetgallery.com. 713-223-2219.

Pictured:  a work by Valentina Atkinson.