VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Canal Street Gallery presents an exhibition of works by Kelyne Reis and  Jane Ewen.  For their show, Encounters: Similarities & Contrasts, Reis and Ewen will celebrate their differences and the themes that unite them. The exhibition will open at Canal Street Gallery on Nov. 5 and continue through the month. A reception, open to the public, will be held at the gallery from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 and will include an experimental music performance by Sandy Ewen and Damon Smith. The exhibit will also be a featured stop for Artcrawl 2011 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19.

At first impression, Kelyne Reis’s bold graphic paintings seem to have little in common with the layered abstracts created by Jane Ewen. A closer look, however, reveals how much the artists are alike. The women share a love of bright colors and express a vibrant energy in the group of paintings they have gathered for their joint exhibition.

Both artists painted from a young age – Ewen in her native Canada and Reis in her original home in Brazil. Each lived in several different places before settling in Houston.

Ewen studied art education at the University of Toronto and received a diploma in art fundamentals from the Sheridan School of Art and Design. She taught art classes and workshops and started her own mural company. Ewen developed an intuitive style with her art, building washes and organic shapes with visceral lines and splashes of vibrant colors.

Reis studied at art school in Brazil and Germany. She is still active in the German art scene, participating in the artists group, “Gruppe Lulu.” She has recently developed a new style, which she calls “graffiti-simile” – integrating the techniques from street art into her unique style of acrylic paintings.

Ewen and Reis met at the Glassell School, where they had both enrolled in classes to expand their techniques.

“The energy between us was so positive,” Reis said. “We always had fun.”

Reis draws her inspiration from life, the people, situations and colors that surround her.

Ewen is inspired by the energy she can express through a painting. While some of her work is calm and ethereal, other paintings are free-flowing and lively. She believes the contrasting sides of her paintings reflect her personality. “I’m so busy most of the time, but then you have to take time to meditate and reenergize,” she said.

The artists believe their styles are complementary and that their contrasts will make for an interesting exhibit.

“I think our paintings work well together,” Ewen said.

“Even though we each have our own very specific style,” Reis added.

Attached photos courtesy of Cadence Enterprise:

1. Painting by Jane Ewen
2. Painting by Kelyne Reis