Immersive Abstraction and Sumptuous Encaustic

Featuring new oil abstractions and Autumnal encaustics by gallery artists Erika Manning and Anastasia Gatto and welcoming new artists Ivonne Portillo and Patrick Walsh.

Born in Pennsylvania, Anastasia grew up in southern New Jersey and now lives in Waterford, Maine. Her interest in art began in early childhood, and she became a full time artist in 1997. A daily painter, she works in oil, encaustic, and pastel. Anastasia primarily paints the landscape and is best known for her color choices and her impressionistic style. She has also been recognized nationally and internationally for her portraiture and animal pastels. Her goal is to capture the essence of the beauty she sees around her and to share it with others. A member of the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Plein Air Painters of Maine, she is also a signature member of the Pastel Society of Maine.

Anastasia Gatto ‘Misty’ Encaustic on Panel 41”x31” $6101

Anastasia Gatto ‘End of Summer’  Encaustic on Panel 49”x25” $6106

Anastasia Gatto ‘Foggy Marsh’ Encaustic on Panel  25”x13” $2700

Anastasia Gatto ‘Shore Break’ Encaustic on Panel  25”x13” $2700

Anastasia Gatto ‘Rocky Walk’ Encaustic on Panel 30”x40” $6106

Anastasia Gatto ‘Coastal Islands’ Encaustic on Panel 37″x37″ $6800

Anastasia Gatto ‘Coastal Breeze’ Encaustic on Panel 49”x25” $6106

Anastasia Gatto ‘On the Edge’ Encaustic on Panel 49”x 37” $8,500

In her work, multi – media visual artist Erika Manning explores the concepts of balance, of empty space versus overcrowding, of mapping and charting, of light and reflection, as well as individual and collective history. The images loosely relate to the natural world and are inspired by meditation, the dream state, fog, ocean, stars, masts, topographical maps, trees and rock. While Erika strives for a finished image, the beauty for her is in the process of creating which she sees as a spiritual practice. She enjoys using a rich, saturated color pallet to celebrate the unlimited capacity of the spirit. Erika resides in mid-coast Maine. She is represented by galleries in Maine and NH, and has work in many private collections through out the US. Pre-pandemic Erika taught courses on unleashing one’s creativity and healing through the visual arts, as well as on the traditional studio arts. She has participated in several Artist in Residences on the East Coast, and recently took part in the Yellow Chair Salon a three month virtual Artist Residency and Master Class with Michael David and Company in NYC. She received a BFA in printmaking and sculpture from the Art Institute of Boston in 1993.

Erika Manning ‘Stretched into Balance’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200

Erika Manning ‘Liminal Blue’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200

Erika Manning ‘Solstice Yellow’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200

Erika Manning ‘Solstice Blue’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200

Erika Manning ‘Nonsensical Daydreams’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200

Erika Manning ‘Echo’ Oil on Canvas 24”x24” $2200

Erika Manning ‘Flamingo’ Oil on Canvas 24”x24” $2200

Erika Manning ‘Bridge Interlude III’ Oil on Canvas 48”x30” $5520

Ivonne Portillo is a Colombian visual artist living in Barcelona. Her work celebrates the diversity of the peoples and landscapes of Latin America while emphasizing the vindication of the historical memory of indigenous peoples, many of whom structure their worldview around reciprocal relationships between us and what surrounds us. She transforms the shapes of the earth and its textures into carved and engraved topographies that she then prints on paper or fabric, using oil engraving paint and collage with metallized paper. She is inspired by land art to create abstractions of paths, forests, mountain ranges and bodies of water. The woodcut prints a trace representative of a diverse landscape, much like the Latin American lands which shelter 60% of the planet’s biodiversity. These lands are a natural mosaic that shelter infinite forms of human and non-human life.

Ivonne Portillo ‘Kumanday’ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750

Ivonne Portillo ‘Riberas (Basins) ‘ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750

Ivonne Portillo ‘Lirio de mayo‘ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375

Ivonne Portillo ‘Hanburyi’ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375

Currently, my work consists primarily of acrylic paint on canvas. I use color and gesture to encompass human emotion and socio-economic themes. My work is sporadic and aggressive, using a vast range techniques and mediums to help me convey these topics. Collecting ideas from history as well as current events, my paintings can be seen as abstract cultural representations that tell a story reflecting the human condition. Aside from these concrete themes and ideas, I rely heavily on the unexpected and subconscious mind as well as personal experiences to lead my hand through these conceptual eruptions of vivid color. The viewer can find dark imagery and subject matter that is illustrated with a vigor and intensity of pigment that an overarching feeling of hope is unavoidable. 

Patrick Walsh ‘Heads & Tails II’ Acrylic on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800

Patrick Walsh ‘Heads & Tails’ Acrylic on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800

Patrick Walsh ‘I Love Your Shoes’ Acrylic, Pen, Marker & Oil on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800

Patrick Walsh ‘Nice Purse’ Acrylic, Pen, Marker & Oil on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800