"Vibrant Visions: Land and Sea" showcases the artwork of Diana Vincent, Christine Sesta, and Neal Keller. The opening reception will be held on July 25, and the closing reception on Sept 10.
Each of us is inspired by a connection to nature and personal experiences that we feel compel us to portray artistically. We are all self-taught without formal art education, representing years of experimentation and appreciation for the happy little accidents that happen along the way as we attempt to harness our artistic expression. We hope that our show inspires others to see the world through our vibrant vision of the land and sea.
Diana Vincent
Diana is a self-taught artist known for her award-winning wildlife paintings, but her interest in art began with pencil-drawing horses as a little girl. After twenty years traveling as a military spouse and finally settling at a horse farm in coastal North Carolina, Diana finally picked up her first paint brush decades later, inspired by the beauty of the coast and her own horses. Less than 10 years into painting, her signature detailed style quickly became recognized through juried shows, international competitions, local publications and awards. In addition to creating traditional paintings Diana also experiments with contemporary fluid-art, which combines paint with different mediums to form vibrant abstract movement without using brushes. She likes the freedom to take more risks in this art-form and determining which pieces are striking on their own, and which form the perfect background for wildlife to be painted on top, providing yet another artistic outlet. Her work can be found in her display studio at Art Exposure Art Gallery, Hampstead and Eclipse Artisan Boutique in Wilmington.
Christine Sesta
I enjoy creating a balance of detail and softness in each of my pieces. Whether it’s a seascape, landscape, figurative or abstract, my intention is to create a calm peaceful place to rest your eyes and mind. I paint from my photos of sunset cruises, coastal beaches, landmarks, animals and family photos. My medium ranges from oil, acrylic and graphite, with oil used more often. I enjoy working with oil and cold wax when creating abstract paintings. Abstracts expand my mindset beyond my usual representational art and can lead to a surprising effect. My inspiration comes from nature and a sense of balance and connection. Art Exposure in Hampstead, North Carolina carries my work along with the Euphemia Gallery in Spring Lake, New Jersey. I enjoy being a part of local juried art shows.
Neal Keller
My work is primarily a record of things, people and places that intrigue me, make me happy, represent places that I’ve been or vicarious wishes. I am always a student and often surprised by the finished painting. My medium of choice for the past eight or so years is oils which I both love and am frustrated by. The buttery smoothness and slow drying can be both blessing and curse. It is my hope that the viewer will find a measure of the joy that I have in creating my works.