Origins

Diane Harper

Diane Harper has been working with a huge variety of materials including foams, Tyvek, inks, textiles, wax, found objects, oil and acrylic in works that command a presence exploring a variety of archetypes and narratives both personal and universal. Her art is influenced by the imprint of cultural and personal history, fairy tales and folklore, her nomadic childhood as a military dependent, and by her training as a clinical social worker.

Through the alchemy of mixed media sculpture, I embark on a quest of self-discovery. Each artwork reflects an exploration of archetypes as I confront my own shadows, befriend my inner heroes, and navigate relationships. Archetypes in this context are universal symbols and patterns deeply embedded in the collective human psyche. Representing aspects of the human experience, they are depicted as the characters, themes, and motifs found in folklore and fairy tales, myths, and legends across cultures. My work invites the archetypes to inhabit the forms I create.

Harper earned her post baccalaureate art degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2013, and since has served as an adjunct instructor for the Art Dept at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia AR teaching Drawing I and II, on the faculty for the Arkansas Art Center (now AMFA) where she taught courses and workshops. She served as the artist in residence for the Museum of the American Military Family, is a cofounder of the Arkansas Society of Printmakers, and an artist facilitator for Artist, INC through the Mid America Arts Alliance. She collaborates with other artists in presenting exhibitions in established and pop-up venues.

Harper lives in Little Rock AR where she maintains an active studio practice. Her artworks can be found at Gallery 26 in Little Rock, and in various private and individual collections.

You can follow Harper on Instagram @dianeharperart

Trey Hoffmann

Trey Hoffmann produces objects, sculptures, paintings, and drawings using a wide variety of materials. 

My works are based on an overall idea of manipulating shape, form and color to create something both thought-provoking and visually compelling. As I work, I actively respond, in the moment, to each stroke, mark and layer with various paint washes and in some cases, collage, to bring the work into a satisfying union, playing with elements of imbalance, balance and harmony.

I draw inspiration from nature and am drawn to organic forms as well as geometric. Perhaps more telling, though, I’m also drawn to weathered and deteriorated textures and patinas. I see beauty in the irregular, in the discarded, and in the imperfect, and I manipulate shapes and forms to expose that beauty. This is most evident in my collage/paintings in which I sometimes layer in found objects to create varied textures and a sense of history. I find this mix of media is often the most effective way to express the beauty I’m most compelled to expose.

Hoffmann’s work has been included in a number of group exhibitions, including Origins at Umbrella Gallery and One on One Together at the Janette Kennedy Gallery curated by Bonny Leibowitz, Depth and Breadth of Encaustic at Texas A&M Commerce curated by Jane Cornish Smith, The Encaustic Center, Open Studio at the Michael O’Keefe Studio, Deep Leap at Kettle Art Gallery and Form Moving Through Space at the gallery at North Haven Gardens curated by Michael O’Keefe and The William Campbell Contemporary Art Gallery in Fort Worth.

He currently divides his time between Dallas, TX and Santa Fe, NM, where he maintains a studio practice and continues his studies.

You can follow Hoffmann on Instagram @treyhoffmannart

Nancy Uline

As an educator, it was my honor to work with students, some of whom were special needs, discover and refine their visual voices. Guiding them to find new ways to appreciate the world around them, view art history through a new lens and express their own views of the ever-changing world, has informed my work as an artist as have my experiences traveling to China, Australia and Santorini.

For several years, inspired by aboriginal dot painting, I produced hundreds of tiny, fused glass dots to “paint” with. Eventually, what was once a satisfying process, began to feel restrictive. I needed a way to paint with energy and intent. I began taking workshops in Encaustic and Cold Wax mediums, which led me to taking One on One mentoring with Bonny Leibowitz. As the work matured, I found confidence in my own visual voice, trusting my intuition in mark making and finding a flow that spoke to me.

I currently work in a variety of encaustic monotyping processes, indulging in a richly developed color palette, in small and large scale works that explore the figure, sometimes working directly from the model, mark making and nature.

You can follow Uline on Instagram @nancyuline or visit her website www.nancyuline.com