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Fine Line Designs Gallery Announces Exhibit III

Three distinct artists are featured in Exhibit III of Fine Line Designs Gallery’s 2008 season. Mixed media artists M. Ellen Cocose and Tom Matucci, as well as sculptor and furniture builder Nathan Hatch, all display a strong respect for texture, form, and the mixture of materials within their artwork.

Using various combinations of acrylics, glazes, inks, photographic elements, and her own textual compounds, M. Ellen Cocose’s techniques as an artist are as mysterious as the subject of her mixed media works, which envelop the senses and evoke feelings of tranquility and serenity. In all of her works, a common theme is luminosity.

“I’m very interested in the use of light and shadow in my work to create movement and mood,” she says. Because of the emphasis on these elements, she uses a limited color palette to show these dynamics, choosing earth tones so that her work has a soft, warm, and tonal quality.

Working with his “comfort materials” of wood, metal, and other raw materials, sculptor and furniture builder Nathan Hatch finds his ultimate reward as an artist is when his work becomes part of someone’s daily life – especially when that person might not always be conscious of it. Hatch tends to place more importance on the “structural integrity” of a piece rather than trying to convey a specific emotion.

“My work is more about my love for certain design elements – shapes and curves – rather than an emotion I’m hoping to convey.”

He tends to gravitate towards the creation of larger sculptures, saying that they invite investigation among his viewers. “I admire the strong sense of place a larger piece has,” Hatch says.

Known for his rich textures and atmospheric imagery, Tom Matucci balances abstraction and representation into a fusion that pushed the boundaries of traditional painting. His moody landscapes are complemented by complex textures that add a tactile component to his art.

Matucci’s mixed media creations incorporate the elements of pastels, watercolors, oils, and photographic elements such as monoprints, all of which lend a dimensional quality to his work.

“My work is very sculptural – the surface of a particular piece is very important to me. It’s very 3-D in its construction, so much so that viewers will actually ask me if they can touch my artwork!” Matucci’s pieces for the Fine Line show are “very woodsy and outdoorsy – they focus on sky, water, and earth and my interpretations of those elements.”

Fine Line Designs Gallery, located on Highway 42 in North Ephraim, is open daily from 10 am – 6 pm and on Sundays from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information call 920.854.4343 or visit http://www.finelinedesignsgallery.com.