Bio
Vonnie gives the initial impression of being quiet, almost shy. Then she flashes a smile as bright as a burst of sunshine and her eyes sparkle with energy. She is an intense, dynamic, but unassuming personality. Not seeking to draw attention to herself, she likes to stand to one side and listen to the myriad comments, emotions, and interpretations that her works invariably stimulate.
“I like to just fade into the wall and hear what people say about a piece,” she says. “Sometimes it really surprises me. Someone will see something in it that I didn’t see, or pick up a different feeling from it.”
She is always keenly interested, curious, and observant. Vonnie is just beginning to unleash the power of those observations and discoveries in bold line and colors.
“When I paint, my feelings go into it. I also focus on just it, other senses close down and I forget everything but the work itself.”
Like a musician with their eyes closed as they play, Vonnie gets lost in the visual image she is creating, watching it emerge, and becoming part of it. There is real excitement in the work process, and after, there is often a sense of being relaxed and drained. Vonnie prefers to work on a large scale but her expressions come in a variety of sizes. Motion plays a critical part in many of her works, whether it is the lighthearted breezy motion of a jazz tune on canvas, or the slow, deadening loops of crude oil spreading over waves at sea. Other works are devoted to the opposite visual impression - lack of motion - wherein Vonnie captures the explosive force of energy held motionless.
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Vonnie moved to Alaska in 1970 and attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 1990 she began displaying her paintings professionally in various Alaska coffee shops, offices, retail stores and selected galleries. Her paintings have been exhibited in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Girdwood, Alaska. In 2002 a dream came true when Vonnie’s paintings traveled beyond the borders of Alaska. She participated in a First Friday Exhibit at October Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ninth Life Gallery in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Water based tempera was Vonnie’s first choice of medium. She now uses acrylic and acrylic latex paints.
“To know my art is to know me. It is through my art that I find peace.”
Vonnie Gaither
Vonnie gives the initial impression of being quiet, almost shy. Then she flashes a smile as bright as a burst of sunshine and her eyes sparkle with energy. She is an intense, dynamic, but unassuming personality. Not seeking to draw attention to herself, she likes to stand to one side and listen to the myriad comments, emotions, and interpretations that her works invariably stimulate.
“I like to just fade into the wall and hear what people say about a piece,” she says. “Sometimes it really surprises me. Someone will see something in it that I didn’t see, or pick up a different feeling from it.”
She is always keenly interested, curious, and observant. Vonnie is just beginning to unleash the power of those observations and discoveries in bold line and colors.
“When I paint, my feelings go into it. I also focus on just it, other senses close down and I forget everything but the work itself.”
Like a musician with their eyes closed as they play, Vonnie gets lost in the visual image she is creating, watching it emerge, and becoming part of it. There is real excitement in the work process, and after, there is often a sense of being relaxed and drained. Vonnie prefers to work on a large scale but her expressions come in a variety of sizes. Motion plays a critical part in many of her works, whether it is the lighthearted breezy motion of a jazz tune on canvas, or the slow, deadening loops of crude oil spreading over waves at sea. Other works are devoted to the opposite visual impression - lack of motion - wherein Vonnie captures the explosive force of energy held motionless.
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Vonnie moved to Alaska in 1970 and attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 1990 she began displaying her paintings professionally in various Alaska coffee shops, offices, retail stores and selected galleries. Her paintings have been exhibited in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Girdwood, Alaska. In 2002 a dream came true when Vonnie’s paintings traveled beyond the borders of Alaska. She participated in a First Friday Exhibit at October Gallery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ninth Life Gallery in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Water based tempera was Vonnie’s first choice of medium. She now uses acrylic and acrylic latex paints.
“To know my art is to know me. It is through my art that I find peace.”
Vonnie Gaither
