‘Pop Phiz” art by Naydene Gonnella.
PHILIPSBURG--The art of Naydene Gonnella will be on display for the first time on St. Maarten at Dreams International Art Gallery at Front Street on Friday, April 7, from 7:00pm until 10:00pm.
Naydene’s subject matter varies, but certain images stand out in the eyes of her many collectors, notably the pelican. For 30 million years this large ocean bird has thrived and continues to symbolize the power of nature and of the sea. Naydene’s unique painting talent is seen in her pop icons, as well as the ocean fliers.
Her paintings are in mixed media, consisting of acrylic paint, oil paint, wax and copper, silver, and gold leafs.
Naydene’s paintings are featured predominantly in Antigua, where she has resided for the past 18 years, and have also been exhibited in the United States, Italy, Aruba, St. Barths, and in Canada, where she was born.
“I create my pieces in a process that involves layering, collaging, glazing and painting elements together. I then ‘destroy’ certain parts of the image by stripping away some of the layers to reveal the contradicting techniques. I work with a blend of beeswax and oil paint, known as encaustic, which gives a beautiful texture and depth of colour to my work,” the artist is stating on her website.
A free art raffle, free rum tasting, and refreshments will be on offer during Friday’s show.
