HOLLIS JEFFCOAT RECENT WORK: AQUA JOURNEY

Original Exhibit Dates: February 14th to March 10th, 2012
Having returned to Sanibel in 2008, Jeffcoat immediately began to express her deep love for the nature with paintings of the Gulf, sunsets and mangrove islands, which were shown in the gallery, the following year. Next, Jeffcoat explored her visions and childhood memories of swimming in the Gulf and presented us with her “Grande Meduse” series in 2011. A dedicated artist to whom “painting is like breathing,” as she describes what it means to her, Jeffcoat underwent major heart surgery summer of 2011 and could not get into her studio.
 
This exhibition presented the work she created before the operation when she was bed ridden and through the months of recovery that continued. During this ordeal Jeffcoat used mediums she could manage in order to create – colored pencils, watercolor, gouache – oil was too strenuous. She measured her improvement by the size of her work. The medium, supports and size changed during this time, while the imagery stayed constant – underwater creatures and exploration. There is however, another change that is less tangible in this body of work. Through this trial Jeffcoat has gone deeper into the creative spirit and presents us with her experiences there.
 
“Aqua Journey” is not only a wonderful display of paintings; it is a look into the process, the dedication and the heart of an extra-ordinary painter.