On a Friday afternoon during her "Spring Cleaning Sale," artist Bridget Griffith Evans sits at her easel. Here Bridget Paints%u23AFand these two words precisely define the name of her new working studio/art gallery in the lower level of the Historic Third Ward's Marshall Building. Her gallery walls are filled with past artwork, including her Bridgetine series, small-scale paintings depicting young girls in black sleeveless dresses accented with a white and pink palette. Evans states the next two weeks presents a great time to purchase original art at the studio, including her miniature Chicago landscapes and delectable gourmet food paintings While she takes a break from working at her easel, Evans talks about her new studio.
Q: how do you enjoy your new studio?
A: It feels like home here because we originally opened Lucky Star Studio on the first floor in this building, where the convenience store is now, right in the front, about 2001. We actually were the first art gallery in the building. Then we moved to the second floor, and now I'm in the lower level. There are still a lot of people from when we were here before, so that's great.
Q: Are you still incorporating your family photographs into your paintings?
A: I do. The painting on the wall, the person with a “P” on his sweater is my grandfather. He was the oldest of three brothers, Harvey, while the other two, Philip and Vernon, were younger. This originally was a triptych [the three brothers] but the painting of the brother who wore the goggles sold right away. Many of the other paintings on the wall
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at the moment include my mother, her sisters, her one brother, and even me as a little girl.
Q: What does the “P” stand for on your grandfather's sweater?
A: That's for Prairie du Chien, the high school where he grew up. Then he met my grandmother at La Crosse, the state university [in Wisconsin], who came to study there from Minnesota. My grandfather was a businessman but his old photographs are amazing. Sometimes I am unable to use them as they are, the original photograph. I need to change them because they are almost too perfect.
Q: What are you working on presently?
A: My new work is titled “Mysteries of the Universe Reveal Themselves Through Birds,” which [several paintings] are requested from me quite often. [The realistic birds exist in a atmosphere containing bubbles for magical element.] In fact, I've printed several paintings in the series in glicee prints, a printing process that makes them [the image] more affordable [A process that makes fine art prints through digital, laser jet printing.] I'm also moving into more figurative work but continue with my bold, bright color combinations. Even when I try, I can't move far from these colors.
Q: Anything else you'd like to mention about your art?
A: Come buy my art! The sale continues until June 4th. And there's more to come, I have plenty of artwork yet to display. At the moment, I'm open 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, or by appointment or chance.
