The Art of Opposites: Expressionist Bette Ridgeway & Impressionist Elena Bond Bringing Exhibition to Ocean Galleries
In nature, opposites enhance inherent beauty. Dawn is only brighter for the depth of night, after all.
In art, opposites also highlight the brilliance that differing styles and methods can reveal. And that is the exceptional experience Ocean Galleries will present with “Beyond the Brush,” an invigorating duo exhibition featuring impressionist painter Elena Bond, and abstract expressionist Bette Ridgeway on Friday, Aug. 2 and Saturday, Aug. 3, with exclusive receptions with the artists from 6-9pm each evening.
“We are so excited about this pairing,” says Ocean Galleries owner Kim Miller. “Elena Bond and Bette Ridgeway are both contemporary masters of their respective crafts, though their technique and style couldn’t be more different.”
“With Elena Bond, we are thrilled to welcome her back after an incredible show with us last summer,” Miller continues. “She is so gracious and talented, just a really wonderful person to be around. Her art is exquisite and I’m happy that my clients will have another opportunity to see her and a new collection of original paintings.”
Conversely, “Bette Ridgeway is new for us, and I think it’s fantastic,” says Miller. “She’s a ‘pour’ artist, which means she pours paint on the canvas and then manipulates it. It’s a whole different dynamic. Her paintings are big, bold, colorful, and so unique. It’s difficult to express how hard it is to pour paint on canvas and have it turn out amazing – but she does it. We’ve never hosted an artist who does this type of technique, and it’s just really beautiful.”
Fine art publisher Mary Ann Cohen explains the appeal of bringing together these two exceptional artists in one venue: “’Beyond the Brush’ is a celebration of two prominent contemporary female painters who employ their entire physical, spiritual, and intellectual talents to create bold and arousing art. Their creations inspire their collectors by breaking the rules of traditionally made artworks and tapping into their deeper and more heartfelt vision.”
Though joined by this exhibit, Bond and Ridgeway took very different paths to get to this place in their illustrious careers.
Elena Bond was born in Russia, moved often as a child, attended the State College of Art in Uzbekistan, and earned a master’s degree in fine art from the Academy of Art. In 1999, her family won a green-card lottery and immediately moved to the United States. Today, she lives with her family in Florida, where she paints with consistent inspiration from her surroundings.
“Elena Bond has a style of art referred to as New Impressionism,” says Miller. “She offers a fresh take on the genre, which conjures an impression of an image, rather than a replica. She paints only with a palette knife, making bold strokes in a soft style. Her paintings hum with motion, energy, and feeling.”
For her part, Bond is looking forward to returning to Stone Harbor. “I’m really quite excited to be back at Ocean Galleries and to see both new and familiar faces,” she says. “My style stays the same, but my subject matter varies a lot. I feel like I have something for everyone.”
Across the globe from Bond’s birthplace, Bette Ridgeway started her life in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. She went on to travel the world, studying, painting, teaching, and exhibiting her work while absorbing the cultures and customs she experienced across five continents. Early in her career, Ridgeway had the good fortune to be mentored by acclaimed abstract expressionist Paul Jenkins, who encouraged her to eliminate subject matter, and instead to focus on color, space, and time in her art. The result would be a masterful meeting of talent and technique. Ridgeway’s huge paintings pulse with color, movement, distinct style, and bold statement.
Today, Ridgeway lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and has enjoyed a career spanning more than 50 years and punctuated by numerous awards, including the 2023 Leonardo DaVinci International Prize, the 2022 Caravaggio International Prize, and the 2021 Michelangelo International Prize, to name a few.
Separately, Bond and Ridgeway have built incredible followings and careers in the art world. Together at Ocean Galleries, they’ll offer a study in stunning contrast. Paintings will be bold or gentle. Images soft or intense. Colors will flare or whisper.
And with it all, Miller is certain this pairing will engage Ocean Galleries patrons. “With this show we’re offering another dynamic, another avenue for people,” she says. “We’re just bringing it to another level.”
No doubt, this duo will create a singular experience.
In Their Own Words
Ahead of Ocean Galleries’ duo exhibition, “Beyond the Brush,” featuring paintings by new impressionist painter, Elena Bond, and abstract expressionist, Bette Ridgeway, we had the opportunity to ask them both questions about their art, inspiration, and process. Here are their insightful responses.
What drew you to your particular genre/style of art?
Elena Bond: The ability to create the kind of world that I want and like on the surface of a canvas. Impressionism lets me combine texture, color, and my own thoughts and fantasies in my work. While the subject of my art is often based on the real world, I like that in this genre you can make the world around you more like the one I see in my head.
Bette Ridgeway: For 20 years, I painted figuratively. I taught painting and drawing. But, deep inside I knew that I was longing for more. Something was missing. Then I realized that painting landscapes, portraits, still lifes and such, was me interpreting something outside of me.
When I saw the work of Paul Jenkins in a huge gallery in NYC in 1979, I had a revelation. I needed to paint what was inside of me. Simple as that. So, for 40-plus years I’ve been creating abstract paintings that are coming from somewhere deep inside. Mostly inspired by nature, they range from feelings of joy and gratitude to reflection, confusion, and contemplation.
Where do you draw inspiration for your art?
Elena Bond: I’m inspired by the beautiful things I see in everyday life. Walking through the grocery store and seeing a bouquet of flowers or walking down the beach and seeing a sailboat anchored. I take what I see every day and transfer it onto canvas.
Bette Ridgeway: From everything. Seriously, I can be inspired by a piece of peeling bark on an aspen, or the reflection of the sky in melting snow. Most of all, I’m inspired by thoughts and emotions.
What themes do you find most interesting?
Elena Bond: The themes I like vary. Right now, it’s the rainy season in Florida, so I like to paint rainy city scenes. Sometimes in the spring I like to paint horses. It just depends on what’s going on around me and the different seasons of life.
Bette Ridgeway: For me, the word themes would connote composition and color palettes, since I’m painting in a non-objective way. There are no objects in my work, except for the ones that people see. The themes change over time. Currently my exploration is free-form pours where I have less control of the paint as it flows. I’m seeing that these shapes and layers of colors are more complex and rewarding. Conversely, I am thrilled when I’m able to do a minimal piece. Simple and elegant. They are the most difficult, actually.
My newest work in which I have incorporated metallic pigments is truly an expression of my very own. I honestly believe that my work is entering a more complex and emotionally powerful phase. It will be interesting to see how far I can take this.
Can you describe a little bit about your process?
Elena Bond: Basically, something will catch my eye. I’ll think about it for a while. And eventually the thought of that beautiful or interesting thing will stay in my mind until I need it visualized. If I don’t get it out of my mind, I’ll keep thinking about it. That’s when I take out my canvas and my paints and my palette knife and begin painting.
Bette Ridgeway: Rather than painting on a flat, smooth surface or standing at an easel, the canvas is attached to several stools & ladders. The canvas is draped and shaped and the paint is poured from plastic cups onto the shaped canvas.
I put my entire focus on the colors and the density of the pigments. The density and the velocity of the pours are important to the success of the work. I allow myself to become at one with the paint and the canvas. In this very physical process, I enjoy letting go and observing where the color takes me. Sometimes the journey is exquisite, and sometimes it is a bloody mess. My philosophy is, no risk = no rewards!
What do you hope people feel when they experience your art?
Elena Bond: Every piece of art I make is like a little piece of my soul. It’s a part of me. And even when it sells, it’s still something that I created from start to finish. I want people to feel like what they have in their house is soulful and filled with love. I want it to fill their rooms with joy and light.
Bette Ridgeway: My art is an authentic exploration of color and emotions. I want my work to engage the viewer – perhaps lift the spirit. If I’m lucky enough, the viewer will connect with a memory, a thought, or an emotion. They will see beyond the obvious and take a moment to reflect. Perhaps they will even be moved. I love hearing from collectors who tell me that they continue to see new things in my work; that the art continues to enthrall them over time. This is every artist’s dream!
“Beyond the Brush” with Elena Bond & Bette Ridgeway at Ocean Galleries
Just the Facts:
Who: New impressionist painter Elena Bond and abstract expressionist Bette Ridgeway
What: Exclusive collection of paintings, created and curated for the “Flow” exhibition, featuring original artwork from both artists, with additional mixed media from Elena Bond.
Where: Ocean Galleries. 9618 Third Ave., Stone Harbor
When:
Exhibit: Friday, Aug. 2 and Saturday, Aug. 3. Art on display throughout the weekend. Patrons are welcome to peruse the exhibit anytime during gallery hours (10am to 9pm).
Receptions: With Elena Bond & Bette Ridgeway: 6-9pm each evening.
Exhibit and receptions are complimentary and open to the public, though RSVP is encouraged.
How: RSVP for artist receptions at oceangalleries.com or by calling 609-368-7777. Walk-ins welcome.
