Nancy Hamlin-Vogler presents “Backyard Studio Kitchen,” a new series of mixed-media paintings throughout March at Butterfield Garage Gallery in St. Augustine. The artist will also lead a demonstration and Q&A on the gallery portico from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 20.
During the past year’s isolation, Hamlin-Vogler became immersed in a still-life series, in which studio ephemera and her environment appear in diverse contexts: abstracted, realistic and within an imagined location. Hamlin-Vogler treats her subjects intriguingly, mixing her favorite materials — paints, pastels, collage, and recycled silkscreens — often leaving the viewer hanging by a thread yet satisfied with multiple possibilities.
Hamlin-Vogler’s artistic life has flowed in a series of interesting transitions. While in graduate school to continue her studies in French literature, Hamlin-Vogler became enthralled with silkscreen printing after taking a printmaking class at the University of Maine. She designed a colorful series of fine art cards, later to become the trademark images for her greeting card company, Eastern Sun Printworks. Upon earning her M.A., she left Maine and the U.S. for a backpacking trip around the world. During those profound two-and-a-half years, she kept written and painted journals, collected kitchen utensils and fabrics from many countries and gathered a wealth of experience to enrich her life’s journey and fuel her creative resources.
Fast forward 35 years, after hard work and accomplishment in printmaking, Hamlin-Vogler has refocused her time to paint and experiment in her spacious studio near the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine. Active in the local art scene, Hamlin-Vogler is a managing member of Butterfield Garage, a member of the Art Association and has received numerous high awards in outdoor juried art shows. Last September, several of her paintings were selected for a stellar exhibition at Chrisp Ellert Art Museum, “The Nameless Now, NE FL Artists Respond.”
In 2020, Hamlin-Vogler was recognized with an art ventures grand from The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida to explore and reinterpret the contemporary still-life genre. To follow her creative journey, go to www.nancyhamlinvogler.com
Butterfield Gallery is located at 137 King St. in St. Augustine and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free parking front and back.
