London District Studios will host “Into Eden” a celebration of spring and exploration into the Garden of Eden story from Genesis. “Into Eden” is a contemporary two-woman exhibition featuring the works of Claire Sordoni and Leslie Rowland (owner of London District Studios).
Asheville, NC – 6 May 2016, 5:30pm – 10:00pm at London District Studios located at 8 London Rd
Art Opening:
For this exhibition, The London is transformed into a garden. Paintings by Sordoni and Rowland will feature the artists’ interpretations of paradise. These colorful works are executed in mixed media, encaustic, and watercolor. Illustrations from Claire Sordoni’s book “Into the Garden: The Genesis of Genesis,” will also be featured and provides an insightful interpretation of the age old tale, revealing Eden as a physiological map of the human body, and the garden that resides in our hearts. This interpretation, taken from a word by word study of the biblical passages, reveals that Eve was never exiled and there has been a fundamental misunderstanding of the narrative that has greatly affected our views about women, men and our internal human experience.
Claire Sordoni
Claire’s works are a celebration of the natural world and feature vibrant and detailed flora and fauna, and imagery of humans; depicting their relationships with their world. She earned her Masters Degree in Art Education from The University of New Mexico and a Bachelors degree in Studio Art from Skidmore College. Sordoni continued her painting, psychology and art history studies at the University of Pennsylvania, S.A.C.I. in Florence, Italy and The University of Alaska in Anchorage. In 1999, Claire began professionally painting and founded the “Children’s Art School” which incorporates the various skills she accumulated during her life. She has been the Director and primary teacher at The Children’s Art school for the past 17 years. Her first book, Into the Garden: The Genius of Genesis, was published by AuthorHouse in 2015. This contemporary interpretation of the Garden of Eden story reveals a deeper understanding of human nature and insight as to why we experience the world as we do. Between 1994-2000, Claire focused on indigenous survival skills, fire making, shelter building, brain tanning, tool making and herbalism. These deep understandings of working in harmony with the earth coupled with her meditation practice are the foundations of her creativity and her life.
The connection with the earth is acutely evident in her works.
Leslie Rowland
Leslie’s works are also a celebration of the natural world and feature vivid depictions of flora done in a multi-layered and textured technique she has developed during her many years painting. Leslie has a Masters in Environmental Science with a focus on wildlife management and sustainable development from American Public University and a Bachelors of Science from Evergreen State University in Environmental Studies. What has impacted Leslie’s painting the most, are the years she spent traveling in the developing world. She was deeply moved by the shrines and temples of India, Nepal and Thailand. The countless layers of paint on the temples and shrines marked by the patina of centuries and the touch of thousands of hands inspired her to seek an ancient layered quality in her own works. Leslie works are sold in galleries worldwide, reproduced as giclees and translated into fabrics. Leslie has spent countless hours hiking and mountaineering in the U.S and developing world and has an immense love for the untamed world. As in Claire Sordoni’s paintings, this connection with nature and human kind’s relationship with the earth is evident in Leslie’s works.
When Claire and Leslie met, they discovered that they both had a great love for the natural world and an obsession with the story of Eden and humankind’s relationship with nature and innate desire for knowledge. An exhibition was born!
Interested in images of Claire Sordoni’s work, please see her web page atclairesordoni.com/index.php
Interested in images of Leslie Rowland’s work, please visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/L-Rowland-Art-106515916074619/
Find the Facebook event page for “Into Eden” at https:www.facebook.com/events
The Venue:
London District Studios (The London) offers an alternative to the traditional gallery experience. The London is a lifestyle-driven retail home store, working studios and gallery that harkens back to the style, energy, edginess, romance and vibe of the early days of SoHo. The London is committed to representing the creme de la creme of Asheville’s artists and presenting high quality and stylish homewares and furnishings in a hip, relaxed and community oriented venuet.
Interested in images of London District Studios and its resident artists and designers please see
The London’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/londondistrictstudios/
Contact Information:
Leslie Rowland: 760-855-8663, habitatdesigstudios@yahoo.com – London District Studios –
8 London Rd Asheville, NC 28803
Claire Sordoni: sordoniclaire@gmail.com
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