Transcendental Gardens

Transcendent is defined as “not knowing directly through ordinary experiences, but only through extraordinary states of consciousness.” The five transcendentals; Truth, Love, Goodness, Beauty, and Being, all of which relate closely to both art and gardens. The garden is a strong metaphor for both life and art as it encompasses the ebb and flow of growth, change, acceptance, and regret while it firmly grounds us in life. In the transcendental garden that moment of momentary understanding occurs spontaneously.

This collection of paintings is based on my experiences of nature as it surrounds me. My life in art has been a visual painted diary taken in and out of context and placed in paint on canvas as a reminder of the power of seemingly insignificant moments in life.

The resounding voice in this collection is on the absolute myriad of patterns that unfold around us daily forming an intricate and chaotic existence that both upholds and bewilders us and gives us the ability to try and find understanding in the world around us.

Angels With Dirty Faces

This work stems from a stream of consciousness centered around the title. We, as a species, are existing in a time of great upheaval and transition and many of our lives are tiny microcosms of that larger transition. My life is no different. My work is always an expression of my personal microcosm. It carries all of the weighty emotions that I sometimes lack the words to express. It seeks to highlight the beauty in those emotions, even when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s difficult. Beyond these expressions, are the questions. My questions. Questions about life. About human nature. About the world at large. Who are we and what are the roles that we play? Who makes that decision? Are you predator or prey? What does that mean for your life everyday? Who is tasked with being the oppressor? Who is doomed to be the oppressed? How does one respond to that? Can predators be beautiful? Thoughtful? Sympathetic? Can prey be powerful? In charge? Empathetic? Can there be beauty in their symbiotic relationship? How do we navigate the world while playing those roles, wearing those masks? How do we move if those roles shift? If we refuse to wear our masks? What does freedom from that confinement look like? Are you good? Bad? Both? Neither? Are we all just angels with dirty faces and dirty hands?

Prepare to immerse yourself in a captivating experience at Painting With A Big Brush, featuring the brilliant works of Younok Jung. This exhibition will showcase a beautiful series of wide brush paintings, each a stunning reflection of Jung's native Korean style. Look forward to stepping into a world of vibrant colors, bold strokes, and a deep connection to Korean artistic tradition. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the beauty of Younok Jung's creations that promises to leave a lasting impression. Save the date and get ready to be inspired!

met·a·mor·phose a change or cause to change completely in form or nature

There is nothing constant in life, and I reflect that continuum of change in my work. A caterpillar changes into a butterfly just as my paintings seem to metamorphose into new and different levels of meaning both spiritually and physically. My work has always been grounded in balance and this new series that began in the last half of 2022 is another attempt to find a balance for the figure in my paintings.  

The Big Skirt Series is based on a woman that played an integral role in my life; she was our babysitter when my mother worked. I loved and admired her; she was kind and understanding and loved us. She wore fully gathered skirts every day that I can remember, and I can never think of her without remembering them. She passed away last year, and I wanted to incorporate a bit of her into my work. It serves not only as an homage but also as a base to create new surfaces of patterning that I feel compress into a pretty accurate symbol of life today. A compilation of complex patterning all compressing and eroding into one surface that seeks to find a balance with the environment.  

Martha Ferris: Down to Earth

The title for this show, Down to Earth, came after the paintings were completed and surrounded me in my studio. Seeing them all together was a reminder of where I find solace in a troubled and sometimes frightening world, a world scarred by pandemic and by a plague of intolerance that undermines the right of every individual to live and love and learn as they wish. In the midst of all this my studio is a refuge, as is my home and my garden and of course the people that I love and cherish and am grateful to have in my life. These are all blessings that bring me down to earth to celebrate the intricate beauty and bounty it provides. 

In the words of perhaps our greatest prophet and truth sayer, James Baldwin:

May we all continue to rejoice together.

New works by Martha Ferris on view through April.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.

New works by Patrick Puckett on view through March.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.

New works by Doyle Gertjejansen on view through February.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.

New works by Richard Kelso on view through December 24. Sold works will be released to the public beginning December 15.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.

New works by Tupelo artist Charlie Buckley, 2018 recipient of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award in Visual Arts. On view this May.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.

Artist Statement

There are times when art should be challenging. Sometimes it is necessary for artwork to make us question social norms, to laugh at things which we take too seriously, or to make us take more seriously that which we minimize. We can even be grateful that at times artwork can be shocking and provocative. Work such as this can be most powerful during times of social ease. When things are going well we often need the reminder that times of confusion and strain are right around the corner and those times are already present for some.  

With the exhibition Interrupting Your Regularly Scheduled Bad News, I want to present the opposing side of that concept. We are at a unique time of high anxiety for a large portion of the world.  The persistent COVID-19 pandemic and ridiculously divisive politics have affected us all and the arts have an important role to play in response.  

It is true that it would be valid for us to scream through our work about the difficulties we are facing. But it is all the more powerful for art to remind us of the beauty which embraces us. There is security in proportions, hope in color, and strength in lines.  

I have chosen to focus my attention on nature for this body of work. It is certainly the largest group of nature themed paintings I have produced and, as my wife pointed out, the largest group of “pretty paintings” I have produced. However, making “pretty” things doesn’t fully describe my intention. It is my hope that any beauty that comes through the work brings with it an easing of the spirit. I pray that the time spent considering the images brings a calming reassurance that the world is full of things more worthy of our intention than the regularly scheduled bad news.

Please join us for an opening reception featuring new paintings by Richard Kelso.

Works on view through December 18.

For more information, please call or text 601-291-9115.