Artist's Statement
Born into a large creative family, artistic expression of one kind or another has always played a central and defining role in my life's journey. Over the years my art has served as the screen upon which I've projected my unfolding life stages, experiences and emotions. Dreams, metaphors, ancestral ties and sound shadows are conjured up from my inner landscape, while the shapes, textures and colors of nature and industry further support and inform my work.

My current projects primarily consist of mixed media paintings, collages and assemblages. Many of these works incorporate pieces of metal, the inclusion of words or numbers, and the use of thematic or repetitive shapes to create a sense of psychological, as well as physical, form and space. Although my formal training includes an undergraduate degree in art, I am most at home when I work from an intuitive perspective, letting the subconscious serve as the voice of my work.

Over the past 5 years my work has also been markedly influenced by the presence of retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative visual condition that interferes with light perception and significantly constricts visual fields. From a practical standpoint, this anomaly means that my view has been reduced to looking at life through a straw. With central vision only, I can see a small portion of whatever I'm working on at a time. My brain has gradually learned how to put disparate pieces together as I scan to create a new whole image in my mind's eye. From an artistic standpoint, this skewed ability to see (or not see) provides my work with a novel perspective and is another reason why it's more comfortable for me to work on a smaller scale. - go to Meet the Artists

Born and raised on Galveston Island, Texas, gene Aubry has been a permanent resident of Anna Maria Island since 1986. During a career in architecture spanning fifty years, he designed more than 1,000 projects including residences, libraries, performing arts centers, and museums. Among his best known Florida projects are Sarasota's Selby Library and the Naples Philharmonic.

An avid collector and patron of the arts, Gene served on the Board of Directors of the Houston Contemporary Arts Museum. He designed the Glassell Art School and the Rothko Chapel, two of the best known contemporary buildings in Houston. His early mentors and patrons, John and Dominique DeMenil, and architect Philip Johnson, provided him an invaluable education in art through his professional and personal affiliation with them and the many extraordinary artists who collaborated with him on various projects.

Two years ago, Gene's appreciation for and involvement in the arts took him to another level. For the first time, he picked up a paint brush and brought together all the elements of this life and craft to painting. Gene is both pleased and grateful to be able to share these early examples of his artistic endeavors with the public. - go to Meet the Artists

Richard Thomas is a local artist whose work has been appreciated by collectors across the country. He has participated in numerous shows, ranging from the Leon Litton Collection at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the Selby Gallery at the Ringling School, to the Ringling Museum of Art. Collectors of his work include corporations, universities, and individuals including the Kemper family of Kansas City, Missouri; considered a top 200 world collector by Art News magazine.

Richard's current works start out as two to five minute line drawings. Later, long after the model is gone, he adds and subtracts color intuitively until he feels the formal problems have been resolved. He says "I like the work to progress as I paint and not have a designed piece ahead of time." "Most end up in the trash bin; however, I feel I learn from my failures as well as successes." - go to Meet the Artists