Neelam Padte's Lyrical Landscapes | Abstract Art Exhibition

The highly anticipated solo exhibition by abstract landscape artist Neelam Padte is arriving at the Peninsula Gallery. For three weeks only, the gallery walls will be overtaken by Neelam’s bold shapes and swaths of exaggerated color, as 25 brand-new paintings of all sizes will become available for fans and admirers to purchase. A selection of Neelam’s fine art floorcloths will also be featured in this exhibit, showcasing these unique and practical works of art in the gallery for the very first time. “Lyrical Landscapes,” which mixes Neelam’s poeticism and minimalist compositions, is on display from November 2nd to the 24th.         An artist reception will be held on Saturday, November 2, from 5 to 6:30 pm and is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with Neelam during the evening. Call (302) 645-0551 or email peninsulagallery1@gmail.com for further details.   Born in Mumbai, India, surrounded by artists and musicians, Neelam Padte quickly discovered her creative spirit and developed a keen interest in various forms of art. After earning a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Mumbai, Neelam emigrated to the United States in 1984. While raising her family, she worked as a computer graphic designer, web designer, and computer programmer. Neelam became a full-time floorcloth (hand-painted canvas rug) artist in 2001. The patterns of her floorcloths are inspired by Colonial American wall and floor designs. After 14 years of working with the floorcloths, Neelam found the creative process to be pleasing yet repetitive. In pursuit of the next stage in her art career, she discovered the freedom of abstraction by studying the works of Henri Matisse, Mark Rothko, Frank Stella, Helen Frankenthaler, V. S. Gaitonde, and S. H. Raza. An unplanned immersion into spirituality released Neelam from her comfort zone as an artist and gave her the courage to express herself freely in her newly developed abstract painting process, which is the subject of this showcase. Her landscapes are constructed with acrylics, oil sticks, graphite, and charcoal and embrace minimalist compositions with large blocks of color and subtle texture. The subjects and colors of her landscape paintings are influenced by the pairing of nature’s inspirations reflected in her mood and impulses. She is inspired by earth, water, wind, fire, and space as viewed through the prism of her soul. Neelam says of her work: “I express my emotions, illusions, and thoughts through my paintings. My landscape paintings reflect the overall essence of nature that I see or imagine. Using a limited palette, I keep compositions simple and my focus is on balancing colors, values, and texture.” Venue: Peninsula Gallery.