'In My Head', oil and acrylic on Yupo paper, 6 x 10 inches.
'Attrition', oil and acrylic, 6 x 9 inches.
left to right: 'Cat Becoming', acrylic,6.75 x 11 inches.,
'Odyssey', acrylic and oil, 6 x 9 inches., 'Cat Astronaut', acrylic,
6 x 7.5 inches.
'Silent Echoes', acrylic and oil on canvas, 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches.
CURRENT BODY OF WORK
'In my latest work, I've focused on the dynamic between memory and transformation, highlighting the human capacity for resilience and adaptation. These pieces offer a contemplative lens through which to view the process of rebuilding oneself after profound loss, illuminating the strength found in navigating life's disruptions.
I've explored this journey by depicting astronauts in loosely painted oil and acrylic scenes on paper. Drawing inspiration from my love for science fiction, astrophysics, and the cosmos, I've imagined these figures as explorers, each navigating their own course toward self-definition. The hidden faces behind the dark visors of their helmets reflect my own uncertainty in the aftermath of profound loss.
Through these paintings, I'm examining the concept of exploration as a metaphor for self-discovery and the quest for joy. The environments and circumstances in which these astronauts find themselves highlight the unpredictability of life's path and the resilience required to adapt to new realities. By depicting them in a variety of settings, I aim to capture the multifaceted nature of this journey, whether it be the vastness of space or the intimacy of personal experiences.
Ultimately, my work seeks to invite viewers into a narrative of self-discovery and introspection, encouraging them to reflect on their own journeys and the ways they navigate change and loss. The use of abstraction and ambiguity allows for a range of interpretations, while the recurring theme of hidden visors underscores the universality of the search for identity and direction.'
'Firefly', oil on canvas, 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches.
left to right: 'Celstial Bodies', oil and cold wax on canvas, 7 x 5 x 1.5 inches., 'Astronaut in Flowers', oil and cold wax on canvas, 10 x 8 x 1.5 inches., 'Astronaut with Flowers', oil and cold wax on canvas, 7 x 5 x 1.5 inches.
'Serenity', oil on canvas, 20 x 30 x 1.5 inches.
left to right: 'Solace', acrylic, 6 x 9 inches.,
'Astronaut with Moon', oil and cold wax on canvas, 7 x 5 x 1.5 inches., 'Astronaut Slouching', acrylic, 15 x 6 inches.
DISSOLUTION Series and Exhibition.
'Stardust', oil on canvas, 10 x 8 x 1.5 inches.
left to right: 'Irresolute', oil on canvas, 18 x 24 x 1.5 inches.,
'Love and Grief', oil on canvas, 20 x 16 x 1.5 inches.,
'One for Sorrow', oil on canvas, 12 x 16 x 1.5 inches.
'For eight years, my work centered on a singular subject, chronicling a journey of love, morbidity, and impending loss. This period culminated in my solo exhibit, DISSOLUTION, which explored the depths of grief and the struggle to find meaning in loss. Embracing the omnipresence of grief, my current body of work shifts the focus to themes of memory and transformation, exploring the human capacity to adapt. These new pieces reflect a journey of resilience and the quiet strength found in navigating life's disruptions. This was my statement for DISSOLUTION'
Grief, a response to loss, doesn't diminish over time. After the acute stage, chronic grief permeates our breathing. To be still in the falling pain, we struggle. We attempt to live in a reality absent a loved one, a perennial search for purpose and meaning requiring movement. It’s immersive. And it manifests differently for everyone. Dissolution, in part, is motion, my practice in constructing meaning from loss.
I began creating the paintings for this exhibit long before my anticipated loss, changing the name and the storytelling of Dissolution's final form as the loss transpired. The works symbolize pieces of me in a storyline of love and pain. They are fragments of grief personified. Memories conflated from a life once lived, a life in dissolution.
It has been a challenge to articulate here what the art is expressing. I could not achieve this with oil paintings alone even. I've become an unexpected storyteller, of sorts. Experiential pieces will support the narrative of what (I think) this body of work is incapable of conveying. These additions assist in descending the viewer into melancholy, languishing there in a rain of grief.'
'Melancholy', oil and cold wax on canvas, 16 x 20 x 1.5 inches.
'Corner of Your Love Song', oil on canvas, 36 x 64 x 1.25 inches.
left to right: 'And Belonged to Otherwise Memory', oil on canvas, 18 x 24 x 1.5 inches., 'Desolate', oil on support, 20 x 16 x 1/8 inches., 'Congruous', oil on support, 9 x 16 x 1.25 inches.
'Fissure', oil on support, 36 x 64 x 1.25 inches.
'Contemplation', oil on support, 16 x 16 inches.
'Portrait of a Horse (Pool with Two Figures)', oil on support,
5 x 7 inches.
left to rigth: 'Languishing', oil on support, 36 x 36 inches.,
'On a Flower of Recognized Faces', oil on canvas, 16 x 20 x 1.5 inches., 'Submergence', oil on canvas, 24 x 16 x 1.5 inches.
'Horse with Jellyfish', oil on canvas, 10 x 8 x 1.5 inches.
left to right: 'Dissolution', oil on canvas, 30 x 40 x 1.5 inches.,
'Pink Melancholy', oil on support, 8 x 10 inches.,
'Leaving', oil and acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches.
In Tribute...
'King of Pain', paper, limestone, concrete, glue, metal,
24 x 22 x 9 inches.
left to right: 'Rain King', oil on canvas, 16 x 20 x 1.5 inches.,
'Process of Love', acrylic framed video, 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches.,
'The Smell of Snow', oil and cold wax on canvas, 10 x 8 x 1.5 inches.
Shelli Langdale is an American artist living and painting in Chattanooga, TN. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. An autodidact, Shelli has pivoted careers throughout her life, from a wide-area network engineer for NASA to front-end web development and design.
After experiencing a personal loss in 2014, she revisited her first passion, art, and studied at the local atelier where she began creating emotive narrative works. A second personal loss in 2020 inspired her to shift her focus toward exploring the ephemeralness of relationships. Shelli's first physical solo show, "Dissolution", was an exhibit about grief. Its proceeding became a coping method and her practice in constructing meaning from loss — and was the culmination of this new body of work.
Shelli's paintings are collected nationally and published in Create! Magazine, American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, and PoetsArtists. She has exhibited in Colorado, Florida, New York, California and Tennessee.
'Spectre', oil on support, 42 inches x 8 ft x 1.25
Shelli Langdale, in her studio.
website: https://oustcat.com
A lovely way to remember a pet, these dog portraits are filled with heart. They’re beautifully made, capturing every little detail with precision.
The quality of the wood is impressive, and the finish has a rich, warm tone that makes my home feel more parkettilattia inviting. I’m so happy with my purchase & would recommend this company to anyone looking for high-quality flooring.
Whether it's a full-day bus tour covering Manhattan's major districts or a boat tour circling the island newyork tour and tickets travelers get to experience a wide variety of the city's neighborhoods and attractions in one go.
From the home of Charles Dickens to the pubs where writers like Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot gathered best london tours the city is steeped in literary heritage. Guided literary tours take visitors to famous sites such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.