Bold art show from Thomas, Guzman

BEVERLY THOMAS and Jacqueline Guzman will feature in a joint exhibition that packs a visual punch. Of vastly different painting styles, both artists are well-loved for their bold compositions and strong use of colour.

Thomas has always been excited by vibrant colours. Her passion was fuelled and her skills sharpened by taking several courses with local artists. This passion turned the hobby into a successful career some years ago and she has never looked back, said a media release.

Thomas’s medium is acrylic, though she occasionally flirts with oil and mixed media. Her subject matter varies, but she loves to include flowers, coconuts, and her saucy Trini ladies. Abstract art holds a particular appeal for Thomas, and she often enjoys the freedom of this type of self-expression. And there is colour; strong, hot oranges and reds, cool turquoises, all in bold strokes. Thomas believes that art is emotion expressed on canvas and hopes that her work reaches each viewer with positive energy and love.

As a child, Guzman saw art in the every-day: from trees swaying in the breeze to an old broken-down chair. At 13, she studied under Freda Artman, an established artist in Trinidad. In 1998, Guzman received a degree in physical therapy from Lynn University, USA, but art remains her primary interest.

Guzman’s style is a combination of primitivism and modern techniques, with simplified forms and bold colour. Her work is always visually stunning, teeming with dancing figures and cheery panmen. Many of her paintings are in businesses and private collections both locally and in the USA, Australia, Canada, England and other parts of Europe.

The exhibition opens at Horizons Art Gallery on Tuesday from 7 pm-8.30 pm and continues to November 16 at 37 Mucurapo Road, St James. Opening hours are 9 am-5.30 pm Mondays to Fridays and 9 am-1 pm on Saturdays.