Cole Gallery

“Head in the Clouds” – a celebration of light and a journey through an unusual year.

Andy Eccleshall's dramitic show captures a year of inspiration and introspection. He writes:

The idea for this show began over a year ago in Albuquerque NM. I was there on a road trip to deliver some work and to take a few days to explore the area. It was August, monsoon season. And I soon found out exactly what that means. The storms and clouds I witnessed during that short trip were literally breathtaking. One of which had me in a hail and lightning storm around Los Alamos which turned 3pm sunshine into midnight and had me frantically looking for cover. “Noon-Jemez Pueblo” is the first glimpse I had of that storm as I made my way east towards the Valles Caldera. My thought at the time was to create a collection of pieces which explored the different ways light plays on and within these formations in a range of locations up and down the west of the country.

As we know, the year had different plans for all of us, and as the year progressed many of us found ourselves closer to home and more introspective. The collection evolved in the same way. As I look through the work now I am reminded of where my head was at with each piece, largely in the clouds but in a different way than what was originally intended. Finding inspiration on my own doorstep (and in the back yard). Looking for opportunities when the sky is talking and the day lends itself to watching the weather. Taking time to be ok with just being quiet, and listening to the silence of a misty morning. The year has taught us all to reconnect with what we love and hold it close. It’s refocused our minds on the blessings we have. On our families and friendships. And to notice the beauty that’s right outside the window.

I hope you enjoy these paintings as much as I’ve enjoyed painting them. Art has been a true companion this year, an anchor and a refuge and I feel truly blessed to be able to lose myself in it, at least for a little while.