The Earth Beneath Her Wake:
Where Her Footsteps Fade
There comes a moment when movement gives way to stillness when the long path behind softens into memory, and the earth itself seems to exhale. “The Earth Beneath Her Wake: Where Her Footsteps Fade” is a meditation on quiet transitions: on the beauty of slowing down, of returning to the soil that once carried us forward. Through botanicals, landscapes, and the tender gestures of natural form, the exhibition explores the grace of letting go how life continues to bloom even in stillness, how the ground remembers every step once taken.
Each work becomes part elegy, part renewal: a reflection of the spaces we leave behind and the new terrain that rises gently in our absence. It is about finding peace not in progress, but in pause in the hush between seasons, where the living world keeps its soft vigil, and the earth beneath us continues to wake.
Explore the Exhibition
CJ Cowden
Alison Diamond McElroy
Frances Rebula
Andrés Lemos
Explore Our Artists
CJ Cowden
Artist Statement and Bio
As a mixed media artist, CJ explores the boundaries of form, texture, and color through abstract compositions. CJ’s work is a dialogue between spontaneity and intention, where different materials and techniques come together to create layered, dynamic pieces. CJ aims to evoke emotion and provoke thought, encouraging viewers to find their own connections and interpretations within the abstract forms. Through this process, CJ seeks to capture the essence of creativity—unpredictable, complex, and endlessly evolving.
CJ’s artistic journey is a testament to the transformative power of creativity in the face of adversity. Born into the whirlwind world of a traveling evangelist, she spent her formative years on the road, bearing witness to the fervor and devotion of her parents’ mission.
After her parents passing at age 10, CJ navigated her new life in foster care with art as it allowed her to express her depth of emotions. Today, CJ stands as a testament to resilience and the enduring human spirit. She has transcended her humble beginnings to become a gallery owner, a curator of dreams, and an artist of international acclaim. CJ’s journey from troubling childhood to a globally recognized artist and gallery owner reminds us that even in the darkest of circumstances, creativity has the power to heal and transform lives.
insta: @cjcowden_art
Alison Diamond McElroy
insta: @admfineart
Artist Bio
As early in her life as she can remember, Alison would lose herself in her drawing and painting. Alison received her Bachelor of Science in Art and Art Education at Miami University before embarking on a career in merchandising design in the fashion houses of NYC and Los Angeles. Since 2013, as her art became her focus, she has developed her fluid style of painting. She finds inspiration from her days living on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to her frequent travels to Maine and the East Coast beaches. She works mostly in acrylic paint, with occasional works of mixed media or watercolor.
Artist Statement
I believe that a connection to nature defines the human spirit, and that belief inspires my work. From broad abstracts of the land and sea to intricate works of botanicals, I use color, layer and texture to define my painting. As I create my works, I often think on past experiences as our own human layers that all build up to what we are.
And so as I paint, what may seem finished may not be, and many times I put paintings aside for months before going back to them to add those final layers. Bringing years of experience in design, the aesthetics of my paintings welcome the viewer in while creating a sense of aspect that conveys a relationship of the work to a larger context. My paintings are bold, warm and thoughtful, reflecting the positivity and importance of nature and providing joy and meaning in any space.
My work infuses modernity into more traditional representations of the world around us, bringing abstract and contemporary ideas to the canvas. I love using a mix of freestyle and gestural brush strokes with more detailed sculpted florals to create harmony through contrasting effects.
Frances Rebula
insta: @francesrebula
Artist Bio
Frances is a contemporary abstract artist originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She is a former special education teacher who has loved painting her entire life. In 2023, she moved to George, South Africa to be with her husband, Jovan, and the two have since traveled throughout South Africa and Europe as he pursues his career as a professional golfer.
Her artistic practice has developed through years of experimentation and intuitive exploration, later refined with guidance from contemporary artist Laura Deems. Each of her paintings begin with a loose, organic line. From there she relies heavily on nature- specifically the science of plants in their most simplified state. Frances explores natural systems as both visible and unseen forces.
Drawing from her surroundings and lived experiences, Frances allows each piece to develop a distinct personality of its own. While traveling throughout South Africa and Europe, her work captures subtle moments and gestures from the places she inhabits. Some elements of nature are immediately recognizable, while other marks act as abstract references to cultural experiences not visible to the human eye. Frances ultimately aims to create thoughtful conversation pieces.
Artist Statement
Through color, repetition, and mixed media mark-making, the work reflects how meaning accumulates subtly, how stillness can be active, and how even fleeting moments leave lasting impressions. I am grateful to share this body of work within an exhibition that honors gentle transition, return, and the beauty of growth that happens quietly.