We proudly announce our newest Guest Artist showing in our downtown Bozeman office! Stop by to view Chelsea May's stunning abstract paintings through the month of March.

Chelsea Kate May grew up in Texas, and Utah and did missionary work for her church in Ireland for 18 months before moving to Montana. She is a junior in Drawing and Painting at Montana State University. May’s work focuses on her interaction with the natural world, and she draws inspiration from forms such as tree bark or termite-eaten wood. Her visually active surfaces are created through a variety of experimental techniques which include, paint pours, paint applications, scrapers and handmade tools.

Here is Chelsea's artist statement on her showing:

"When contemplating a new painting I automatically look to nature. The idea that we are all creating our own paths in life intrigues me. I try to find things we don’t necessarily notice such as how termites burrow blindly underneath bark or how clouds morph with smoke - each creating a beautiful devastation. The way a line can tell a thousand stories. It guides and gives us destinations, and reminds us of places we’ve been or want to go. 

What grips my senses and captivates my mind are these microscopic details. Our world is beautiful, alive, complex. It's entangled with change, curiosity, confusion, and devastation.

Paint pouring is a new technique I’ve come to love. When I pour the paint on a canvas it blends aimlessly creating paths we didn't know were there, like peeling away bark from a tree and finding the remnants of termites. Little details start to stand out and we start to truly see and experience creation.

This body of work is a combination of many different series. Most of them start with paint pouring, whereas a few are strictly painted from images or memories in my life. The colors chosen for each pour reflect something I’ve seen in nature. As each piece dries, it forms a personality that influences the insertion of a detailed object or purposeful line work. Abstracting and molding the forms create an aesthetically pleasing image. The object of these pieces is to open one's senses to the beautiful abnormalities of our lives, as well as take the viewer to another world."

Chelsea will be donating 15% of proceeds from art sales to Latter-Day Saints Charities: Humanitarian Aid Fund. Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund support emergency response efforts, as well as many other humanitarian initiatives. Because of the generosity of others, Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who operates LDS Charities, sends food, clothing, medical supplies, and other emergency relief assistance to bless the lives of those with urgent needs. Last year 155 projects in 50 countries helped people around the globe. People in 175 countries and territories have been helped since 1985. One hundred percent of every dollar donated is used to help those in need without regard to race, religion, or ethnic origin.

To kickoff Chelsea's month-long showing with the help of agent Machael Eickman, we will be hosting an Artist Reception! Join us for an evening of art viewing and conversation on March 5th, from 5 pm to 7 pm.