Shelley and Ken are a spouses that share the love of creating art. Both have a fascination for experimentation and finding what truly inspires the in the creative process. Using a variety of materials, from paint to metals, their body of work is both eclectic and diverse.

Shelley DeBlase

I am primarily a self taught artist who is inspired by my love of travel. My work consists of abstract and surreal representations of sights and vistas that I have both captured in my mind and by camera. I love new experiences and challenging myself, both mentally and physically. I have the same mindset when it comes to my art. Using a variety of materials and techniques keeps my excitement fresh and allows me to go beyond my comfort zone.

My mixed media work consists oil paint, copper enamel, encaustic, metal and found objects. Inspiration for my recent body of work came from travels to locations such as Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Norway, Iceland and Japan. My trips to the remote, surreal, “other worldly” parts of Arctic Norway and Iceland helped me see the beauty of starkness and desolation. I recently returned from a trip to Japan, where a successful summit of Mt. Fuji, gave me insight on how important goals are and the determination to achieve them. This experience gave me the inspiration to transfer that same mindset to my artwork and push myself beyond my limits.

This planet has so much diversity and beauty. I believe it’s our job to capture and share it with others.

Ken Allen

Glass and metal surround us, they are both hard and inflexible, but with the application of heat, flame or force can yield to the hand that guides tools. I enjoy the challenge and serendipitous results that arise as I make use of the resulting chaos and structure to create these works.
Most of my pieces begin with no specific plan in mind, but come from the visual queues I get as I survey the materials I’ve chosen to work with. Working with a given material lends direction as I consider what may happen to it with heat, raw flame, or application of glass and combining other materials and objects to add color and texture.

All things in life are measured, none more than time. Analog clocks represents stationary and movement standpoints in our lives. A Minute hands seem to stand frozen if glanced at, but do ever so perceptively moves forward if watched closely. By representing the clock-as-art, I present these works to capture the eye and encourage one to examine the moments by which we live.