Review

"Bridge Between," Oil on Canvas.

Rebecca Pashia

10 a.m.-7 p.m.

ARTichokes
10557 Mission Road
Leawood, KS
913.322.9481

Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Runs through: Artist on permanent display.

Artist's site: http://www.designnbymotif.com
Gallery site: http://www.artichokeskc.com

At a base level, interior designers and cinematographers have pretty much the same job description. They're both tasked with using visual elements to set moods.

Rebecca Pashia's style reflects that similarity.

Pashia, who holds a degree in interior design, creates atmospheric oil paintings that she describes (accurately) as moody and layered. In short, they're cinematic.

Most of her "establishing shots" — the realistic, the Impressionistic, the Expressionistic and the abstract alike — set quiet, contemplative, even meditative moods. In Pashia's words, the paintings have a peaceful, spiritual nature, where the viewer can't help but take a deep breath and get lost in the canvas for a moment.

But Pashia, a founder of ARTichokes as well as a permanently featured artist there. also knows when to throw in a good action sequence ... even if it's only implied.

Bridge Between, today's featured image, is all muted colors and soft light — light interrupted by the curving span that gives the painting its title.

If you're even a passing fan of adventure films, that bridge surely brings something to mind: Indiana Jones' "leap of faith," perhaps,  or a Fellowship's harrowing — and costly— escape.

Whether tranquil or otherwise, however, all of Pashia's paintings work on more than one level. They set mood, spark imagination ... and at the same time, appeal on a purely visual basis. Pashia balances her soft palette and diffuse compositions with strong light sources; there's plenty of contrast here, but no harshness.

And on yet another level, Pashia's art (like all art) serves as a sort of cinematography ... not for any filmed vignette, but for its viewers' lives.

You can't be in this particular scene, though, if you don't show up on location.

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