Review

"Trees," Oil on Canvas.

Maryann Gravino-Askew

10 a.m.-3 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: Oct. 2.

Gallery site: http://www.artichokeskc.com

Maryann Gravino-Askew counts the human form among the subjects of her oil paintings ... but when she began her artistic career, people were her medium and scissors her tools.

I started out as a cosmetologist with an eye for design, always seeing patterns and colors, explains Gravino-Askew, one of the artists currently featured at ARTichokes in Leawood. Hair cutting in particular is like sculpture.

For Gravino-Askew, though, there was another dimension to her cosmetology work ... an inner dimension.

I call hair design three-dimensional art, she writes. It also includes a psychological factor, making people feel good about themselves and how they look. As a result of this reasoning I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.

That exploration of how people think and respond to stimuli clearly informs Gravino-Askew's work. In her paintings, shapes echo and reinforce each other, leading to a feeling of unforced "rightness" for the harmonious whole.

For example, in Trees (today's featured piece), the cloud both extends and embraces the big tree ... but does so subtly on both counts.

Cry "manipulation" if you will, given Gravino-Askew's background in  psychology. But isn't manipulation (conscious or otherwise) of raw material into a finished product that resonates with others the heart of any art form?

That manipulation doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) cynical ... and in Gravino-Askew's hands, it clearly isn't. She creates both for herself and for others.

Two-dimensional art for me is about learning to trust my eyes, feelings, to learn patience and surrender to the canvas, she writes. Art is life, the more emotion you allow to flow from you the more you give to others.

That's true no matter what one's background and training ... and Gravino-Askew underscores the lesson beautifully.

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