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'Four Seasons at Reflection Riding': Retired nurse focuses on wonders of nature in first solo art exhibit
This is her first solo art show, and it's possible Rena Malone has overprepared.
For "Four Seasons at Reflection Riding," opening Friday in Exum Gallery at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Malone has completed 78 oil paintings.
That's about three times the works included in most shows at the gallery, says curator Curt Hodge.
Malone painted them over the past two years while visiting Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center, a 317-acre sanctuary along the western slope of Lookout Mountain.
"I experience such joy, peace and tranquility when I am immersed in the beautiful landscapes and wildlife that abound throughout the Riding, and I hope my paintings reveal that serenity to the viewers," she says in her artist statement.
Hodge says no previous exhibit at the gallery, which opened in 2011, has been solely dedicated to the rich colors and textures from the nature center.
Prices for this collection range from $25 for a small oil painting of bamboo to $975 for "Fire on the Mountain," depicting two horses that live on the site kicking up when wildfires burned around East Tennessee in 2016. The exhibition will remain on view through Sept. 10.
Though "Four Seasons" focuses solely on the scenery around Reflection Riding, Malone's oil paintings typically depict a range of subjects: landscapes, still life, floral, animals and portraits of people.
She won Best in Show in the first Scenic City Paint Out in 2013 for an 8- by 10-inch oil painting, "Gorge Ess," a landscape of the Tennessee River gorge.
After retiring from a 30-year career in nursing, Malone showcased her artwork in shows with other artists for more than a decade. She has studied with nationally recognized artists, including Oil Painters of America signature member Bill Davidson and Plein Air Painters of the Southeast founder Dee Beard Dean.
"My first passion is my husband," she says. "The second, third and fourth is painting."
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.
If you go
› What: “Four Seasons at Reflection Riding,” oil paintings by Rena Malone.› When: Opening reception 5-7 p.m. Friday. Exhibit on view through Sept. 10. Gallery hours 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.› Where: Exum Gallery at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St.› Admission: Free.› Phone: 423-266-8195.