"The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting." - Vincent van Gogh
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - For artist Sally Hall, having her paintings on display at Kolb Studio is more exciting than having them appear at the Louvre in Paris.
That's because Hall has an affinity for the Canyon, one which her whole family shares. Hall, along with the rest of her family, would summer in the area when she was a child. Her father, who taught at San Francisco State University, would spend each summer around the North Rim studying Kaibab squirrels.
As a youth, Hall said she often resented the summer trips to the Canyon.
"None of my friends did that," she said. "When you're growing up the last thing you want to be is different. But now I think about it and am so grateful that that was the childhood that I had."
When it comes to her oil paintings, Hall often uses a number of vivid imagery in her work, reflecting a strong southwestern flavor. This is particularly evident in her pottery paintings, which often combine Native American imagery with landscape designs. These paintings, added to her love for the southwest, make Hall a natural fit for Kolb Studios at the South Rim.
"I am just so happy that they are going to be out there," Hall said. "To me that's like the ultimate place to have it. Better than the louver for me. It has such a prominent place in my personal life."
Hall's upcoming Kolb exhibit will feature 37 paintings ranging in size from five inches by seven inches to 26 inches by 49 inches. Her work will be on display beginning Nov. 13. An opening reception is planned for Dec. 1 at Kolb Studio from 7-9 p.m. The exhibit, called From Earth to Sky: Paintings by Sally Hall, is sponsored by the Grand Canyon Association and the Grand Canyon National Park. For more information on the exhibit, visit the Association's Web site at www.grandcanyon.org.
While Hall lives in Massachussestes, she said she visits the South Rim at least once a year. One of her sisters lives in northern Arizona. Hall's brother-in-law works for the Park Service. It was while she lived in New York City that Hall got involved in the art world.
She said she soon began to miss the vistas of the southwest. Shortly thereafter she began to paint them.
"You don't realize these things you miss until you're away from them. I always like drawing in my elementary, high school years. Growing up in the late 60's, everybody got politically and socially active. It wasn't until college that I had to take a painting class as an elective. I have been painting ever since. That was it," Hall said.
Hall likened her images of ancient pottery, particularly the designs found on Native American pieces, to road and topography maps. She's been painting the images for the last 10 years. For research, Hall often travels to museums to examine the designs utilized in the ancient art form.
"Something about the lines on these pots reminds me of maps. I look at them, but I also read them. I really enjoy working with direction and a sense of place. The design is so simple, yet so powerful, and so intricate. It's been a lot of fun to explore that really close up," Hall said.
"Powerful" and "Evocative" are the words often used to describe her paintings. These designs will be among the art on display at the Kolb exhibit.
"This show is mostly based on ancient pottery designs and patterns that anyone who spends time in the southwest will definitely see in the museums and see photographs of," Hall said. "They pop up in your life in all kinds of ways. I think one thing that we all do in our lives is try to figure out where we're going. We always used maps a lot when we were growing up. Maps have always been a natural language in my life."
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Article comment by:
Sandra Batzli
Thank you for your article about Sally Hall. Sally's father, Joe Hall, we knew when my husband studied with him at San Francisco State in the 60s.Although we also knew Betty Hall,Sally's mother, unfortunately we did not know Sally. It was Betty Hall who told us of Sally's exhibit in a 2008 Christmas card. We believe Sally's work to be exciting!
