Abbey's art draws strongly on her observations of children's use of art media. In her words: "I have learned from children to approach art materials with no preconceived ideas, rather with a sense of fascination about what can be done. As I take classes and study art history, I try to sustain that sense of a child's freedom and joy as I to use various art media to experiment with color, shape and texture, to tell stories, or to explore nature and the animate and inanimate around me."
The inspiration for the two series in this show is quite different. The first, "Natural Habitats" derives from her deep commitment to preserving the beauty and health of natural habitats. Calvert County provides a large number of wild life preserves, land trusts, farmers trusts, rapture sanctuaries as well as the amazing cliffs and the Chesapeake Bay. Habitats also includes images of the tropical waters of the Bahamas where she has traveled for over 20 years.
The second series contain a few of the paintings she has done in honor of her father. "The Sailor's Story" evokes the range of feelings that are common to those who work on boats or ail for pleasure. "The Sailor's Story" with its cool hues of blue and violet portrays the sadness of the man who left his passion and came back only to die on the sea. It also tells of the father who sees his children 'sail off' wishing them well but yearning for their return. The sailor has a long love story with the sea, with building, working on and sailing boats. It is his passion that is celebrated.
Abbey works in Washington DC and in Calvert County overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Her work can be seen at the CalvART Gallery and the House of Frames/Chesapeake Gallery in Prince Frederick, MD. She works with an interior designer as well as individual clients in Washington DC to create work for specific spaces (e.g., 2 48x96 canvas panels for a large brick wall).
Abbey Griffin comes from a family of artists but did not become a serious artist for 52 years. Her first passion is children (birth to 5 years) and their families. She has a doctorate from the University of Maryland in Early Childhood Development. Her growth as an artist draws inspiration from her years with young children: "My work with young children allowed me to experiment with a wide range of art media. Seeing through the child's eyes I relearned the freedom of seeing, experimenting and discovering that makes children's art so magical. We are born with a hunger for learning. My work with young children has fueled that passion in me and drives me in my work as an artist."
Abbey approaches the blank canvas/paper with an abandon that can only be expressed as sheer joy. Many paintings begin with a theme, often based on plein air painting supplemented by photographs. Many are pure experimentation with different shape canvasses, color, texture, paint and found materials.
Abbey's paintings can be seen at the CalvART Gallery and the Chesapeake Gallery/House of Frames in Prince Frederick, MD. Her mixed media painting "Calvert Cliffs" was selected for display in the Calvert Memorial Hospital. She has also done commissioned work for interior decorators, individuals and businesses in the District of Columbia.
