‘Painter of clouds’ Hall featured at First Friday exhibit

Published 4:15 pm Monday, October 3, 2011

For Adam Hall, the sky’s the limit.

The Nashville-based artist describes his paintings as “modern landscapes,” but, at heart, Hall is a painter of clouds. His lush, atmospheric work captures the beauty of the sky and will be featured in the next exhibit at the Creative Arts Guild. Hall’s show, called “the Drifting Quiet,” will open on Friday and along with the two other exhibits at the Guild, is free and open to the public.

“Adam’s work reminds me of those childhood days of laying back and watching the clouds,” said Terry Tomasello, executive director of the Creative Arts Guild. “There’s an innocence and a serenity to his work that belies the complexity of his skill. We’re so thrilled to host Adam’s beautiful and very affordable work at the Guild.”

Hall is a self-taught artist whose professional career has blossomed in the past few years. He grew up in Wellsburg, W.Va., and moved to Nashville around a decade ago. An interior design firm discovered his work, and soon his cloud paintings were gracing some of “Music City’s” most elegant homes.

Hall began his exploration of visual arts working mostly with charcoals and oils. Self taught, he mixes traditional style with contemporary. He has blended his passion for purpose with his artistic vision to create landscapes synonymous with his travels globally to aid those in need.

Hall mixes a traditional style with a contemporary vision. He works mostly with palette knives, using a layering technique to add richness and depth to his paintings. A global traveler who is also actively involved in a number of non-profit projects to assist young people in developing nations, Hall’s landscapes are often inspired by visits to new locales.

Hall has said that “every painting is my next opportunity to truly express my vision and vibe through landscape. Art is such a powerful tool , and I strive to use it in the most positive way I know how.”

Hall’s recent success has included gallery shows in Southport, Conn.; Nashville, Charleston, S.C.; Clarksdale, Miss.; and Franklin, Tenn.

On Sept. 5, Hall was featured on HGTV’s hit show “Interiors Inc.” He contributed a painting to the dining room makeover in the Nashville home of “American Idol” finalist Danny Gokey.

“It’s easy to see why Adam’s work is so popular with designers,” Tomasello said. “He has such a contemporary sense of color, and his work adds a calming presence to any room. He really brings the beauty of the sky into people’s homes. One of my friends referred to Adam’s work as an updated version of the landscapes of the Dutch Golden Age. Adam is really bringing that art historical context to work that is strikingly fresh and new.”

Hall and his wife, Thais, will be at the show’s opening to greet visitors and discuss his work.

“I hope everyone will come to meet Adam and Thais during their visit to the Guild,” Tomasello said. “The First Friday openings are always very popular, and we hope to see a great crowd to greet this talented artist.

The Creative Arts Guild is at 520 W. Waugh St. in Dalton and is the state’s oldest community based, multi-disciplinary arts organization. The Guild offers classes in visual arts, dance, gymnastics and vocal and instrumental music as well as exhibitions, recitals, performances, lectures and workshops, many of which are free to the public. The Guild is supported through class fees, memberships, grants and donations from corporations and foundations and through funds from the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about the Guild, visit www.creativeartsguild.org or call (706) 278-1068.