“Lifecycles”: A Solo Exhibition by Resident Artist Gabrielle Shelley
In Lifecycles, Gabrielle Shelley explores the ever-evolving relationship between humanity and nature. Her paintings portray manmade spaces—gravesites, buildings, parking lots—being overtaken by spring’s blooms, illustrating nature’s quiet resilience and the cyclical rhythm of renewal.
Shelley’s prints deepen this reflection. The iris symbolizes womanhood, the ginkgo resilience, and the lavender calm. Interwoven are mono prints of leaves collected on hikes through Pennsylvania forests, echoing centuries-old traditions of cataloging the natural world and our connection to it.
At the core of the exhibition are two linoleum block prints, Reaching and Tension, capturing expressive human hands in moments of connection and strain. These are complemented by collage pieces that reconfigure her prints into fresh compositions, offering new perspectives on community and interpersonal relationships.
Lifecycles is a meditation on growth, decay, and renewal—how we shape our surroundings and how nature, in turn, reclaims and transforms.
With a background in graphic design and fine art printmaking, Gabrielle prefers the freedom of linoleum block printing, pastels, watercolors, and pen and ink illustration. She draws most of her inspiration from nature and the world around her with her prints often featuring peaceful and serene imagery. The duality in her work – combining the precision of digital printing with the hands-on craft of block printing – sets her apart as a unique a versatile artist.