The Art Files

The Café at Outloud will be showing and offering for sale abstract paintings by Kaaren Hirshowitz Engle Oct. 2 through Oct. 29, with an artist reception held on Thursday, Oct. 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can view her works during all business hours of the store and café.

Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel’s media choices are acrylic paint, paper, canvas, wool and found objects. She uses them fluidly and interchangeably, creating three dimensional sculptures, both large and small, with her paintings, two dimensional works which may include hand-knit felted wool and found objects. Whatever form it takes, Kaaren’s work is defined by an abundance of color, texture and movement and has been described as “organic, free-flowing and with a different kind of energy that is infectious.”

Gallery One in Belle Meade continues an exhibition featuring the nostalgic works of Nashville painter Brian Tull. The show, titled “Of Time,” runs through Oct. 13. Look for a new opening Oct. 20, for Howard Hersh and David Douglas.

Rodney Wood. will show at Estel Gallery Oct. 9 - Nov. 3. The gallery is located right off Broadway on Rosa L Parks Blvd.(formerly known as 8th Ave, South). Rodney Wood is an artist, educator, arts advocate and entrepreneur. Born and raised in Colorado, he has lived in places as diverse as Breckenridge, San Francisco, Santa Fe and Sedona but has always returned to his family in the Rocky Mountains.

Rodney creates dark and beautiful moments that could happen, but are highly implausible – the realm of magical realism. Inspired by the Norwegian realist Odd Nerdrum and using the techniques of Flemish masters, Wood impeccably crafts images suggesting strange scenarios for the viewer to enter and complete the story. His art career has included gallery owner, bronze foundry worker, teacher (private and public institutions for all age groups in a wide variety of disciplines), non-profit arts administration, curator and jewelry designer/sales. Rodney is an artist whose past work concentrated on mixed media sculpture, jewelry and metal smithing. He has had one-man exhibitions in photography, drawing/printmaking and sculpture. His current focus is on oil painting.

Images from Nature, an exhibition of photography by Jane Word, continues through Nov. 2, at Back in Touch Wellness, 2817 West End Ave., second floor, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday- Saturday. www.backintouchwellness.com, 615- 329-1046. A native of Nashville and a Bellevue resident, Jane Word says, "Recently I've been creating images that are peaceful and meditative, but with a challenge and a Southern spin." The images in this show were captured in middle and east Tennessee and southern Louisiana.

Hanging Around Gallery presents Mix It Up through Oct. 26. Guest curator John H. Brown showcases the talents of artists Jenn Utterback, J. Hillman, Ellen L. Zink and Gina Cochran. The show features mixed media works that include collage, abstract, whimsical and geometric styles. Hanging Around can be found at 113 17th Ave. S., in Nashville. Hours are M-F 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

I never get listings for the openings at the galleries at The Arcade in time for the Art Files deadline. They all run new openings the first Saturday of each month.  Do yourself a favor and CALL FIRST. I’ve been up there several times during the weekday afternoons and it can be frustrating to find the galleries closed. I know they are all trying to keep consistent hours and let’s hope they do so. Visit http://artatthearcade.com/ for more information on: Art Rogue , Dangenart Gallery, fõv studio, Julep Photography, Odyssey's End, SQFT Gallery, Studio 66 , Twist Art Gallery and Visual Impact Photography.

And finally, I have some new Fresh Expressions up at Provence at  Round About Plaza through Nov. 18 - mention the art and get 10% off your food order!