Asheville painter turns emotions into luminous landscapes
Darkness may be part of life, but Asheville painter Amy Massey is drawn to the glimmers inside it. Her solo exhibition, In the Dark of the Night, a Glow, opens this October at the Spotlight Gallery in Wedge Studios, showcasing watercolors and gouache works that slow down big emotions until they shimmer. “I like to think of my paintings as emotional or metaphysical landscapes,” she explains. Shapes ripple like water, colors pulse with energy, and delicate marks evoke woodgrain, smoke, or stone. “I use shape, movement, color, spaciousness, and density to encapsulate a feeling with almost poetic reverence,” she says. From a distance, the pieces feel fluid and atmospheric; up close, they pull viewers deeper into intricate layers. Massey calls the process meditative — a way of dwelling with complexity until it clarifies. “I hope that my work exudes a presence that is nurturing, healing, and calm,” she notes.
In the Dark of the Night, a Glow: October 1-31; Reception: Saturday, October 11, 5-7pm
Spotlight Gallery, Wedge Studios / 129 Roberts St., Asheville / wedgestudioartists.com