Colton Dion’s post-Helene works chart hope
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Asheville painter and sculptor Colton Dion found himself working at a different pace entirely. The urgency that once propelled his creative process gave way to something more deliberate. “Following an introspective period after the flood, I spent a little time each day on one piece for five months, and another piece for four months, which is not something I usually do,” he says. “I needed to slow down and process things more deeply at that time.” The result is Reverie, a body of work informed by reflection. “It’s a deeper dive into the ideas and techniques I have learned over the past 11 years,” Dion explains. “For me, creating these pieces was a form of reverie — a pleasant state of being lost in thought — which was essential for my healing process after Helene.” The works move between surrealism, sculptural or shaped panels, trompe-l’oeil landscapes, and traditional landscapes, each style nourishing the other.
Colton Dion, Asheville, coltondion.bigcartel.com. Reverie is on view at The Colton Dion Gallery, Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., Asheville).