Ann Nichols’ solo exhibit is titled “Split Focus” because of the way this series of paintings have a split picture plane. But the exhibit could just as easily have been called “Triple Focus.” Two paintings are arranged side by side or one on top of the other - each have substance, balance and beauty on their own. Then you’ll discover
a third element, as you fuse the two paintings together to create another, separate concept, and a view with a more encompassing balance.

These 22 small-scale paintings, all oil on masonite, are on view through Nov. 23 at the Tanner Hill Gallery, located in the old Southern Saddlery Building on South Broad Street. The whole building has been remodeled and restored, with many of the original characteristics, like exposed brick and rustic wooden floors, kept intact. The gallery is an ideal environment for seeing original art in a quiet, reflective setting. Though the paintings sell for between $900 and $2,900, the Tanner Hill Gallery is open to the public for free.

All of the paintings in this series showcase Nichols sense of balance, whether symmetrical or asymmetrical, and that is one of the most pleasing aspects of her art. She combines periods and styles with such elegance, you won’t notice their diversity until you read the title of the painting. In one segment, Nichols references or reproduces an historical painting or image, then for the second segment she complements the first with a still-life of something from nature, or an object that has some personal meaning to her. Sometimes the pairing is simple and humorous, sometimes it’s symbolic or exotic. Either way, there is a sensual connectedness that elevates the two images to another realm of art appreciation.

In “3 Eggs and Heade Birds on Blue” Nichols reproduces the American romantic painter, Martin Johnson Heade. The bottom segment comes from one of Heade’s tropical paintings, capturing lush foliage and hummingbirds from 1860s Brazil. The eggs in the top segment pick up the sky and hummingbird nest colors
from the Heade segment. Nichols says “Once the structure is in place, color takes over - that is the most enjoyable and energizing aspect of painting for me.” Her color, light and image balance is easy to understand, but you can also imagine how complicated and precise Nichols’ work has to be to make it that easy for a viewer’s untrained eye to see.

In “Renaissance Woman” Nichols references the works of Italian Renaissance painters, matching that with the intricate designs of an artichoke. The angular nose and long neck of the woman on the right side are complimented by the points of the artichoke leaves and long stem on the left side. The rich texture and patterns of the woman’s dress fabrics, the waves in her hair and the elaborate hair adornments, illuminate the shapes and designs of the still-life artichoke.

In “5 Marbles with Red Canna,” Nichols references Georgia O’Keeffe in the bottom frame and her childhood marbles on the top. The deep, dark red of the bulbous canna gets paired with the gleaming roundness and swirls of the marbles. The shapes connect them but the light differentiates them.

However you interpret them, Nichols’ paintings reflect a woman with an extensive art history background and a willingness to explore moods and styles. She has been a professional artist since 1980. She received her BFA degree in painting from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is the Arts Writer for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Some of her paintings hang in Senator Bob Corker’s Washington, D.C. office.

Tanner Hill Gallery is located at 3069 South Broad St., Suite 3. The phone number is 423 280-7182. Their hours are Wednesday - Friday from 12 noon-5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., or by appointment.

(Bambi Evans is a freelance writer in Chattanooga. She writes about books, films, music and art, along with editorials on social justice issues. Her e-mail address is stonyirons@aol.com)