The January show at the Charlotte Art League invites the viewer to experience the many ways that artists can interpret the notion of a new beginning. New works in a wide range of media and styles are on display from January 8th through the 29th.

While the show’s call-for-entries asked artists to submit work exploring “new year” related themes such as breaking ground, setting into motion, opening doors, and so forth, wide latitude was given to artists in how they might imagine the concept of new beginnings. It’s not surprising, then, that the work on display treats the subject in very personal and refreshingly unexpected ways.

Fine art photographer Rena Hawkins interprets “new beginnings” as representing the new direction her work is taking and is showing her latest work resulting from her new approach. “Before, I would take photographs of existing scenes or compositions that I discovered. Now, I compose the photo in my mind first and envision it painted. Then, I take the actual shot and through various processing techniques and Photoshop, I manipulate the image so the final version matches my original vision.”

Artist Caroline Sandgren, who paints acrylic canvases that seem to explode with vibrant shapes and colors, also spoke to the personal nature of her work and her current source of inspiration. “I never put a piece out in front of the public hoping it will please someone – it has to please me first, or it won’t be shown. Right now, red is beautiful!”

“Beginnings” opens on Friday, January 8 at 6:00PM. The Charlotte Art League is a participant in the South End Gallery Crawl, happening the same evening.