The renovation to make Corner Kitchen the Corner Kitchen was fast and furious. It was also managed on a shoestring. When we got everything in place we noticed several things. The walls were nicely painted, the trim was repaired, the floors were shiny, but there was nothing on the walls. No paintings or photos, no plaques; nothing.
We had bare walls! Not a good thing…
Kevin and I brainstormed on what to do, like in so many other situations. We thought about what we wanted on our walls and how it might fit in with our values as a young restaurant. The answer came quickly: Go Local! We got on the phone to our artists and galleries in Asheville. There are so many “makers” here, so within three days we had lovely paintings throughout our little house. All of them for sale to benefit the artist. We continue this tradition today in both Corner Kitchen and Chestnut.
Rob O’Sheeran has been featuring his art on our walls for several years now.
A bit about Rob O’Sheeran
“My artwork draws on symbols and imagery from my imagination and memory using color, play and repetition. Utilizing a sense of place and connection to environment, I embrace scenes from nature, history, and the little moments in life that resonate with everyone. The natural world is rich with patterns, from feathers to fish scales, and I reflect and explore those inherent repetitions in the design of my paintings. The emotive nature of the brushstroke reveals the richness and vitality inherent in my selected subject matters. The world is often an ironic and amusing place, and my work expresses that humor and charm that exists around us.
The use of recycled windows as canvasses creates a portal to these images and memories, and offers a chance to create depth and movement. The window is an opportunity to draw the viewer into a new place or create a vantage point to view a dreamlike and stylized world. While the frames define the borders of each painting, challenging me to marry the space in front of me with the image I have in mind, the glass allows nearly endless depth to explore, layer and create. What may at first seem whimsical or free form becomes more intentional with the use of repetition and layers of color the windowpane allows.
From sea life to landscapes, I draw on my experiences growing up near the ocean as well as my home in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and my paintings bridge that distance and variety of life.”
