Bio

Painting is a joy and a passion for Phyllis Gardner. She has fond memories of spending her childhood on a farm, which gave her an appreciation for nature and “the beauty of our world.” Her optimistic admiration of her surroundings has inspired her work for over 30 years as a painter.

Naturally, she began painting impressionistic landscapes as a way to celebrate her love of nature. Over time, her artistic studies introduced her to Chiaroscuro, a painting technique using strong tonal contrasts between light and dark, illuminating objects against a rich background. This newfound interest inspired her to shift her focus to still life painting. The still life format allowed Phyllis to communicate both visually and emotionally to the viewer, using everyday objects, things that may have meant something to people in the past, to create a story and capture the viewer’s imagination.

Phyllis has participated in numerous workshops and courses and is active with the Olathe Visual Artists and the Greater Kansas City Artists Association. She continues to explore and experiment within the world of still life painting as well as creating the occasional landscape as a way to commemorate the many beautiful places she visits when she travels.

When she is not in her studio Phyllis can probably be found gardening or searching for beautiful and unusual objects and locales that will inspire another painting.