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Front Porch Visions
Issue: 2020/08 – August
Alyne Harris’ Front Porch Visions are snapshots of a life well-lived, rich with a sense of community and a reverence. Sometimes, with so many new, contemporary artists, we neglect ones from an older generation, ones who jump-started a renewed interest in folk art a few years back. These self-taught artists continue to amaze us with their works. One such phenomenal painter is Alyne Harris, a lifelong Florida resident. As her studio, Alyne uses her kitchen table, and her inspiration comes from her front porch.
Nearing 80 years of age, Alyne Harris has done a good bit of porch sitting. Although she was in her 30’s before she took an active interest in her painting on canvas or board, Alyne was an artist early on in her childhood, but at that time, the yard, sand, mud, and dirt, was her canvas, and her brush was a stick.
She relates memories of her life pre-Civil Rights Movement, during segregation in the South, and often refers to paintings as “Slave Life.” As a religious painter, Alyne paints angels, baptisms, and choir singings among her church scenes. She has great memories as she still attends the same church from her childhood.
Again, from that front porch, she transforms into a nature painter, capturing the landscape all around her. She is well-known for her flowers, trees, and birds, each joyful and displaying all of nature’s rich colors. No matter the subject, all of her paintings are fabulous, but her personal favorite subject is that of painting her angels. This stems from years spent in the cemetery drawing in the dirt while her siblings played. These angels are fully integrated, featuring a mix of both black and white.
Around Back at Rocky’s Place is honored to have such a large body of Alyne’s work in the gallery. Her work can be found in a huge number of museums, private collections, and folk art publications. Art aficionados will be treated to the collection at the gallery, so stop by and be impressed with the world and work of Alyne Harris.
Around Back at Rocky’s Place is located at 3631 Highway 53 East in Dawsonville, Georgia. Call (706) 265-6030 or check online at aroundbackatrockysplace.com.
