SALT Gallery shows Jodi Wautlet in June

For the month of June, SALT Gallery (830 Fleming St., www.saltislandprovisions.com) will feature “The Colors of Key West,” a new collection of abstract mixed media and acrylic paintings by Jodi Wautlet. To celebrate Wautlet’s first solo exhibit in Key West, SALT will be hosting an opening reception at the gallery from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, June 4.

Wautlet, who grew up and resides in Algoma, WI for the majority of the year, started her artistic exploration in 1999, when she took a drawing and painting course at University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. “I really enjoyed that experience, and would have pursued more academic work, but then things got complicated in my personal life, and I abandoned painting and drawing until 2017,” she said.

Wautlet first discovered Key West in 2014 when she and her husband stopped in for a day while on a cruise. “We really enjoyed it and we felt we should come back here sometime,” she said. “Two years later we came back for an extended stay, and over the past five years we have been coming more often and staying longer. The stars have aligned every time we are there, be it the people we meet, the timing … it’s all about the timing.”

After their stay in Key West in 2016, Wautlet began to experiment with knitting and crocheting while she wasn’t busy running the grocery store she had purchased from her parents in 2009. “I felt frustrated with how slow fiber work was, and that is when I began to draw and paint,” she explained. “Owning the store came with a lot of work, and at the end of the day I found that drawing and painting was a great way to decompress. My ‘process’ is driven by what occurs in my life. I paint almost daily. I always paint in the afternoon and the subject matter comes from what I experience earlier in the day. I think of it as a diary.”

To state the obvious, “The Colors of Key West” is heavily influenced by the artist’s time spent exploring the island. “The work I have for this show has been in the making for two years,” she said. “It is based on my experiences in Key West during this time. The visual aspects of Key West influenced all of my Art for this show. The kindness of the people, the colors, the air and the scent … I have never been more at peace. In Key West, I am grounded and free.”

“Although we typically try to highlight resident artists, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show Jodi’s amazing artwork” says gallery co-owner Laura Richardson. “Her paintings are so alive — you can’t help but feel moved when you look at her pieces. We feel so fortunate that Jodi asked us to host her solo Key West debut.”

SALT Gallery features an eclectic collection of local art, local sea salts, jewelry, pottery, wine and Florida Keys honey. Gallery owners Maria Sharpe and Laura Richardson feature a new artist each month at SALT. Wautlet’s work will remain on display until June 30. For more information, call 305-517-6088 or visit www.saltislandprovisions.com.

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