Central Gallery

Current Exhibition: July 15 - October 15, 2026 | Gallery Reception: July 18, 5-7 pm

The spiritus series: Beyond the surface

An exhibit by Scott Ballard

I love painting in and around my NC High Country home in Ashe County, and I began my "Spiritus" Series in 2025. These varied works that are less about literal representation and beyond Impressionism depicting more essence, energy, and what is beyond the surface, the soul of the landscape or creature.

While I do paint on canvas, I prefer the natural feel of wood panels, many of which I cut myself to specific sizes. I love going bigger and one of my favorite pieces was a commissioned two-panel 12.5 x 4’ indoor mural “The Birds of Wyoming” for a Wildlife Biology lab on the University of Wyoming campus. My method is called "alla prima" or the direct/wet-on-wet technique of oil painting with very little or no thinning. I offer the colors a chance to blend and fuse into something new and unique every time.

Each painting is a conversation. Sometimes when I think a painting is “finished,” I let it rest for a few days, and occasionally it will let me know that there is more to the story. If any of these paintings speak to you, let me know, I would be honored to have them grace your home.