Wintry blues and whites dominated the subjects of art works in the Renaissance Gallery's Winter Carnival.

The Winter Carnival was a display of gallery members' and students' winter theme art displayed for the month of January. The gallery has about 11 members and several students who were eligible to show their work at the gallery.

"We are just here celebrating winter and hoping that it warms up," said Fern Christian, the president of the gallery.

Christian said several people had already attended the Winter Carnival, which is on display until Jan. 27.

The key to painting any theme, Christian said, is to paint your favorite thoughts and memories of the subject. One of Christian's paintings was a conceptualization of what she imagined skiing would be like.

"The first part is me upside down on skis, the next is going into a tree," Christian said. "I never went skiing, but it's what I imagine it would be like if I went."

Other works include subjects such as warm fireplace settings, snowy landscapes and a few of just people enjoying the season.

The Renaissance Gallery is now preparing for its next exhibit, a showcase of the talents of Elaine Blue. Christian said Blue's work was a celebration of Black History Month.

"She paints in a style known as Alley Art," Christian said. "She is a wonderful lady with a lot of talent. She is a poet, playwright and a painter."

Blue's work will be displayed throughout the month of February beginning Feb. 1. Blue said her art is often considered odd and abstract, but she enjoys being different.

"My goal as an artist is to connect with the viewer at a level where they can be a part of the creative process," Blue said.

The Renaissance Gallery is located at 900 8th St., Suite 20, Huntington. For more information, call (304) 525-3235 or e-mail gallerywv@yahoo.com. You can also visit the Web site at www.orgsites.com/wv/ renaissance.

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