Allied Arts hosted the opening reception for its two September exhibits featuring Haley Warner and Molly Fox.
Warner is a “multi-talented artist” with work on display from paintings to fabric creation. She is a mother of four and has been doing art since she was a child. This is her first exhibit and Warner described herself as “nervous” but “excited” to debut her art in her hometown.
“I started doing art professionally about seven years ago,” said Warner. “I love pushing my creative boundaries and exploring different mediums. And I had been looking to exhibit my work, so I wanted to start local and reached out to Allied Arts.”
Warner’s favorite piece in her exhibit is a piece depicting a herd of horses around a watering hole titled “Wild Horses.”
“It started out as fabric.
The horses are 3D and as I was creating, I came up with the background,” said Warner. “I love how dynamic the piece is.”
Originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts, Fox moved to Georgia after years of being in Florida to be near family. She now lives on Lake Oconee in Putnam County. Fox’s paintings focus on things she loves, vibrant colors, and emotion. They have been exhibited multiple times in Macon and this is her first exhibit in Milledgeville.
“Sometimes I see an object, or I get a feeling and I identify what brought that feeling on or what caught my focus and design around that,” said Fox. “A lot of my work is focused on nature, fantasy, and even food.
I’ve always loved whimsical things and I want to bring that out in my work.” Fox stated that her paintings are a way to escape from reality and remind both herself and her viewers of nostalgic times or fantasy-like settings.
“Growing up, I did not speak until I was about six years old, so drawing was an outlet of communication for me and self-representation.
Then, I began to professionally sell my art about three years ago,” said Fox.
“It can be hard to escape reality, so I wanted to make my art to be that way. It’s supposed to be fun and refreshing to look at.”
Fox’s favorite pieces in the exhibit are in a set focused on nostalgic foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert.
“A lot of the attendees (at the reception) seem to really like those paintings too and it makes me happy,” said Fox.
The Haley Warner and Molly Fox exhibits will be on display through the end of September at the Marlor House, located at 201 N Wayne St. in Milledgeville. Allied Arts is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for viewing.