D.C. artist Sally Levie takes her cues from forests. Her O2 - Intersections of Nature features both precise paintings and unruly drawings, but nearly all begin with the shapes of trunks, branches and leaves. Even the few humans portrayed in this Studio Gallery show nestle and overlap in a profusion that suggests vegetation.

The most arresting of the pictures, rendered with charcoal, are hardly pastoral.  Levie depicts such phenomena as an “exploding tree”–according to one title – with vigor, a free hand and dynamic contrasts of light and dark. Rather than depict trees as quietly fixed in place, the drawings seem to express the vitality pulsing within them.

Sally Levie The title of Sally Levie’s show at Studio Gallery is “Oxygen,” but she doesn’t attempt to depict the colorless gas. Her subject is the O2-emitting tree, sometimes singular but often in lush profusion. The well-traveled D.C. artist works in various styles and media, devising impressionistic oils, precise charcoals and drippy acrylics. Among the show’s highlights are “Oak, Napa,” a black-and-white drawing, and “Night Forest — Denmark,” in which light shines from behind the dark trunks. The illumination may be natural or man-made, but whatever the source, its glimmering provides a mysterious radiance.

“Levie wants her audience to experience “the joy of art but also awareness of how fragile our world is…”  “Whatever the answer may be your correspondent urges you to visit and take a deep breath for Oxygen”

“Glimpses of Solitude is a series of rich paintings by Sally Levie featuring winter forests, summers in France, and contemplative figures.  They depict abstracted scenes evoking feels of serenity.  Her winter paintings are pauses in silent forests; her summer paintings are warm breezes from lavender fields, and her peaceful figures reside in dreamy spaces.  Levie’s beautiful painting technique gives the subjects a stunning texture and a unique purity.”

“Sally Levie’s Thoughtful evokes an array of sensibilities from beauty an inspiration to sorrow and subtle desperation. Thoughtful is a wonderful work of art that must be experienced and seen.  We encourage anyone who is interested to stop by Studio Gallery to truly engage yourself with this piece of art as well as the many other artworks that Levie has on display.”

 “Glimpses of Solitude  at the Studio Gallery features winter forests and summers in France. Levie’s beautiful painting technique gives the forest a stunning texture and unique purity.”