Halton's style is in some ways where Bemelman and Anderson meet, and yet it is altogether more refined and elegant in its simplicity and directness than both. And while these references may seem obscure to some readers, Halton's work can also be said to be influenced by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Alberto Giacometti; in fact, her work can be said to be the ultimate compliment - the work of a humble yet exceptional student who has been inspired to create a style all her own in some estimation as a result of the work they spent a lifetime creating. Taking the pure form of what she witnesses in life and putting it down on canvas, Halton defines the source of her inspiration in her artist statement:

I paint things in the world immediately surrounding me, whether it be a scene on the street, a portrait of a dog, or a logo off a bottle. I am inspired by these things and take them from everyday life and place them in new, vibrant spaces of color, shape and pattern. These environments are built using geometric lines and shapes, emphasizing composition. I use bright colors and playful patterns, inviting the viewer into this imaginary space.

Theresa Rojas, Halton's partner in the show at Bab's Underground Lounge, creates organic, flowing forms that are at once as reminiscent of Matisse as they are of Dali.

Rojas is self-taught, and a relative newcomer to the art world, though you wouldn't be able to tell from looking at her incredible body of work. A native of San Francisco who has now relocated to the Midwest, Rojas too uses the world around her for inspiration. By mixing an appreciation of ancient cultural symbolism and natural elements, she creates pieces that seem to be emotions given life in paint.

The inspiration that Rojas has taken from Ann Arbor is evident in her many interpretations of trees, and where many would struggle to constantly find new ways to express different points of view on a particular subject, she clearly has not. From the sun that feeds the trees to the buds they produce, Rojas captures the magic of nature with her brush again and again.

While writing this, it has come to me over and over again that we in this town - let me rephrase that - we in this state are incredibly fortunate to not only live in an ecologically bountiful and beautiful place, but that we have those among us, our artists, who are the human equivalent of the wonder held in nature.

If you are enticed by the work of these inspiring women artists, please rush down to Bab's' Underground Lounge before October 3. Engage in the beauty they have created face to face and you will be richer for it.