On Thursday night, around 40 people attended the reception for Aimee Cardoso’s “Compulsion” exhibit at the Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio.

Cardoso’s paintings were all about colorful fabric; she talked about her inspiration for them.

“I think a lot of it has to do with my love of art, actually,” Cardoso said. “I’m obsessed with architecture and the Italian Renaissance and looked to that as kind of an inspiration on a daily basis.”

Cardoso explained her process when it came to making the paintings for the exhibit, which runs through March 31.

“I think it started in the summer,” Cardoso said. “One of them I finished because I had just started this kind of new series of this forest, these forest works within a frame. I think the first one I finished maybe in April or May of the series and the rest of them I worked on since 2019, just carving out time every day or every other day just sit there and paint at night when I found time and sacrifice a little bit of sleep here and there.”

Rueben Gonzales, visiting assistant professor of art and coordinator of the studio, shared his enthusiasm about Cardoso’s work. He is also a good friend of Cardoso.

“So, I’ve known Aimee for about four or five years, we worked together at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth,” Gonzales said. “I’ve been aware of her work and her painting for a while and I just really thought that the kind of work that she does, it’s a couple of things. I think it’s excellent work and I think it’s fresh.”

Gonzales said he believes that the event will be a hit among gallery patrons.

“I think there’s something kind of for everyone to see regardless of background or age,” Gonzales added. “People can interpret it in different ways so I think across the board people can enjoy it.”

Nancy Lamb, a fellow painter and friend of Cardoso, has been a fan of her work for a while and said why she bought one of Cardoso’s paintings.

“I feel like I just want to kind of fall into it,” Lamb said. “I also love to paint fabric and I’ve been watching her for several years and I’ve been seeing her do other pieces that are like it.”

“Compulsion” is being exhibited at the Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio through March 31. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday though Thursday. For more information, go to txwes.edu.