“Urban Life” reflects upon the pure moments of living in the thriving cities of New York, London and Paris. Ms. Hodges infuses her images with a sense of motion through a stark play of light and shadow, perspective, and fluid brushwork reminiscent of early 20th Century Cezanne. The collection depicts familiar images of everyday urban life. It encourages viewers to think beyond the canvas, recognize the images, and personally identify with the situation. Natural elements of snow and rain, as found in “Time Square” and “Chelsea,” intensify certain moments to strike deeper cords in the viewer. In “Place de la République,” the free and spontaneous movement of the dancers demonstrates a euphoria and self-confidence. Ms. Hodges brings an awareness and vitality to her work that is unusual for a first-time exhibitor.

Ms. Hodges’ style borrows color from the palettes of the impressionists, but the subjects and urban landscape compositions are more reminiscent of modernists such as Edward Hopper, Alexander Calder and David Hockney. The result is an inspiring collection that successfully blends the exuberant expressions of early 20th century realism with modern experiments in abstraction.