Joan Thorne: An Odyssey of Color,” at David Richard Gallery, New York (opens March 20): When it comes to the abstract paintings of Joan Thorne, a word that comes to mind is “molten.” Heat and light appear to circulate and swirl in the cavities and fissures of her colorful compositions. Opening this Wednesday at David Richard Gallery in Chelsea, “Joan Thorne: An Odyssey of Color” brings together eleven new paintings from the last two years in the context of Thorne’s larger body of work. With “colors, marks, and compositions” that “organically evolved throughout her six-decade career,” these recent paintings speak to the continued energy and pressure of her colorful oeuvre. —JP