PONSHOP's Square City ~ Potomac Artworks

8.31.2010

PONSHOP's Square City

"In September 2010, PONSHOP will transform their gallery walls to reflect the richness, diversity, and life emerging from cities of the past, present, and future."

In an exhibit with exacting measurements, "Square City" required all pieces to be 12x12, 16x16, 20x20, or 24x24. I submitted a 12x12 that was accepted into this Fredericksburg, VA show. The juror was artist and VCU Professor Bob Worthy, who carved 63 pieces by 37 artists down to 32 works for the show. I am happy to be included in those stats.

Here are some looks at the juried pieces before hanging...

The Opening will be Fredericksburg's First Friday on September 3 from 6-10p at 710 Caroline St and the show runs through September 26.

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The Charm of en Plein Air

Much of my work is done en plein air, French for "in the open air." People often associate it with the Impressionists, but the move to paint outside preceded them by a number of decades. The trend to appreciate landscapes as a genre at all was new for the time.

Several characteristics contribute to the distinctive beauty of en plein air painting. They are generally smaller in size in order to be able to capture a scene in a single sitting. Because of the time limit and environmental factors such as the sun and shadows moving, they often lack extensive details and might appear slightly fuzzy or unfinished. Lastly, they tend to have a freshness and spontaneity which makes them impossible to compare to traditional and methodological studio work. That said, my own studio work tends toward the same feel as en plein air, which then identifies my overall style: softness with an edge.

My aim when painting en plein air is for alla prima paintings, which roughly translates for me as "what happens outside, stays outside." It adds another level of difficulty to the work.

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8.31.2010