Friends and Family ~ Potomac Artworks

8.30.2011

Friends and Family

The Workhouse recently held a juried entry for their Friends and Family show. Artists already exhibiting there were asked to choose a friend or family member not affiliated with the Workhouse to come together and submit works for jury.

The Opening is September 3 5-7p and the show runs until September 25.

I had seen this image already on my sister's Facebook and immediately thought of it when I learned of the special exhibit. My sister, Roxann, has a keen eye for composition and especially likes naturally-created still lifes, but she doesn't use her photography like she should! The bike is labelled as TAXI, so it seemed fitting for the photo's name.

To coordinate with it, I chose a picture I took of my son and called it "Sun in my Eyes" which, of course, is a homonym for my real intent.

The incredible news is that our photos made the front of the show's postcard! My sister is going to be spoiled into thinking all this art stuff is easy.

2 comments:

Lynne Grossman said...: That is such cool news about your sister's photo of honor! (Plus your great eye in noticing it and encouraging her.) I can certainly understand about that "easy" part, though. :); August 30, 2011 at 5:20 AM
Bonnie said...: Thanks, Lynne. I was so thrilled to see her picture on the postcard, I forgot about mine being there, too.

I am glad you picked up on the noticing and encouraging part. That's my real goal. She lives near a metropolitan area that should offer opportunities to show photography and I hope this gives her confidence to do more. (Hint, hint, Roxann. I know you're reading.); August 30, 2011 at 5:40 AM

Post a Comment

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.

Pages

8.30.2011