Vatican Illuminated

Preliminary Studies - pencil   :   pastel pencil   :   watercolor



Vatican Illuminated
soft pastel on Pastelbord, watercolor underpainting
11x14

Last Look at Double Take

With 34 pieces total, this is my largest exhibit to date. It comes down on Sunday at the Workhouse in Lorton.

photography, either metallic ink or on canvas

gelato flavors featuring a young Sophia Loren

night photography

some of the pastels on display

Double Take: Photography & Paintings of Italy

My exhibit at Workhouse Building W-16 in Lorton ends on Sunday, July 1. A combination of pastel paintings and photography, it's a mini-vacation in Italy!

Murano Bound
20x24
photo on canvas

Venice Breeze

Venice Breeze
soft pastel on Pastelbord
11x14

Double Take Begins

Double Take is the study of images from Italy through photography and as pastel paintings by Bonnie Ferguson Butler as she doubles up and combines her two primary fine art interests. Although her general use of photography supports her creation of pastel paintings, Butler's overall philosophy is that great photos should stand alone as works of fine art, elevated beyond interpretation in other media. As a result, Butler's exhibit, Double Take: Photographs & Paintings of Italy, covers Northern, Central, and Southern Italy in both media, which are displayed as pastel paintings, metallic ink prints, and on canvas.

Along with the Workhouse Arts Center, Butler exhibits at The Loft Gallery in Occoquan. Her works are displayed on her websites, bfbutler.blogspot.com and bfbutlerphoto.blogspot.com. She is a Board Member of Springfield Art Guild and Founder of the Pastel Society of Virginia.

Double Take runs from June 6 through July 1 at the Workhouse Arts Center, Rt 123 at Lorton Road in Lorton VA. The opening in Building W-16 is in conjunction with the Workhouse Second Saturday Gallery Walk on Saturday, June 9 from 6-8pm. Light refreshments will feature an Italian influence.

Pastel:

Oasis Near Bologna
16x20
soft pastel
Based on poor quality photographs taken across the inside of a moving train headed from Rome to Venice, Oasis Near Bologna joins sister paintings Villagio del Vino and Tuscan Harvest, which were developed the same way. Many thanks to the patient passengers on that train.

Photography:



 
Two Dips is a series of nine mix and match photographs based on gelato flavors and colors. It features the likes of a youthful Sophia Loren, the source of inspiration traced throughout.
Two Dips, Cherry
Two Dips. Mango
8x10
metallic ink photograph

PS - Look for Ciao, Roma in the calendar section of June's élan magazine.



Note that my page on the Workhouse website is temporarily out of commission as they are redesigning the site.

PSV Exhibit Ending at Hylton Center

The Pastel Society of Virginia has an exhibit going through June 9 at the Hylton Center on the campus of GMU-Manassas. Take in an event or head up to the balcony on your own.

Oasis Near Bologna

Oasis Near Bologna
soft pastel
16x20 on board

Workhouse June Featured Artist: Double Take

I am Featured Artist at the Workhouse in Building W-16 beginning June 6 and will highlight both photography and paintings in my show, Double Take. The opening reception is June 9 from 6-8pm, which will coincide with Second Saturday celebrations all over the campus.

SAG at Virginia Beach: Creative Visions

Our group exhibit, Creative Visions, is still on display in Virginia Beach through June 29. We are all members of Springfield Art Guild and we've taken the show in the road to Towne Pavilion Center, 2101 Parks Avenue in Virginia Beach. The exhibit features many media: acrylic, watercolor, photography, mixed media/collage, oil, pastel, and more. My photograph, Jalousie, is printed on the card.

PSV at the Hylton Center, GMU-Manassas

Join the Pastel Society of Virginia at the Hylton Center of GMU-Manassas for an exhibit of our members. Artists will be on hand for Prince William Arts Council's Arts Alive on May 6 and a reception before the symphony on May 12, 5:30-7pm. The exhibit runs through June 9 and is available during the center's hours of operation.

Image: Kathy Waltermire's Born to Swim


My paintings exhibited include several paintings related to Prince William and Fairfax Counties as well as this one of Thor's Hammer in Utah:

Thor's Hammer, Bryce Canyon, UT
soft pastel
9x12 matted to 12x16