20th Anniversary Show

Many long years ago when I worked exclusively in colored pencil, several of us working in that medium started a Critique Group. Our group has met every other month for twenty years and this year, we are fortunate to have a Twentieth Anniversary Show at American Art Company in Tacoma, WA. Many thanks to Tammy, owner of AAC and to Kay Dewar and Sueellen Ross for co-chairing the exhibition. The show will open July 11th and run to September 5th. Opening Reception is Saturday, July 18th, 2-4 PM. We would love to see you there!

Each artist will have six pieces in the show. Over the years, I have worked in other mediums so for me, this is a mini-retrospective. Below are my paintings that will be exhibited and available for purchase.

1999 - Worldly Goods, colored pencil on paper, 19 x 25 inches.

Worldly Goods is in the style of my colored pencil work - sharp point, light touch, color lifted with reusable adhesive for added nuance. This drawing was featured in a step-by-step article for American Artist Magazine. I was working on it at the same time I was writing Colored Pencil Solution Book. When this drawing was complete I realized that in my confusion of shooting slides (remember slides?) for CPSB, I had failed to shoot slides of this painting for the step-by-step article. So, with this drawing as my reference, I created another quarter-size version of this painting and shot slides of that one for the article. That smaller version of Worldly Goods sold but I still have the original, larger version and am so happy to show it with this group.

2001 - Falling In Love Again, colored pencil on paper, 25 x 18 inches

Two years later, I created Falling In Love Again. Still working in that meticulous circular stroke that I love. I love to NOT see a pencil "stroke." The texture of the paper was critical to the result I wanted.

2002 - Strawberry Reflections, watercolor with colored pencil, woven surface, 14 x 13 inches.

By 2002 I was experimenting with colored pencil applied over India ink and watercolor. This painting was originally about twice the size it is now and I wasn't pleased with the composition so I cut it in half, cut one of the halves into strips and wove the strips back into the other side in selected areas.

2004 - Love Life, colored pencil on paper, 14.5 x 14.5 inches

I was pleased with the woven effect in Strawberry Reflections and began a series of pieces that appeared woven but weren't. Each square has an abstract quality but continues to relate to the whole in color, texture and shape. The plums in the center focal point are handled in a traditional realistic manner. This painting is about abstraction, play of light and saturated color.

2014 - Found Memories, pastel, 12.5 x 11 inches

Completed in 2014, this pastel painting began years prior to that in a workshop with the amazing Elizabeth Mowry. Elizabeth quietly passed behind me checking on my progress without speaking. Her silence gave me confidence that I was doing OK. I finally told her I was about to apply a yellow and asked her opinion. She suggested a "quiet" yellow. I loved her workshop but this painting needed an update so in 2014 I reworked the top third and cropped a couple inches off the bottom. It comes with good memories that were found again when I worked on it the second time.

2014 - Bejeweled Woodland, 13 x 12.5 inches

My sixth painting in our group show is from my 2014 "Minds' Eye" series. Paintings from memory. A woodland scene with small jewel-like reflections in the water. Click any image to enlarge. We hope you have a chance to see the show in person but it will also be online at the American Art Company website.