Viewpoint ended on Sunday. I saw it all three weekends. I went to the opening with my friend, Cindy. We took in the ambiance and excitement of the evening. I took pictures of the show. We talked to other artists and attendees of the show. We discussed what we liked and which ones we thought would take a prize. After the prizes were handed out we then talked about our choices and how we stacked up to the judges choices.
Then I took my friend Tina with the intent to take more and/or better pictures then I was able to do on opening night. Once there I decided to just absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the artwork. Again, I discussed with her our likes, but this time with the knowledge of who the winners were.
On the closing day of the show, I took my student so that we could critique the show together. It was nice to see the paintings through her eyes. I knew how I felt and the opinions of my friends. However, my student slowly looked around the show and come away surprised with herself about what she liked. She confided in me that she normally leans to works that are cool in color, realistic or modern in style. Then she found herself looking closely at the brush strokes, the detail and then the subject matter.
She told me that she thought she liked the paintings that were more realistic and had a finished look. However, after viewing the show she learned about color placement, texture and what she perceived as a "realistic" painting could be abstract in design. She pointed out two paintings where the subject was prominent and the background faded. She said that her first thought was that they bothered her that they were not "finished". She thought she wanted the tight detail. Yet, after looking around and seeing the paintings from across the room she could see how they worked.
She stated that she saw color used in a way that she would not have thought to use it. Using Mary Helen Wallace's pastel painting of a timber wolf as an example, she was surprised how Mary Helen had used purple, blues and pinks on the wolf's coat and how it still read as fur.
Then I gave her the million dollar question...."If money was no object, which painting would you buy and why?"
With careful thought she choose Hyde Park (oil) by Carol MacConnel. She said that she felt she could look at this painting everyday and enjoy it. She liked the colors, the texture created by the brush strokes and the sunshine coming through the trees. She liked how it looked different from afar then it did close up.
She said that her decorating palette was neutral and she felt that this painting would be the showcase of any room she would place it.
I enjoyed each person that I viewed the show with and their perspective. Some of us liked the same paintings while some of us had a different take on a few of the paintings. We all agreed that the judge took his time and stayed true to his statement that he looked at the technical first when he chose each painting for the show and then the winners.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gaylynn
Then I took my friend Tina with the intent to take more and/or better pictures then I was able to do on opening night. Once there I decided to just absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the artwork. Again, I discussed with her our likes, but this time with the knowledge of who the winners were.
On the closing day of the show, I took my student so that we could critique the show together. It was nice to see the paintings through her eyes. I knew how I felt and the opinions of my friends. However, my student slowly looked around the show and come away surprised with herself about what she liked. She confided in me that she normally leans to works that are cool in color, realistic or modern in style. Then she found herself looking closely at the brush strokes, the detail and then the subject matter.
She told me that she thought she liked the paintings that were more realistic and had a finished look. However, after viewing the show she learned about color placement, texture and what she perceived as a "realistic" painting could be abstract in design. She pointed out two paintings where the subject was prominent and the background faded. She said that her first thought was that they bothered her that they were not "finished". She thought she wanted the tight detail. Yet, after looking around and seeing the paintings from across the room she could see how they worked.
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| Mary Helen Wallace Racing With the Moon Pastel |
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| Carol MacConnel Hyde Park Oil |
With careful thought she choose Hyde Park (oil) by Carol MacConnel. She said that she felt she could look at this painting everyday and enjoy it. She liked the colors, the texture created by the brush strokes and the sunshine coming through the trees. She liked how it looked different from afar then it did close up.
She said that her decorating palette was neutral and she felt that this painting would be the showcase of any room she would place it.
I enjoyed each person that I viewed the show with and their perspective. Some of us liked the same paintings while some of us had a different take on a few of the paintings. We all agreed that the judge took his time and stayed true to his statement that he looked at the technical first when he chose each painting for the show and then the winners.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Gaylynn
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