What a great art weekend.
Thursday was the opening of the Siren Nation art show Paths to the Pacific Northwest at Albina press. Friday was Red Dot's PDXTRAOrdinary show. Then Saturday I used my two free tickets to Sitka Art Invitational (thank you to abstract artist Ruth Armitage for passing them along at PDX Open Studio!) Armitage had a few incredible pieces in the show, and I was introduced to a few new artists who's work was fantastic.
Oh look at that patterning! Pattern is clearly a big element in her work, and it's somehow calming to find a successful artist who clearly loves pattern as much as I love pattern. O'Donoghue has found a way to weave it into her work in an interesting and playful way.
Her work looks great in the digital sphere but you can't see all the rich layers that are so apparent when you're standing in front of it live.
Also bonus: She paints in acrylic.
This owl. What is it about owls that are so intrinsically heart warming? What I love about this piece especially is the economy of stroke. So sure, there are a lot of strokes, but because this is monoprint, you can really see the patterning in the strokes in a way that is delightful. Potter's work encourages me to get back into owls after last week's owl fiasco.
All of her paintings are wonderful and clearly she has put in the hours drawing, but there is something about Thru the Mist that captures everything I hope to paint some day. You can tell what it is but it's loose in an incredible way. Not abstract art but only a few steps off. That hair. That shadow under the nose. I should book mark this painting so whenever I feel astray, I can come back to something that so captures how I hope to paint some day.