Joy Makon is showing new watercolors done in her studio during the hot summer. “I didn’t have to go too far from home for the inspiration for these two works. A July Sparkler is from my backyard and Local Sunset is from a nearby busy intersection. Both paintings explore the phenomena that occurs when our vision is challenged in both harsh, bright sunlight and during twilight. What we see is filled with ambiguity: details blur into shadows, which blur into darkness. In both works, while I paid close attention to certain forms, the majority of the image is what we think is there, but is only implied.
Nancy Lunsford continues her portrait work, started last year, to honor and recognize African American and Civil Rights leaders. Her small-scale portraits are done on wood panels with a technique that uses burned and charred mark making. While some well-known figures are shown, most of Nancy’s attention is devoted to those who have not received widespread recognition for their contributions to American history and progress.
On a personal level, 2018 has been insanely busy for Richard Barnet and he has turned to drawing and watercolor to visualize and give some coherence to his often-rushed and distracted thoughts. Barnet says of this new work “Monument is a premonition of where the disgraceful state of global politics continues to exist. How I Think is a reflection on my state of mind when I made it this summer. I am interested in symbols and meanings, as well as designs in my work, yet acknowledge that any additional statements about context and content is often best left to others to interpret as they will”.