Kicking off the New Year

2017 has started off with a bit of excitement for me - participating in the annual Black & White Show. It was surprising to be asked if I was interested but I jumped at the opportunity to get myself out there again and regain confidence in myself after a bumpy 2 years. Having it's origin with Blue Moon Gallery, curator Carol Brewer has been able to bring the annual tradition with her to her new position with the Allied Ceramic Arts Institute (ACAI). With only black, white and grey tones able to be used, participating artists are challenged to create works of art in their respective mediums. This year, 30+ artisans were able to participate in the show with a wide range of materials used and subject matters covered. 

Little Red Riding Hood
Watercolors on Paper (7.5 x 9.5 inches)

The first work that I ended up creating had the simplistic title of Little Red Riding Hood. Based off of a photo from a Japanese Lolita style photoshoot with the same theme, I was drawn to the innocence in the model's face and the subtle detailing of not only the fabric which made up her outfit but the way her hair was braided. Even the forested background had just the right balance of detail and blur which complimented the model herself. I enjoyed the concept of having a different ethnicity portraying such a fond childhood fairy tale so I knew I wanted to work on the piece. I couldn't help but fall in love with how the strands of hair gave more life and texture to the surprising amount of gentle curves in the piece. Surprisingly, what actually gave me the most trouble trying to present in the piece while working was the subtle vine pattern in the fabric of her cap and cowl. Within the original image, the fabric was (of course) red with a mix of faintly lighter and darker red pattern. It was one of those moment where, if you quickly glanced, you would get a sense of it being there but wouldn't know exactly what it was until you looked closer. It took me several tries before I was able to properly show what I wanted. 

Traditional Ukrainian Beauty
Watercolors on Paper (7.5 x 9.5 inches) 

Traditional Ukrainian Beauty became the second piece I had created for the show. Wandering through various photos depicting traditional dress of women from around the world, I was originally struck by the vibrant colors in the photo. How would I be able to depict the beauty I was seeing in black and white? That is when I realized that I should show it through the textures and details that was being shown. With the mindset of texture, I was focused on the softness of the headpiece and the contrast of the surprisingly hard lines of the ribbons with their delicate floral patterns. As I worked, I couldn't help but find the serenity of the woman's face making me think of some depictions of the Virgin Mary. Of course this led to the chain of thoughts of creating a series of Mary of various ethnicity, but that is for another time. I'm actually quite pleased with the end results of this particular piece.



Both pieces are currently available at the Black & White show so if you are in the Greater Sacramento area, I encourage you to stop by ACAI to check out the show. If you have any questions about the show, please contact Carol Brewer at carol.brewer@acaistudios.com .

Show Continues - January 25th - February 11th 2017

Gallery Hours: Wed thru Fri. noon-4pm,
Saturday 11am - 3pm or by appointment

ACAI Gallery & Studios
7425 Winding Way Fair Oaks, CA 95628
(916) 966-2453