2022 Southwest Washington Regional Juried Art Exhibition

We live in “wet” country. It was particularly rainy while I was reviewing the submissions for this show. Surrounded by muted colors and so much gray (so so so much gray), I was drawn to the brighter, more vivid works. With Cebron ‘Kyle’ Bradford’s Bloom, and Jennifer Lauer's To be Held as the core, I started leaning toward red paintings and worked outward through oranges like those seen in the center of Maureen Bridget Murphy’s Messages and in Cyrra Robinson’s little gem Seraphina. The yellows in this show are gorgeous! The golden yellows of Faith Hagenhofer’s fabric pieces, and the cool yellows in Paul Squires Plantain, and even though the yellow is missing in the title of Patsy Surh O'Connell's Beautiful Red, White, and Blue, the yellow background sings and helps the other colors shine. Blue sky in many shades is found in the paintings of Allyson Essen, John C. Kovell, Maureen Montague, and Jay Shepard. Blue compliments the intimacy of Carrie L. Larson’s books. I imagine the sky in John Tylczak’s Sinking of the Dix may have hints of blue. In Vladimir Shakov, Chris Wotten, and Shane Donaldson’s work the mix of bright colors drew me and had me pondering the meaning of their elements.

As I selected artworks, a tone began to evolve and I let that sound lead my choices so that each artwork supports the entire show. There were many examples of abstracted and non-representational work in the submissions, and I pulled in the works that I felt most strongly about. Becky Knold and Mary Lane both have work here that are impactful with their elegant compositions. While in Carin Christy and Kate Cosier’s work I see the colors and forms creating a sense of movement and mood. Tone Poem by Becky Frehse also has us looking into a swirling pool of color and light, with loosely depicted flowers and foliage. Marilyn Bedford and Janice Lyons created paintings of objects defined by a few restaind elements, color and form. They are sophisticated and charming. The pandemic painting by Sue McIntire brings together images that are combined and overlapped in a way that makes them less recognizable. They feel inquisitive, possibly hopeful, and find moments of beauty among the difficulties of the pandemic era. The light hearted doodley-ness of David Moore’s Sample 72g stands apart from the other abstracted works in the show. The playful lines and forms are another balm for gray drippy days.

I leaned away from figurative works, with a couple exceptions. The portraits by Sandra Bocas, Sharvoski Gunn, and Rene Westbrook were included for how powerful all three are, and the visceral response I had to each. The figures in Judith Smith’s The Waiting Game intrigued me with their combination of drama and melancholy. There are two tiny figures in Frank Winter’s Fishing Fourth Beach. I didn’t see them at first and they were a pleasant surprise. Those figures looking so small, next to the rocks, waves, and sky, made me think of how vulnerable they must be with such strong forces surrounding them.

Charles Pitz’s sculptures are fabulous curiosities. They combine hardwood and collections of natural specimens in a way that makes them seem both Sci-Fi and antique. The works by Kim Schult and Jane Degenhardt are the most realistically rendered works in the show. Degenhardt’s paintings focus on a small area of the natural landscape. The paintings bring my attention to the details of these fascinating things that I walk by so often without ever seeing. Schult’s Sunbathing Beauties made me laugh out loud when I saw them. It’s the gray chicken that does it for me, the way she seems squished between the other birds, her leg awkwardly stretched out. The white chicken looks annoyed, while the red and speckled stare menacingly - it is slapstick comedy and I enjoy it so much!

I truly appreciate all the wonderful work in this show and am thankful to the artists for sharing their talents. I am grateful to Sean Barnes and the staff of The Leonor R. Fuller Gallery for all the time and effort put into making this show happen.

Cheers to everyone who is a part of this show!