It's Hip to Be Square

Red Light District by Jane McElvany Coonce

 When the Gallery Underground announced "Be Square", an exhibit of paintings by Arlington Artists Alliance members as their Bonus show in August it piqued my interest.  All paintings 10″ x 10″ square, and will shown the month of August in the Gallery's Special Exhibition Space.

Over the Rainbow by Jane McElvany Coonce

I asked the artists - "Do you all have a favorite shape to work in? Would working a  square be a departure for you?  What happens to your work when you DO work in a different format?  Does it stay the same, change radically? "

Double Bubble by Jane McElvany Coonce

Although Jane McElvany Coonce works in various formats she tells me - " I like working Square.  I don't know why.  I just like them.  It's a little more challenging because  usually things don't always fit symmetrically .  But it's like a puzzle to me.  And I rearrange things until it works."

Diane's Garden by Jane McElvany Coonce

I would say so Jane!  Please come see Jane's and the other Alliance members works at the Gallery Underground during the month of August.

What's hanging above YOUR couch? PART 1

I think it is interesting to find out what artists hang over their OWN living room couches.  To that end we polled the Gallery Underground Artists and discovered that between landscapes, portraits, abstracts and "other" the winner was....  EVERYTHING across the board.  Seems like artists were evenly split between hanging their own art and pieces they just loved or admired.  I asked the artists to send me shots of their own couches.  Here is the first batch!

 Ok, so the first one is cheating a little. Mixed Media artist Anya Getter colorful piece is not exactly hanging over the sofa!   Anya says "My couch backs to the bookshelves, but this is hanging above my table."

Painter Jane Coonce dramatic close-up is from her own yard.   Jane says "The painting is called "Day Lily".  I did it from a close up photograph of one of those day lilies that run rampant through my garden.  

Although the flower is a nuisance because it takes over the whole area, the flower lent itself for a great painting.  So for that, I am thankful.  It's rather large.  (30x40 inches) and it's in oils.

Theresa Wells Stifel's Mixed Media piece "Take 5" is actually a portrait of her teenage son George.  "George's 'leather' jacket is actually made of old sheet music his boots of real leather and his skin and other clothing from fabric.  In fact his t shirt in the painting is a snip out of an outgrown favorite t shirt that George inherited from our good friend Elizabeth Loftis."

Stay tuned for Part 2!