Boulder, CO
Mary Williams Fine Arts, September 12-October 12
This story was featured in the September 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
WOMEN ARTISTS of the West heads to Mary Williams Fine Arts in Boulder, CO, this month for its 49th annual national juried exhi-bition. In a nod to the venue’s Rocky Mountain environs, the group has named its latest show Mountain Aire, but the title—with its fresh and breezy implications—also conveys the sense of refreshment visitors are likely to feel when viewing this diverse and emotive exhibition. The show opens on Thursday, September 12, with an awards presentation by judge Ann Larsen at 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception at the gallery at 5 p.m.
With more than 100 paintings and sculptures on view, including pieces by 23 Master Signature members, the show runs the gamut in mediums, subjects, and styles, including varying degrees of realism. Viewers might be tempted to “sidle up” to IRIS IN SUNLIGHT by Laurie Sorkin, for example, to see if the artist’s lifelike floral painting is emitting a fragrance, says WAOW president Mary Ann Cherry. “Conversely,” she adds, “some of the pieces are loose, vibrant, and leave much to the viewer’s imagination.”
Demonstrating her impressionistic flair is western landscape painter Jan DeLipsey, who brings CHAMA RIVER CHARM, an oil painting inspired by her walk through a lavender farm in Abiquiu, NM, one autumn day. “When I turned the corner, digging through thick undergrowth, there was a single, splendid cottonwood on the bank of the Chama River,” says DeLipsey, who had brought along her paint box. Instantly charmed by the golden tree, the artist painted the scene on the spot.
In the figurative realm, Sandy Wisecup showcases THE BOSS, a watercolor portrait starring a self-assured woman named Nadine, whose daughter founded and produces the national horsemanship competition Road to the Horse. Nadine, says the Utah artist, “captured my artist eye in her colorful scarf and shirt, and my heart with her buckaroo hat positioned at a jaunty tilt.”
Of course, florals, landscapes, and portraits are just a sampling of what’s on view; wildlife works, urbanscapes, architectural depictions, and assorted still-life arrangements can also be found among the mix. Sculptures—including limited-edition bronze pieces such as Kim Shaklee’s sleek portrayal of a feline entitled SOFISTICAT—add further dynamism to the show. As WAOW exhibitions always do, the show dishes up “great variety in subject matter, emotion, and mood,” says Cherry. —Kim Agricola
contact information
918.868.6070
www.waow.org
This story was featured in the September 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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