There's a lot to see in
the historic district of Ellicott City and not everybody sees it in the same
way. You can see many different takes on these old streets in the group exhibit
"Paint It! Ellicott City 2012" at the Howard County Arts Council.
This show displays artwork that was done outdoors during a single weekend. The artists had to work fast and also had to adjust to changing weather and times of day. They doubtless also had to be prepared to put down the brush while taking questions from curious pedestrians. The resulting artwork was jurored by painter Matt Klos, who is chair of the visual arts department at Anne Arundel Community College.
Although familiar landmarks along Main Street feature prominently in much of the exhibited art, some of the more notable pieces seek out quiet side streets or at least go for a distinctive take on familiar scenes.
Barbara Nuss's Best in Show-winning oil painting, "Hill Street Blues," for instance, calls your attention to wood frame houses climbing a narrow and hilly little street. The sense of sharp angles is accentuated by diagonally tilted utility poles.
Sharing the Best in Show award with her is Heather Leatherman's oil painting, "Rumor Mill and Rope Lights," whose depiction of the back of modest buildings seems all the more isolated owing to the nocturnal conditions illuminated only by a single street light.
Several of the other artists also are especially sensitive to light effects at different times of day. Mick Williams' watercolor,What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? "Cool Blue Morning," depicts a section of Main Street in which the early morning conditions result in blue shadows on a few of the brown buildings.
In Jeff Wilson's third place-winning watercolor, "Leaving the Phoenix," several pedestrians cast such long shadows that it seems even later in the day than the overcast sky otherwise indicates; it truly does seem like last call for them. In a watercolor that did not win a prize and yet qualifies as one of the best works in the show, Wilson's watercolor "The Red Caboose" depicts it resting on tracks next to the B&O Railroad Museum; the earthy browns and pale greens used for the surrounding landscape establish such a contemplative mood that it's only fitting that even the red used for the caboose is muted.
Catherine Hillis' watercolor, "Morning Breaks — Ellicott City"; Deborah Maklowski's pastel, "Mill View, Late Day"; and Mark Coates' oil painting, "High Noon, Park Ave.," are several of the other light-sensitive works.
Some of the artists are intrigued by the way in which buildings essentially can be thought of in geometric terms. Greg Johannesen's honorable mention-winning pastel, "Merryman and Main," devotes most of the composition to the architectural planes comprising the back of a house. Pat Dillon's aptly titled oil painting, "Alley Geometry," looks at modestly sized buildings as cubic forms, with vertical contrast provided by a street light pole in the middle of the composition and a church steeple in the background.
Rather than looking at the buildings, several other artists search out the natural scenery around town. Stewart White's watercolor, "Summer '12 Memory," which won the Blossoms of Hope Award — Best Depiction of Nature prize, has as its focus the swirling water under the Main Street bridge crossing the Patapsco River; several people are standing in the water and several others are watching from the bridge in what seems like a cool activity on a hot day.What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? John Brandon Sills heads over to a tributary for his oil painting, "The Tiber," whose tightly cropped composition makes this downtown stream feel like a pocket of wilderness.
People pop up in only a few of the works. Stewart White's honorable mention-winning oil painting, "Rehearsing the Kissing Scene,The indoortracking industry is heavily involved this year." mostly shows the imposing ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute, but you can see two costumed figures on a bench who presumably are Romeo and Juliet rehearsing a scene from this summer's outdoor production of Shakespeare's play.
And the human presence is strongly implied in works including David Diaz's otherwise unpeopled second place-winning oil painting, "Derecho Aftermath," whose yellow construction crane is doing tree- and utility-related tasks from that summer storm. Duane Sabiston's honorable mention-winning acrylic painting, "West Main Street," does not have people in it,What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? but a parked red car is so assertive that it has a personality of its own.What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors?
Also exhibiting are Paul Bertholet, Mary Jo Tydlacka, Lida Stifel, Richard Dorbin, Steve Stannard, Paul Napoleon Moscatt, Bruno Baran, Roberta Staat, Wiley Purkey, Sandra (Sam) Alger, Janice Kirsh and Rita Curtis.
This show displays artwork that was done outdoors during a single weekend. The artists had to work fast and also had to adjust to changing weather and times of day. They doubtless also had to be prepared to put down the brush while taking questions from curious pedestrians. The resulting artwork was jurored by painter Matt Klos, who is chair of the visual arts department at Anne Arundel Community College.
Although familiar landmarks along Main Street feature prominently in much of the exhibited art, some of the more notable pieces seek out quiet side streets or at least go for a distinctive take on familiar scenes.
Barbara Nuss's Best in Show-winning oil painting, "Hill Street Blues," for instance, calls your attention to wood frame houses climbing a narrow and hilly little street. The sense of sharp angles is accentuated by diagonally tilted utility poles.
Sharing the Best in Show award with her is Heather Leatherman's oil painting, "Rumor Mill and Rope Lights," whose depiction of the back of modest buildings seems all the more isolated owing to the nocturnal conditions illuminated only by a single street light.
Several of the other artists also are especially sensitive to light effects at different times of day. Mick Williams' watercolor,What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? "Cool Blue Morning," depicts a section of Main Street in which the early morning conditions result in blue shadows on a few of the brown buildings.
In Jeff Wilson's third place-winning watercolor, "Leaving the Phoenix," several pedestrians cast such long shadows that it seems even later in the day than the overcast sky otherwise indicates; it truly does seem like last call for them. In a watercolor that did not win a prize and yet qualifies as one of the best works in the show, Wilson's watercolor "The Red Caboose" depicts it resting on tracks next to the B&O Railroad Museum; the earthy browns and pale greens used for the surrounding landscape establish such a contemplative mood that it's only fitting that even the red used for the caboose is muted.
Catherine Hillis' watercolor, "Morning Breaks — Ellicott City"; Deborah Maklowski's pastel, "Mill View, Late Day"; and Mark Coates' oil painting, "High Noon, Park Ave.," are several of the other light-sensitive works.
Some of the artists are intrigued by the way in which buildings essentially can be thought of in geometric terms. Greg Johannesen's honorable mention-winning pastel, "Merryman and Main," devotes most of the composition to the architectural planes comprising the back of a house. Pat Dillon's aptly titled oil painting, "Alley Geometry," looks at modestly sized buildings as cubic forms, with vertical contrast provided by a street light pole in the middle of the composition and a church steeple in the background.
Rather than looking at the buildings, several other artists search out the natural scenery around town. Stewart White's watercolor, "Summer '12 Memory," which won the Blossoms of Hope Award — Best Depiction of Nature prize, has as its focus the swirling water under the Main Street bridge crossing the Patapsco River; several people are standing in the water and several others are watching from the bridge in what seems like a cool activity on a hot day.What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? John Brandon Sills heads over to a tributary for his oil painting, "The Tiber," whose tightly cropped composition makes this downtown stream feel like a pocket of wilderness.
People pop up in only a few of the works. Stewart White's honorable mention-winning oil painting, "Rehearsing the Kissing Scene,The indoortracking industry is heavily involved this year." mostly shows the imposing ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute, but you can see two costumed figures on a bench who presumably are Romeo and Juliet rehearsing a scene from this summer's outdoor production of Shakespeare's play.
And the human presence is strongly implied in works including David Diaz's otherwise unpeopled second place-winning oil painting, "Derecho Aftermath," whose yellow construction crane is doing tree- and utility-related tasks from that summer storm. Duane Sabiston's honorable mention-winning acrylic painting, "West Main Street," does not have people in it,What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors? but a parked red car is so assertive that it has a personality of its own.What is the best way to clean porcelaintiles floors?
Also exhibiting are Paul Bertholet, Mary Jo Tydlacka, Lida Stifel, Richard Dorbin, Steve Stannard, Paul Napoleon Moscatt, Bruno Baran, Roberta Staat, Wiley Purkey, Sandra (Sam) Alger, Janice Kirsh and Rita Curtis.
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