My recent profile in The Beacon

Greetings, all. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your family and loved ones.

I wanted to share a profile piece that recently ran in The Beacon, a family-owned publication for the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

The piece describes my path back to painting and creating, my areas of focus, and the influences and inspirations that color my artwork and creative process.

Most importantly, this profile is a perfect example of something I believe fervently: it's never too late to pursue your dreams.

You can read the article here - and stay tuned for more news on upcoming shows and artwork!

2017 In Review

It’s hard to believe we are rounding the corner of 2017, and heading into a brand new year. I’d like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the last twelve months, which were fantastic for me and my art.

There were many highlights throughout the year, but I’d love to highlight what particularly stands out as I reflect back.

In late 2016, I won first place at the Members Show at the Art League of Ocean City. This allowed me the great privilege of showing my painting in the “Best of 2016” show at the Art League in January 2017, and also meant my work was included in the gallery’s marketing materials for 2017. While winning first place was wonderful on its own, it was also special to see my work used to reach a wider audience in promoting the gallery.

I also won third place in the art show “Text,” with a collage/acrylic piece named #5 Montgomery Ave. This was especially meaningful for me because the name of the show also corresponds with the address of the first home my husband and I purchased. This win will mean the painting will be showcased in the Art League’s “Best of 2017” show, scheduled for January 2018.

In August, I was pleased to show at the Oasis Gallery, in a joint show with fellow artist Estelle Zornan. Later in the year, I partnered with my friend and fellow artist Carolyn Avery in another joint show, this one at The Yellow Barn at Glen Echo.

2017 also saw my first-ever solo show. I was pleased to present “Chapter Three” at ArtWorks Now, where my show was the first to visit their brand-new facility. The opening of the show, and of the building, was attended by Prince George’s Country Executive Rushern Baker, the Mayor of Hyattsville, Candace B. Hollingsworth, members of the Prince George’s County Arts Council, and many others.

Lastly, I’m very proud to have been asked to judge the resident art show at the Riderwood Senior Residence. Out of 110 submitted pieces, 80 were chosen for the show. The artists ranged in age from 65-80+, and represented a variety of backgrounds: engineers, housewives, scientists, writers and more. The artwork was exceptional, and the show was particularly meaningful for me as it reinforced my belief that art is timeless, ageless and of great importance for all.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year. I look forward to making new art – and new memories – in 2018.

Two upcoming fall shows

Though it may not seem so when you step outside, fall is right around the corner – and with it, new exhibitions. I’m excited to announce my participation in two upcoming shows this fall, and hope you’ll join me at one or both.

The first is the 2017 Decorator Show House in Ellicott City. Since 1987, the Historic Ellicott City Decorator Show House has brought local artists and designers together to decorate rooms of magnificent Howard County homes. This year’s show house is the White Hall Estate.

The estate was built between 1800 and 1810, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Myself and my fellow artists from the Artists’ Gallery of Ellicott City have been invited to display artwork in the specific areas of house, lending those who attend the show the unique and exciting opportunity to wander a historic estate while catching glimpses of the work of local artists.

The Show House will be available for public viewing from Sept. 24-Oct.22, Tues-Sat from 10-4pm and Sundays from 12-5pm. Tickets can be purchased online, or at the door, and proceeds benefit the Historic Ellicott Revitalization Grant Program and the restoration of Carrollton Hall.

The second exhibition I have planned for this fall is a joint show with my friend and fellow artist Carolyn Avery, at The Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery from October 7-8. There will be a reception, with refreshments and snacks, from 2-5 p.m. that Saturday. The exhibition will be open each day from 12-5 p.m.

I’m looking forward to exhibiting some of my collected works alongside my friend, and hope to see you there. You can find The Yellow Barn Studio at 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, stay cool, and I hope to see you this fall.

-       Pauline

ArtWorks Now Exhibit

I'm excited to announce that I will be exhibiting a number of my works at the ArtWorks Now Gallery at 4800 Rhode Island Ave, Suite 1, in Hyattsville.

ArtWorks Now's beautiful new building will open on July 15, 2017, and the gallery will open alongside it. You're welcome to join me at the opening of the new building as we celebrate the space. After that, my exhibit, "Chapter Three," will hang through August 28. Please join me on that day to celebrate the show with a closing reception!

The title of my show “Chapter Three” is a direct reference to the three roles I have undertaken during my adult life: housewife, corporate executive and now, artist. As a teen, I always harbored dreams of being an artist, but my interest lay dormant for many years as I spent 13 years running a home, and then transitioned into a career in corporate America. My passion resurfaced in 2003, when I took a sketching class, and since early 2012, I have painted regularly. My story, and my third chapter, shows that if you have a passion percolating in the back of your mind, you should never give up on your dream.

I hope to see you there!

Update on The Oasis Gallery exhibit

For those of you who joined me at the reception on May 20, thank you for visiting! We had a great opening and I was excited to see everyone there.

If you haven't had a chance to visit the exhibit, it is open through July 7 - and you can get a preview of it with the video above (thank you to my nephew, Patrick, for taking this for me). The exhibit at The Oasis Gallery is at 7125 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, Md., 20817 - in the rear of the Macy's Home Store, on the second level.

The show is all florals, and I am exhibiting 27 paintings. It's filled with vibrant colors, the perfect way to usher in the new summer season. Those that have visited have commented on the bright, cheery nature of the work, and I've greatly enjoyed sharing them with those taking in the artwork.

These paintings represent the essence of my identity as an artist - celebrating creation that comes from being present in the moment, taking note of your surroundings and bringing those moments to life on the canvas.

For me, art is an intuitive process. I don't necessarily have an idea of what the end result will be when I begin creating a new piece. The completed work reveals itself through the process of creation and being present during the work. I agree with Pablo Picasso that the removal of outside distractions is essential to the artistic process.

"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary." - Pablo Picasso

Welcome!

This is where we start : my first blog post and with it, truly launching the second aspect of my website – the aspect that allows me to connect with my audience.

My path to this moment has been a circuitous one. While I’ve long had an interest in art, it lay dormant for many years as I managed other aspects of my life and career, a tale that will certainly be familiar to many.  But on a whim, in 2003, I signed up for a sketching class, and the pull I felt toward creating art came roaring back.

From there, I slowly developed a path as an artist, taking classes and workshops on and off for a number of years. Things changed once again in the spring of 2007, when I was invited on an “En Plein Air” trip to France.

There, I learned what it meant to be a painter. At turns challenged and inspired throughout my trip, I returned with a greater understanding of the elements of painting, a stronger eye for the impact of lights, colors and shapes, and a greater desire than ever to make painting my life’s work.

I’ve spent my time dabbling in various mediums – watercolor, pastels, acrylics, collage – before deciding that acrylics is my preferred medium, though I do sometimes continue to create in collage, as well. I do the bulk of my work in my studio in Silver Spring, a basement room in my house that’s been completely fitted out for an artist’s needs. There, surrounded by my library of completed works, book-lined walls and stacks of supplies, I allow my creativity to find its way onto the canvas.

I explore a variety of subjects in my work : landscapes, florals, abstracts, still life. What I most enjoy about creating art is allowing my imagination to run wild. Oftentimes, the end creation is one that surprises even me, its creator, and some of my happiest accidents have been born naturally on the canvas.

I enjoy the entire process of producing art, and recently have embraced a new level of life as an artist – that of sharing my art with those who view it. From gallery shows to working on my website and digital presence, the ability to connect with an audience about my creative process, my inspirations and my collected works is something I find incredibly rewarding.

Thank you for finding my corner of the internet, and I hope you’ll continue to read along as I share news on my work, shows and inspiration.