TO PARE: The theme for May 2018 for the Fairweather Gallery
“When I first reviewed the Fairweather Gallery’s list of themes for 2018, I was intrigued. So many interesting choices. As a lover of words and all that they imply, I was attracted to the theme “pare”, “pear” or “pair. How unusual! What to choose? I selected “pare.”
“Pare” usually means “to cut back”, to “slice away”, to “remove”, and even “to simplify.” When I thought of the “to simplify”, I was hooked. Little did I know that I nearly shot myself in the foot!
As an artist, “to simplify” means to remove all that is not absolutely necessary to say what I want to say. The challenge is how few lines, how few colors, how few marks on my paper convey my meaning. I thought of the cave paintings from 30,000- 40,000 years ago in France and Spain. How simple and how elegant.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/…/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world
Later, Picasso who was also intrigued by simplifying, drew a series of bulls. The merest line conveyed the strength, the majesty of this noble animal.
www.dailyartmagazine.com/pablo-picassos-bulls-road-simplicity
So, “to pare” is good for one’s art. No more worrying about what is pretty, what will sell, just get to the point! If one line can convey your message, use it. Do not be too wordy or explain too much!
Too much thinking about “to pare”; going back to the homonyms? Pear, pair, pare, or au pair? That opens up a world.
There is a painting here by Marga that is an eye-stopper and it is about “pears”. What a hoot!
And the many others which the artists translated “to pare”, “to pair”, or quite simply “pears”.
I must admit that I gave into to all in my artwork. This was a challenging theme that made me think. I will move toward more line work in my efforts to come to the point, and I shall work “to pare”.
Jo Pomeroy-Crockett and her art.
And, as I always discover when stretching, thinking is hard work.” —Jo Pomeroy-Crockett, PhD., writer, educator and artist.
For more info about the artist, please visit http://www.fairweatherhouseandgallery.com/ …artists/ …Jo Pomeroy-Crockett.
Fairweather House and Gallery
612 Broadway
Seaside, Oregon
Through May 31
Perfect Pear, Pair, Pare Exhibition
Regional artists were selected due to their art related to scale and perspective, and the way things correlate and interact.
Featuring artists Lisa Wiser, Jo Pomeroy-Crockett, Blue Bond, Marga Stanley, Bill Baily, and Lynda Campbell.
Q: Why do artists often study painting pears, you ask?
A: Indeed, every artist has spent hours staring at pears, later to paint pears to learn the study of light, shading and perspective.
Cézanne once proclaimed, “With a pear I want to astonish Paris,” and he succeeded, even in his most deceptively simple still life paintings, to dazzle and delight.
Turning to the pears grown in the vicinity of the family’s estate, Cézanne dispensed with traditional one-point perspective and examined the fruit, plates, and table from various viewpoints—straight on, above, and sideways.
Display featuring pear art by Bill Baily, abstract paintings by Kimberly Reed and abstract art by Diane Copenhaver.
The exhibitions(s) “To Pare Perfect”, aka “Perfect Pear”, and, too, aka “Perfect Pair” through May 31 at Fairweather House and Gallery.
