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Process and Purpose: Art that Inspires and
Informs
Nancy Ness, Don Polunci, Tom Ryan,
James Sankowski, Shelley Valachovic |
October 3-November 1, 2009
Opening Reception:
October 3, 5-7 pm
Free and Open to the Public
includes light refreshments and musical entertainment
Tues., Oct. 8, 7-9 pm
Watercolor Demonstration by Tom Ryan
The watercolor will be matted and donated to LARAC to be raffled
Raffle: Oct. 8-Dec. 24 ($1 per ticket;
buy 5 get 1 free)
Third Thursday Opening: October 16, 5-7 pm
Multi-media Presentation on the Short-eared Owl by Don Polunci |
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Click on each image to see more detail |
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Nancy Ness
River Snow
oil |
Before moving to North Creek in 2006, I worked for twelve
years as Assistant Director of Public Information and
Creative Director of AAA New Yorks Car & Travel magazine.
In 2006 after 25 years working as art director/designer of
promotions and publications, I left the world of graphics
and picked up my brushes to pursue the fine arts full-time.
My work is in transition in style, process and subject.
For now the subject of my artwork reflects the change of
seasons in the Adirondacks. I begin by taking photos
and altering the photos before printing. From the
print, I create a small oil or pastel. Using the
smaller work as my main reference, I create a larger oil
painting. My goal is to simplify the visual but push color
and texture to enhance a mood or feeling.
I believe style
emerges through painting miles. I consciously try not to
paint in a particular style or to labor with detail and
exactness. Instead, my focus is refining each painting to
its essence like a poem. I want to enhance the mood through
lighting, texture and by pushing the color brighter or
stronger. The final piece with its recognizable image
is hopefully engaging. |
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Don Polunci
Short-eared Owl
photograph |
The Short Eared owl is an
endangered species. The Fort Edward IBA (important
bird area) is the winter home for these birds. Urban
sprawl is threatening the wintering grounds of the owl.
I spent last winter photographing these owls. The
purpose of my photographs is to bring this issue of urban
sprawl, which is threatening these owls to the attention of
the public. I hope to use my photography to inspire
people to become more environmentally aware and responsible. |
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Tom Ryan
Cowles Building
watercolor |
Glens Falls is rich in history and heritage and offers an
infinite number of painting possibilities. Picking
subjects was difficult because there are so many options.
I strived to show the extensive diversity of significant
historic structures in the community. However, my
basic criteria was as follows: · personal interest-those
that appealed to me · variety in type of structure ·
different weather conditions · subjects that had not been
painted by many others · subjects that were unusual or had
an unusual component · those that had interesting shapes
With a few existing structures, I chose to add or delete
elements that either reflected the historic context or
improved the composition of the painting. There were
many other subjects that interested me, but time limited my
choices.
Most of the watercolors in this series were painted using
only the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue, typically
using two or three of each. I started many of the
paintings by soaking the watercolor paper and utilizing a
wet-in-wet technique that results in soft edges that I
particularly enjoy. Once the paper dried, I added hard
edge strokes for interest and to emphasize the center of
interest in the painting. The result is a painting
that is a blend of soft and hard edges. |
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James Sankowski
pottery |
My intent as a potter is to make pots that embrace the
functional aspects of our lives while yet transcending them.
To create pottery that gives meaning and joy in the daily
interaction with people is special.
In recent years I've worked on the alteration of the clay
form and slab shape, whether through the pressing and
distortion of the wet clay, or the cutting and planing of
the firm surface to create asymmetry and movement in the
final piece. I often use the free flowing line
produced from slip trailing along with overlapping lazes to
help bring the surface treatments into harmony with the
elements of my pottery forms. |
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Shelley Valachovic
Stick #25
watercolor |
The works presented in this exhibition are an outgrowth and
a departure from my earlier, more straightforward botanical
paintings of Adirondack woodland plants and wildflowers.
They have the same attention to detail and form, but in
addition are delightfully complex as the lichen itself.
Hopefully you will be intrigued by the variety of lichen
growths on the tree branches, both alive and dead, enough to
seek them out and enjoy them in the wild as well as on the
Lapham Gallery walls. |
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| The Process and Purpose exhibit showcases strong, cohesive
presentations of collective work from five regional artists.
Oil painter Nancy Ness displays reference photos and
small oil studies alongside her large finished pieces, to
demonstrate the process between conceptualization to
completion. Don Polunci exhibits his
photographic documentation of endangered short-eared owls
returning to their winter site in Fort Edward, NY.
Prolific watercolor painter Tom Ryan presents his
series of paintings depicting the grandeur and history of
Glens Falls architecture as part of a tribute to the City of
Glens Falls Centennial. Ballston Spa native, James
Sankowski shows a range of his pottery, magnificently
glazed to create objects of beauty while retaining their
functional aspect. And lastly, Shelley Valachovic
displays her Stick series of work: remarkable
watercolor masterpieces glorifying the little things in
nature that sometimes go unnoticed. |
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Lapham Gallery is located on City Park in downtown Glens Falls.
Directions to the Lapham
Gallery
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10am-3pm |
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Past Gallery Exhibitions
Call for Entries for 2010 will be posted in summer 2009 |
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Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council
7 Lapham Place
Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 798-1144 Fax: (518) 798-9122
information@larac.org
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