Himmelfarb’s 36th annual art show is in full swing, bringing an exciting range of photography, acrylics, water colors, knitting, and mixed media to Himmelfarb’s first floor. If you haven’t already, come take a study break and peruse the work of your fellow students, staff, and faculty.
In the meantime, enjoy this sampling of work and the artists in their own words.
And if you’d like to drop a few lines about your art or creative process, email them to randy.plym@gwu.edu. Every piece has a story, and we love to hear them.
Frederick Jacobsen's "Giverny Lilies" [Photograph]
As a photographer and clinical researcher into the effects of light on the brain and behavior I am very attuned to the continually shifting perspectives of light and color in my environment. Visiting Monet's Giverny pond and gardens provided me the opportunity to view and feel how this exquisite environment facilitated his remarkable Nymphéas paintings while suffering progressive visual loss (due to bilateral cataracts). "Giverny Lilies" is an homage to Monet’s work and vision through a 21st century lens.
Frederick M. Jacobsen, Faculty, SMHS
Brittany Smith's "VA Mountains" [Watercolor on Paper]
I believe 'VA Mountains' is one of my earliest watercolor paintings. It is inspired by a photo I took many years ago during my time at UVA when some friends and I drove along Blue Ridge Parkway. That day was one of my favorite days when I was an undergraduate student and the painting serves as a reminder of that mini-road trip.
In terms of process, I have a simple painting style since I'm trying to figure out watercolor as a medium. This was painting in a beginner's class and my instructor actually helped with the texture of the stone railing along the road. I haven't painted anything new in a few years, but I want to return to watercolor soon and fill a sketchbook with watercolor experiments to build my confidence as a painter.
Brittany Smith, Staff, Himmelfarb
Rebecca Kyser's "Quackery" [Ink and Colored Pencil on Paper]
I'm a big believer in the power of comics to make scientific and historical topics more accessible to the public. So when I heard about the art show, it seemed the best opportunity to put that belief into practice.
Rebecca Kyser, Staff, Himmelfarb
Mehrshad Fahim Devin's "Post-Op" [Photograph]
Post-op was inspired by the conversation's I've had with patients as a medical student. I've had the opportunity to speak with some patients both before and after a surgical operation. I found that pre-op patients held a lot of uncertainty and fear for the future; but after the surgery, amidst the pain and recovery, their eyes almost always glimmered with relief. The piece is meant to represent this relief.
Mehrshad Fahim Devin, Student, SMHS
Basil Considine's "The Faerie Queene of New Prague: the Court" [Digital Photo Painting and Composite]
You probably haven't heard of New Prague, Minnesota (population: 8,000), but hundreds of schoolchildren in Madagascar can find it on a map. Why? The city – and its mischievous Faerie Queen, who wants everything done properly and turns pirates into frogs – were front and center in a series of storytelling performances that I delivered as a Fulbrighter. Each time I visited their school, the children begged to hear more stories about cold, snowy Minnesota (Brr!) and the beautiful Faerie Queen. And then, one day, a teacher asked me if there was a picture of her...
How can you compete with a child's imagination? That's a challenge for any artist, but I had a good set of raw materials: a photo shoot with the model for the Faerie Queen (Lisa Bark, an actor from New Prague, MN), a flair for theatrical makeup, and a lifetime of adoring complex Renaissance tableaus and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Throw in a set of original fairy tales that I'd crafted for the children, a set of digital painting brushes in Photoshop, and I started to sketch a set of storybook scenes and fill them with extra details – to reward staring at the picture again and again.
Some people say that digital painting is faster. You don't have to wait for paint to dry, but after more than 400 layers and more than 10,000 brush strokes...not for me!
