Carol Seitchik lead the panel discussion randomly choosing 8 artists out of 22 to talk briefly about their work. Carol, an artist and poet, developed a program to bring art to the workplace and curates several shows a year for employees of the New England Biolabs and Cell Signaling Technologies.
When I first received the invitation I thought "I can do this," - be part of a panel discussion except we were up there one by one. Still having to talk about one's work makes one focused on the essence. I could have said many things about the work and the process yet I found I was quite nervous and not sure if what I said made sense...however receiving positive feedback on the work alleviated some my fear.
Both of these paintings were not planned and then executed. Once the paint was applied after the gesso and graphite these works evolved. And both reflect a place I once lived and loved living there... Manhattan. West Side (below) represents the many nights I looked out at the city from my 8th floor apartment on the upper west side. This is mystery and magic of a city at night. Central Park reflects the many days and seasons this place was explored: walking through archways, over bridges, by the water and into the woods. I lived in New York City for 18 years. This painting, in essence, is a celebration of a journey.
What was worthwhile about the event was meeting the people who organized this exhibit and reception. All of them are strong supporters of the arts and the community. Also meeting the other artists and hearing those artists talk about their work initiates a deeper connection to the work. And being part of a community celebrating a event, a place and witnessing a beautiful rainbow after a spring shower.
