Gray Area now open at the Gallery @ LPCA
May 26—LAKE PLACID — "Gray Area," the Themed Juried Art Show at the Gallery @ LPCA features more than 70 works in a wide array of mediums on display through June 11 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.
This art exhibition showcases works created in grayscale (a scale of achromatic colors having several gradations ranging from white to black) and that include a wide range of styles, genres and subject matter.
At the opening reception, the award winners selected by the exhibit's jurors Debbie Heidecorn and Shon Parker were revealed:
First Place: "Symphony in Black and White" by Patricia Bellerose.
Second Place: "Medium Gray Vase" by Marie Cogar.
Third Place: "Transition" by Burdette Parks.
Honorable Mention: "Soap Bubbles" by Mary Woodcock Johnson.
'SYMPHONY IN BLACK AND WHITE"
Orchestra musicians have become one of Bellerose's favorite subjects.
"So this is something I paint a lot, and I love the classical orchestra just because there is so much movement," she said.
"It's such a classical look that when I saw that show for the LPCA, I just thought it would be a nice thing."
Black and white is not her thing.
Bellerose leans into color.
"I thought it would be a nice exploration on the theme of the musical because when you look at the orchestra, it's black tie," she said.
"It's black and white the way they dress. I thought it would be nice to see a piece in gray scale."
The work depicts an European orchestra, though she's painted the orchestras of Montreal and Philadelphia.
"I always work from photographs," she said.
"That's mainly what I am doing, but then I constrict it. It becomes like a play of shape, form and usually color. But in this case, it was just black and white. I love the movement and the shapes trying to lead the viewer following the light and pattern of the piece."
Bellerose painted the 16×20 inch work in March 2022.
"When I learned about that show, I didn't even know they were doing shows like that," she said.
"I was like, 'Oh, what a great idea.'"
A frequent participant in plein air competitions, what the judges prefer is always a mystery.
"It's never something when you get yourself into a competition, you never think, oh I'm going to win," she said.
"I was just happy to be picked to be in the show. So that's the cherry on the top."
Bellerose was born in 1980 in Joliette, Québec, Canada.
From an early age, her family encouraged her to draw, paint with watercolor and explore other mediums. She graduated from Montreal's Ahuntsic College in graphic design (2000).
In 2006, she began painting with acrylics and in 2008 she changed medium and now paint in oils.
Her first gallery representation happened in 2011, and her work has been recognized in many international painting competitions.
Bellerose is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA) and now exhibits in many galleries across Canada and the United States.
She loves to paint people in their most sincere form and seeks to capture the moment expressed in all authenticity.
Her artworks reflect anecdotal and significant moments in everyday life. Her fair and precise brush stroke translates with poetry and rhythm the universe surrounding her.
Music and musicians are among her favorite subjects of inspiration.
In her artist statement, she writes.
"I like to capture the musicians emotion and their focus. It is the pictorial construction that drives me; The play between color and contrast. Instruments, musicians and lecterns create a wavy pattern into the painting, evoking music. I am fascinated that with light, texture and shapes we are able to suggest movement and express music. Oil is an exciting medium, and I get a lot of pleasure by exploring it every day."
Bellerose's upcoming solo show at the Gallery @ LPCA, "Together in harmony; A visual celebration, will open on July 15 and feature her works depicting orchestral musicians.
Email Robin Caudell: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
Twitter@RobinCaudell
