The art critic: Alumna inspiration to art students
For all of the art majors who worry about post-Luther life, they can find inspiration from successful artist and Luther College 1979 graduate, Robyn Sand Anderson.
Anderson is a watercolor artist who has been commissioned to create works for several individuals and a variety of organizations. She is also an art teacher who recently opened her own school, Sand Studio/School of Art and Design in New Ulm, Minn. to teach all ages.
Anderson's watercolor paintings will be displayed in the Center for Faith and Life until Oct. 17, and that venue could not have been a better fit for her work. The strongest theme in Anderson's show is Christian faith, which is the bedrock for the CFL's existence.
Christian images such as the cross and white doves are rather subtle glimpses into her background, compared to other more abstract pieces that are juxtaposed with a text of Biblical excerpts.
While all of her pieces employ colors that seem to be straight from the paint tube, like cobalt blue and cadmium red, her abstract pieces display the brightest, deepest colors to give us a clue of her passionate connection to Christian faith and scripture.
Anderson's strongest abstract work is her interpretation of Genesis 1:1-4, which essentially says, "God divided the light from the darkness."
One can't help but be struck by the bright, bold colors; she uses orange, yellow and red to create a sort of falling blaze of fire in the middle of the piece surrounded by bright hues of green and blue.
When painting with watercolor, there is no white paint, so to create white, the white paper has to be left unpainted. In Genesis, every inch of the paper is covered with paint, definitely making it stand out in her show.
Intermingled with abstract images inspired by biblical passages, Anderson included representational watercolors of nature and people, which also employ bright colors.
She said, "I hope to enhance the human experience by the use of color and design, to draw the viewer's attention to all that is around us.what we consider the ordinary."
"I have always taken delight in noticing beautiful color and shape in the environment around me. Growing up in Decorah gave me constant natural beauty.what intrigues me the most is capturing ordinary human moments."
Check out this show if you are interested in viewing Anderson's take on Christianity or her portrayal of ordinary beauty.
Also, come to inspect Anderson's technical use of watercolor painting, a difficult medium that can produce wide-ranging results.
Lastly, if you would like to take an opportunity to meet with Anderson, her gallery reception is on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Center for Faith and Life.
Luther Senior Art Show
Ashely Dull's senior show, "God's Nature Through My Eyes," will be in the Union Gallery until Oct. 22. In her show, Dull artistically expresses appreciation for beauty she finds in nature. She uses prints, oil paints, watercolors and chalk to capture colorful, life-like images of nature.
Titles of the works are verses from the Bible, which help describe each the piece and show Dull's connection with faith and art.
Dull intends for her work "to inspire people to take a look at God's beauty in nature and not take those gifts for granted."
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Becky Franklin
- Article Sources:
- Paid Notice: Deaths FISHMAN, BARBARA WHITE - New York Times
- Paid Notice: Deaths FISHMAN, BARBARA WHITE - New York Times
- Ethel H. Blum Gallery
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