Local artists show off their work at the library

    A trio of local artists is headed to the Iowa Artists state show after winning blue ribbons at Saturday?s regional art show in Washington. Brighton resident Donna Guy won a blue ribbon for her watercolor painting titled ?Sunrise.? The other two artists who are moving on to the state competition are painter Suzanne Stryker and sculptor Manuel Coradin, both from Fairfield. The state show is at the Fairfield Art Center in Fairfield on May 8.     

    Saturday?s regional art show was held on the second floor of the Washington Public Library, where it has been held for the past three years. It was the Area 12 regional show, which covers eight counties in southeast Iowa. There were about 30 exhibits on display from about 20 artists. Washington resident and artist Mike Cañas judged the exhibits because the scheduled judge, Don Kremer of Fairfield, was unable to attend. Cañas said that the attendance at the art show was lower than in previous years.

    ?We really encourage artists to submit their work to an art show. We?d love to see twice this many exhibits at the show,? said Cañas.

    Cañas remarked that the regional art show has had upward of 100 exhibits in prior years.

    Jo Anne Worley is one of the chairpersons of the regional art show, and explained what judges typically look at when grading a piece of art.

    ?You?re not looking for a photograph,? she said. ?You?re looking for some inspiration. If you?re going to try for realism, you have to be extremely good. On a realistic painting, every little thing shows up and people say, ?Oh, that?s not right.? But if it?s a little more impressionistic, then you have more leeway. It captures their imagination. You don?t really want to spell it out for them. You want that viewer to look at it and become involved.?

For more, see our April 12 print edition.