ART AND COLOR

from Art an Color 365 | Summer 2023

Carolyn Morris Bach

From The Editor

French Impressionist, Claude Monet, was one of the world's best-known plein air artists. Whether painting haystacks in fields near his home in Giverny, the facade of the Rouen Cathedral in Normandy, or the water lily pond and gardens that surrounded his art studio, he was a master of recording how light affected the color and values of light and shadow of his subjects.

He once advised artists, "When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before you — a tree, a house, a field. Merely think, here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow, and paint it just as it looks to you, the exact color and shape, until it gives your own naive impression of the scene before you."

I was reminded of Monet's approach to light and color as we began receiving entries for our Landscapes Competition. Just as Monet faced nature's elements to complete his paintings, switching out one canvas for another as the light changed throughout the day, so have many of the artists represented in our Competition. www.artandcolor365.com

The same is true for the excellent artists in our Pastels Competition. Some work in plein air, others from life, still others from photographs, but their ability to render light and color is what makes their artwork noteworthy.

I hope you enjoy our stories about the winning artists in both competitions and the exhibitions of all of the awardwinning entries. We are also featuring Luisa Holden's inspiring abstract paintings, John Smolko's remarkable expressionist drawings, and Joe Pozycinski's exquisite bronze and glass sculptures, as well as the incredible work of paper and linocut artists.

What is particularly thought-provoking when seeing the diversity of expression from all of these artists, is how each has found their own style, medium and, most importantly, inspiration. Paul Strand, the famous modernist photographer, said, "The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep." This is certainly evident in the artwork in this month's issue.

Virginia Bayes, Editor