"Water: Blue Pulse of Earth": The Curator's Notes

 

Judith A. Skillman: "Water and seascapes are my favorite subject matter, so I enjoyed curating this exhibition. It was not easy to choose! I want to stress that every curator/juror brings their own subjective view. I was impressed that accomplished artists submitted work from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Hungary, and the United States in mediums including oil, acrylic watercolor, and pastels. Their paintings, photographs and drawings ranged from realistic to expressionist to abstract.

I chose “Wave,” a pastel drawing on sandpaper by Evgenia Klimenko. This piece is 40x30 centimeters. Diffuse purples, grays, raw umber, and titanium white, as well as a translucent turquoise cobalt topped with spray, appear pixilated due to the grainy surface. Lights twinkle across the bay in complementary colors. “Fury” by yan zhovtis, is certainly a close second. Its spray and wave formation carry incredible force. I admire both of these multi-faceted works for their use of color and realistic depiction of wave propagation.

The abstract/expressionist works vary widely in subject matter, including “Waterfall in Norway,” “Stillness,” “El Mismo Mar,” “Reflection,” and “Storm”. “Reflections on the Santee” by Ted Smith is memorable for its rendering of sky in water, as well as those trees reflected into the depths of a lake or river on what appears to be a windy summer day.

This exhibition shows a tremendous breadth of talent in the international artistic community, and I am honored to have been able to spend time viewing it."