In an annual tradition, the Colonie Art League rang in the holiday season with the beginning of its Holiday Show and Sale. Local artists showed off their talent in two-dimensional mediums and were awarded ribbons in judged categories.
The Colonie Art League, celebrating its 40th year, kicked off its Holiday Show at the William K. Sanford Library with a reception and awards ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The show will stay up until Sunday, Dec. 28, in the Stedman Room.
The show includes a variety of art from League members, from pastels and watercolors, to photographs and abstract paintings. Set up over two afternoons, the show is the first time any of the pieces have been displayed in public.
For many of the members, the pieces are the result of weeks of work.
Artist Lisa David admitted that her realistic oil painting, “The Chase,” depicting her two nephews chasing an ice cream truck, took her more than two months to complete. She said there were still some aspects of the piece she would tweak if she could. Her painting ranked in the judge’s top 10 choices.
The exhibit was judged in four categories: paintings on canvas, paintings on paper, pastel and other. There was also the “judge’s circle,” where Ed Ticson, professor of drawing and painting at Siena and Sage colleges, chose the overall top 10 works.
“This show, it’s extremely diverse, so I did try to judge based on the categories I was given,” said Ticson, who judged for the second year last week. “It was a pretty broad range, and it was difficult to actually try to select from that…. I don’t think you can apply any set criteria, because they’re all diverse. So there’s a certain kind of subjectivity that’s, ‘I really like this piece a lot.’ It’s never easy.”
Ribbons were awarded for those who ranked in each category and hung on the paintings. Ticson then explained his choice and spoke to the artists about their work.
“For me, there was no set criteria that I looked for. I tried to identify pieces that I think are kind of really exceptional within their own genre. And one thing I tried to look for was what they were trying to accomplish and base it off of that,” said Ticson. “At the end of the day, when you have this much work, it’s a piece that connects. It can’t really be about skill, because they’re all really skillful.”
The ribbon for “Best in Show” was awarded to Ellen McPherson for her oil on board painting, “Jamaican Fisherman Beach.”
Many pieces in the show are for sale with prices ranging from over $1,000 to $75. Smaller works in the hall, not part of the judged show, are $75 and below.
Each artist also created a small card for the Holiday Card Tree, which will remain at the library all of December. Each card is $5 and the proceeds from the tree will be donated to the library.
The artists’ works, as well as a list of titles and the artist’s name, can be found in the library all month. The Holiday Show is one of three shows throughout the year. In April, the League holds a show at the Pruyn House, and a show at the Colonie Town Hall is held in May.
For more information on the Colonie Art League, go to www.colonieartleague.com, or contact Kristin Woodward at [email protected].
