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HomeNewsArchives'Art by the Square Foot' at Mango Tango

'Art by the Square Foot' at Mango Tango

Nov. 4, 2004 – Mango Tango Art Gallery in St. Thomas kicked off the season Friday, Nov. 5. Seventeen artists are featured in the "Art by the Square Foot Exhibition." Most of the artists have created six to nine pieces of artwork which are one square foot in size.
Participants are Vincent Roy Bambini, Don Dahlke, Betsy Campen, Kathy Carlson, Jon Euwema, Art Lafranchise , Gerard Lehner, Barr Lewis, Jinx Morgan, Brian Murphy, Merryn MacDonald, Roger Parent, Donna Roes, Patty Tacquard , Mandy Thody, Richard Shaffett and Dana Wylder. The artists live on St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Water Island and Tortola, in Florida, Idaho, New York and Mexico.
Gallery co-owner Smokey Pratt explained the concept of the project: "The artists were simply given the specific parameters of the square-foot size. While locked into working in that small size, the artists found creative imagination to produce some of the most compelling work on view in the gallery in 15 years."
Co-owner Jane Coombes added, "The show, in addition to being a visual delight, will give viewers an education in the artistic process. Subject matter focuses on seascapes, landscapes, nautical images, tropical birds and animals, sea life, experimental and figurative imagery. The figurative works include nudes, carnival participants and profiles of islanders.
"The techniques used by the artists demonstrate the breadth of variety. Some artists chose the support panels of hard board or canvas to work in either oil or acrylic paint. Paper was used to produce pencil drawings, and both pastel and watercolor paintings. Ceramics were impressed with objects by one artist, and sculpted to make a low, raised work by another."
The show continues for one month.
For more information, call 777-3060.
Interesting notes on the artists and their work:
-Don Dahlke painted only one painting which will be his farewell to his whimsical people style. Because he is paying homage to a style that has endeared him to art lovers, he felt he would it do it in one stellar work. Painting in studio in San Miguel de Allende, he is working more on abstract paintings.
-Richard Shaffett created five awesome acrylic-on-hardboard paintings in his home in Sarasota, Fla. He had intended on painting nine, but Hurricane Jeanne ravaged his home and studio.
-Merryn MacDonald is only 12 years old. She is the youngest artist to be represented by the gallery. She works in acrylic on canvas and watercolor on paper.
-One of Patty Tacquard's paintings was featured in the movie "Something's Got to Give." It's a painting of a woman sitting by a pool, a work that Jack Nicholson comments on to Dianne Keaton, "Nice painting."
-Kathy Carlson painted nine square-foot paintings that fit together to make one painting of a lively garden party.
-Betsy Campen's painted her flowers in such exquisite photo realism that you can almost smell their fragrance.
-Brian Murphy just returned from an en plein air course in Austin, Texas. His paintings show a fresh approach to painting outdoors.

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