Jan. 31, 2009 — From flowers painted by Jane Akin to street scenes by Betsy Campen to West Indian women doing their chores painted by Danika David, the art exhibit theme at St. George Botanical Gardens Saturday night appeared to be variety.
Campen, organizer of the show, in its third year estimated that 200 people had viewed the works of art filling the center of the great hall at the garden.
"I like the way the art is hung here – as in a home with paintings of all the different artists dispersed," Akin said.
The other artists exhibiting were Phyllis Biddle, Suzanne Yunker and newcomer Helen Green.
"This show is by the artist for the artist," Campen said. "We have smaller paintings that are affordable and grab and go. The economy hasn't made much of a difference. Art is a feel good thing."
Campen's photorealist style is evident in her paintings of flowers, glass bottles, cars or scenes done in oils. One of her flower paintings on display was a gorgeous double hibiscus in shades of salmon done in oils.
David said she was pleased to be showing with so many talented women.
"I feel inspired when I see art," David said. She is doing a series of Crucian women wearing madras; "Fungi and Kallaloo" is an acrylic painting of two Crucian women dressed in madras skirts of light blue and light green plaid with traditional white ruffled blouses.
Biddle said she is intrigued by cane workers from the early 1900s. "Field Workers St. Croix 1910" is a 3 by 4 foot acrylic painting with bold brush stokes of bright green and yellow sugar cane leaves.
Akin's art is more traditional, with beach scenes done in watercolors, life-like roses or animals and birds done in acrylics of rich, bright colors. She also showed affordable giclees, a type of inkjet print, of her most popular works for sale at the show.
Yunker said she has recently gotten back into painting after being inspired by Art Walk Thursday tours of galleries in Christiansted. Her realist work depicts street scenes.
"It is fun for me to capture things as they are — before they change," Yunker said. "I thank God I did it when I did because things change quick."
The newcomer to the show, Helen Green, had numerous 6 by 6-inch acrylic paintings of mocko jumbies in muted shades of black, rust, gold and white. A face can be seen that isn't normally visible behind the white Jumbie mask. When asked why she had so many mocko jumbies, she said it was because her husband John said "paint jumbies."
The exhibit continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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