Art Guild's annual show dovetails with Party on The Pavement

By Dominic J. Cibrario

Saturday, October 7, 2006 2:12 AM CDT

RACINE - The public is invited to meet the artists and view their artwork during the Racine Art Guild's Annual Invitational Show at Avenue Gallery & Frame, 402 Main St. The reception will be held today during Party on the Pavement from 2-4 p.m.

Here is a brief tour of some of the works on display: There's June Pomatto's "Diversity," composed of objects found along Lake Michigan. She uses cool pastels, markers and scraps of cloth to create a surrealistic world of mysterious objects suspended in space, suggesting aquatic planets. Her work is influenced by Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), Picasso, and Kandinsky.

Next is Mary Burant's splendid collage. She said about her work, "I had a desire to piece together miscellaneous textures into a pleasing composition. It's organized confusion, hence the title, `Enigma,' kind of like life - complicated and puzzling."

In her painting "Clouds Over Corn Fields" Adelle Wheeler uses soft pastels. Her geometric, abstract shapes and lush landscape are reminiscent of Georgia O'Keefe's (1887-1986) style.

The focus of Pat Wiskerchen's autumnal scene is a solitary boat docked at the boathouse with the buildings and trees inverted in the water of "Sunset's Reflections."

Nancy Justus designed "The DuVall Cloth" from an antique tablecloth given to her by a friend. "The holes in the lace provide the space for the design on the dark background," said Justus. "I've sown by hand numerous beads, mostly pearls or translucent crystals, which change colors according to the light. The needle is barely longer than the width of my thumb." Her creation is influenced by Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). "His originality reassured me that I can do my own thing," added Justus, who also has several abstract fabric paintings in the gallery.

After travelling to South America, Jean Tenuta painted "Street Scene, Ecuador," She said, "I was attracted by the effects of the bright sunlight on the earth tones of the Quito cityscape." An Indian, hurrying past the deserted buildings, animates her psychological watercolor.

Lance Raichert uses egg tempera as a special medium for "En Repose." He states that the reclining woman in the composition reflects "silence, peace, and the knowledge of an almost completed life." His serene creation reflects the technique and style of Andrew Wyeth (1917-present).

Reminiscent of Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers, John Falk's "Daisies" has an orange and yellow flower as the focal point. The viewer's eye travels toward a larger red centered daisy and then downward, forming a triangle. Light bursts through the turquoise sky into the swamp-like foliage in his fascinating painting.

"Will O' The Wisp" is Patricia Lee Raichert's carnival of confetti and streamers with a vibrant orange setting. She says her abstract "is a dance in color."

Marie Skowronski claims that "My painting, `Purple Sky' reminds me of sunsets that inspire a good feeling." She also said "We have a wonderful group at the Chavez Center who meet every Wednesday morning. We do our own critiques and from this we all learn." Seventeen paintings in the show belong to members from this group.

"I love painting skies of all kinds, but this one was the most spectacular that I ever saw in the last 32 years," stated Ardath Trebra, referring to "Nature's Spectacle."

The next watercolor is "Amaryllis" by Carol Madsen. "I just had to capture the shine, shadows, and depth of this glorious flower. Midst all the metal, pipes, and wires of an RV Park, this amaryllis was in full bloom."

Phyllis Weber's "Sisters," is a remembrance of my two sisters and the floral, feed-sack dresses my mother made for us. The bonding of the three of us during the Great Depression was tight. All we had then was family and a lot of memories." Her delightful painting has a nostalgic charm.

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