Workhouse Artist Associates: People’s Choice award winners for December 2013 exhibition

Ten artists from the Workhouse Associate Artists (WAA) were chosen as People’s Choice Award winners for their current exhibition in Gallery 902 (Building W9) at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA.

The WAA Artists exhibit their work each month in Gallery 902 (W9) and the Vulcan Gallery (W16).

There are 24 artists of varying artistic disciplines. People’s Choice winners were chosen during the Workhouse Arts Center Second Saturday Art Walk held monthly. These pieces were judged on December 14, 2013.

The winners are Linda Carlson, a Manassas photographer, first place with a mixed media piece; and Mikhail Bolkhovitinov, a painter, second place, with an imaginary city scape second place.

A news release gave the following information about the winning artists:

Linda Carlson (1st Place)
Artwork:  Masquerade
Linda Carlson grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to the Northern Virginia area in l963.  The next year, her family moved to Japan, then to Hawaii and The Netherlands. In l982, after a four-year residence in the Netherlands, she returned to the Northern Virginia area and now resides in Manassas, Virginia. Linda’s experiences living abroad provide a rich tapestry of visual imagery and ideas that continue to influence her work. Her primary focus has been photography which, over time, has evolved to embrace the excitement of mixed media work.

Artist Statement about the piece
““Masquerade” is a mixed media piece that began in the studio with a photograph of Ariel ( a friend and model) wearing a masque from Venice.  The photograph was pulled into Corel Painter software and “sketched and painted” digitally.  I then printed the image and glued the print to a cradled art board.  To further enhance the work, encaustic medium (a mix of damar resin and bees wax was layered on top and further embellished with gold metallic. Encaustic painting is an ancient art which has enjoyed a recent comeback.

Mikhail Bolkhovitinov (2nd Place)
Artwork:  Urban Memories

Mikhail Bolkhovitinov’s paintings, abstract or representational, always prioritize formal composition over physical reality.  Each of his paintings is a mentally “designed” imaginary layout originating from his knowledge, experience and creative thinking, without direct reference to existing objects or environments..
   
Artist Statement about the piece

“Urban Memories” is one of the paintings in a series of imaginary cityscapes that fully illustrate Mikhail’s individual attitude towards visual arts.”

The other eight artists were recognized for their work. They are:

Recognition Pieces & Artists
Helen Goodrum: Vacant
Karen Hutchison: Chocolaty
Kathleen Best Gillman: We Took the Lakes
Kathy Strauss: Game On
Mary Exline: Jazz Music
Mary Ellen Mogee: Celestial Journey
Rick Reda: Ponte Vecchio-Florence
Rick Reda: The Café in Amalfi

For more information about the Workhouse Art Center go to http://www.workhousearts.org The g.allery is located at 9601 Ox Road Lorton, Virginia 22079. The next Second Saturday Art Walk will take place on January 11, 2014 from 6 to 9 p.m. More about the Workhouse Associate Artists can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Workhouse-Associate-Artists/134373016632491