Jean Lauzon paintings of “What You Can’t See and Other Matters ” on exhibit at NOVA

“What You Can’t See and Other Matters,” featuring paintings by Jean Lauzon, will be on display during December and January in Colgan Gallery at the Manassas Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. A reception to meet the artist is scheduled for Dec. 3 from noon to 1:30 p.m. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

“What You Can’t See and Other Matters” includes acrylic paintings and mixed media works of watercolor, ink and colored pencil. Lauzon incorporated silhouettes, overlapping layers of lines, and repetitions of hand-drawn, hand-cut stencils of ducks, flowers and figures to present a moment, real or otherwise. Lauzon considers her paintings to be post-modernist because she combines modernist painting strategies with narrative content.

“I’m interested in depicting what you can’t see just by looking at something,” she said. “Who can directly see a dream, a memory or a law of physics? Can various thoughts or views be synthesized into one image?”

Lauzon hopes her paintings suggest a variety of interpretations. “I have my version ‒ or versions depending on the day of the week ‒ but your interpretation is just as valid and more interesting,” she said.

Her art is an exploration of materials and techniques, styles and subjects, influences and ideas, with drawing as the stable foundation. She’s interested in observation: the curvilinear forms of plants and animals, the gesture of unaware figures who appear bored or busy in their usual habitat, and the brilliant light of the ordinary day.

“I try to depict underlying geometries of structures and rhythms of objects, play with spatial relations in a composition, and indulge in saturated color using ink, colored pencil, watercolor and acrylics,” she said.

Lauzon’s art has been exhibited extensively including recent shows at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, Libertytown Arts Center and Fredericksburg Country Club. She has nearly three decades of teaching experience and is currently a professor of art and department chair at Germanna Community College. She lives in Spotsylvania County.

The Manassas Campus is located at 6901 Sudley Road. Colgan Hall gallery is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Note: NOVA (and the exhibit) will be closed Dec. 23 to Jan. 4. For more information, contact Rosemary Gallick at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).