Essence of Summer

Summer! It’s a season, a state of mind, a feeling. The world is in full bloom, the days are long and the light strong. The atmosphere can be sizzling, sultry, even stormy, or cool and calm with a delightful breeze. From fireflies to fireworks to flowers, daytime, nighttime, twilight, dawn, and dusk. In a garden, on a porch or patio, by the sea, the shore, a lake, or pond, in your own a backyard, park or a vacation getaway.

The artists in this show offer their unique interpretations of this vibrant season in a variety of mediums.

The Rockville Art League was founded in 1957 by a collective of artists in Rockville, Maryland, and the surrounding area to promote the development of the fine arts within its membership and the community. We are a group of over 150 artists. For more information, please visit RockvilleArtLeague.org.

This show is sponsored by the Rockville Art League and the City of Rockville and is on display at the Glenview Mansion Art Gallery July 2 - September 1.

The gallery is located on the 2nd floor of Glenview Mansion at the Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive in Rockville. The second floor is accessible by stairs and an elevator. There is plenty of parking in the lot below and accessible parking near the back entrance. Gallery hours are weekdays Monday – Friday, 9:00am-4:30pm. Please check the Glenview Mansion website or call 240-314-8681 for any closures prior to coming to Glenview.
Please note special closures on official holidays.
Artists and purchasers: please pick up artwork on Tuesday, September 5, 10:00am-1:00pm.

We are honored to have Therese Capal award prizes of recognition and we thank her for all her work on this show.
Therese Capal's judge's remarks:

I am honored by the opportunity to judge ESSENCE OF SUMMER for the Rockville Art League. These submissions offer a collection of vastly different mediums, interpretations and approaches to the subject matter. While this presented a challenge, I was delighted to see the many skilled interpretations of the season we are experiencing. All are wonderful, which made choosing winners extremely difficult. The works together represent a cohesive body of work that is a delight to view.

What I look for when judging a show is the quality of the artist’s hand that takes a work a step further. It can be a viewpoint, a personal technique of their chosen medium, or some other element that allows me to see more than just the subject matter. Whatever that quality is, it elevates the work. The pieces I have chosen have successfully achieved this.

1st Place: "Playful Summer" by Maria Elena Sayan
This painting IS the trip to the beach we all take. Whether it's our personal memories of playing in the surf as a child or watching our own children in this activity, we can all share in this memory. I can feel the sun’s heat and the coldness of the water on my feet as the waves move in and out. Parts of the painting are saturated and emphasize the beating rays of the sun. The pink in the bow and sunglasses, and parts of the skin treatment are the bright light. The white shirt isn’t white, it is every color reflected back at the viewer. I feel the wrinkles of that shirt and the swirling water patterns because of the painterly strokes. Not only is the color spot on, the pose of the girl reflects joy and happiness. And yet there is something unusual in her pose that takes this beyond the snapshot of a playing child. There is a quirkiness to her stance that is intriguing and holds my gaze.

2nd Place: "Sugar Apple Harvest" by Cecile Kirkpatrick
This work completely captures the essence of the season. It illustrates a practice that many associate with their summer traditions. The washed out edges of the watercolor paints and faded colors provide a hazy feel that reminds me of endless humid days. I can almost hear the cicadas in the background. I can feel the textures of the basket, fruit and striped cloth without even putting my hands on them. This is a beautiful work.

3rd Place: "Potomac Haven" by Holly Buehler
This impressionistic work has abandoned lines and instead interprets the river in colors, emotion and confident sweeping paint. If you have spent any time in the area you have experienced the Potomac and felt the cool breeze that blows off on a hot afternoon. You have heard the many birds and bugs mixed with the sound of the water flowing over the rocks. I hear this sound when I look at this piece. I feel beating light that is creating the entire color spectrum in this picture. This piece brings to mind every feeling and emotion I have when I stand on the banks. The treatment of the brush strokes and flowing color choices are wonderful.

I am never able to narrow my choices down to just three. The list below are outstanding works and are also deserving of mention.

"Summer Bouquet" by Stacy Yochum
"Solo on the Bay" by John Marcus
"Morning Dock" by Robert Le Mar
"Farmer’s Helpers" by Patrick Sieg

I want to thank Rockville Art League for allowing me the honor of presenting my choices. The process of viewing the work was a delight.

Therese Capal
3D Design & Graphic Design
Rockville Cultural Arts Commission
Art in Public Places Subcommittee
BFA - Printmaking & Drawing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
BA - Graphic Design, University of Maryland, Baltimore County