DEMYSTIFY
EXPLORING THE WAYS ARTISTS WORK

PAM
BLACK

Pam Black received her degree in drawing and painting from Washington University, and then continued her studies at Pratt Institute, earning her graduate degree. Previously a lecturer at the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, Black’s artwork is a reflection of her life, training, and experiences teaching others, but also her deep bonds with her animals.

These bonds have always been a source of inspiration, and Black uses her time with her animals to study behavior, gesture, and mood. In interacting with horses, Black became increasingly aware of her hands as tools for communicating. A well-earned pat replaces words of praise; a firmly-held bridle, discipline or caution. This awareness led to her manipulating her paints directly with her fingers, balancing the formal geometries of the field with organic gestures.

Black is represented by Les Yeux du Monde in Charlottesville, VA.

VIRGINIA
DONELSON

Born in Danville, Virginia, Virginia Donelson first explored her creativity through an acting career, chiefly in writing and performing sketch comedy. She worked with several comedy groups in New York, honing her observational skills of  human behavior and expression which she later found essential in depicting expression in character, painting chiefly portraits of children and dogs. Donelson shifted to visual art only a few years ago, after winning a series of painting lessons with fellow artist Becky Parrish through a community fundraiser. While her mother had also begun painting later in life, Donelson never thought she would find herself similarly inspired until she began studying with Parrish. Fully committed to developing her artistic practice, Donelson has also studied with another local artist, Pam Black. It is Donelson’s firm belief that  talented  mentors have taught her the key to both art and comedy: the ability to truly see, and more critically to depict character and expression in her subjects.

BECKY
PARRISH

A self-employed artist since 1988, Becky Parrish has developed and honed her considerable skills as an artist over time. She graduated with a BA from George Mason University, and a MFA in painting from The George Washington University, where she received the esteemed Morris Louis Fellowship.

Parrish’s use of exciting color contrasts and a deft use of light and shadow identify her work. In the past, she often assisted other artists, who were commissioned to do large murals, by painting in the people’s faces with accuracy and skill. Subsequently, she branched out into portraiture, as well as continuing to paint other types of scenes. Her portraits capture an individual’s spirit, rather than presenting a hard-edged photographic reproduction, while her still life works are each strikingly different.

Parrish’s work can be seen in the Berkley Gallery in Warrenton, VA, the Main Street Gallery in Annapolis and the Carspecken-Scott Gallery in Wilmington, DE.