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This oil painting depicts a path from Sweetwater Creek, as the title implies. The creek itself may be seen in the distant background, beyond the path and hidden by the warm autumn-hued trees. This creek is well-known to locals of the West Georgia region, hosting valuable moments of history alongside the natural scenery of the West Georgia region. While the artist himself was born in New Jersey, Byram had a passion for painting landscapes, specifically those of the mountains and forests of North Georgia and North Carolina.
Byram refers to his painting style as “tight impressionism,” as many of his works, including Path to Sweetwater, utilize a quick brushstroke appearance reminiscent of the Impressionist era, holding true to depicting a fleeting moment of life. His stipple-like brushstrokes, along with the approach of pointillist color, allow a visual blend to the eye that allows colors, shadows, and shapes to appear naturalistic. Looking further at the trees, one may notice hints of purple and blue shades to create the illusion of shadows within the warm-toned leaves. Hints of warm tints such as orange and red browns are scattered to give the illusion of light falling to the shadowy ground. Byram’s approach is typically executed with a palette knife rather than a brush, which may be noted within the jagged branches of the trees, as well as the leaves.
Byram obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University in 1976, and this painting, executed in 1988, demonstrates the skills he obtained. He describes his work as technically virtuous, demonstrating his fine-tuned skill of painting with his careful choice of color and brushstroke. With such attention, one may find appreciation for such skill in depicting a small, but well-appreciated, area of the West Georgia region that holds much beauty and history for the locals and those who witness it. Byram captures the essence of what appears to be a fleeting transition between summer and autumn, with a mix of greens and warm hues to curate the essence of the transition of both seasons.
Chelko grew up in Scotland and England and moved to Atlanta in the 1950s (Crenshaw). He lived in Atlanta for over forty years, and in his time there, he worked as an artist and professor (New Georgia Encyclopedia). He often created abstract works, and even through his portraiture, such stylistic choices remain. In this illustration, Chelko depicts two angles of the same child’s face, one staring into the distance at a three-quarters view, and the other staring towards the viewer in a full facial view. Each face is carefully rendered in graphite with a mix of hatching and smudging. At first glance, one may assume the three-quarters view face is unfinished; however, Chelko’s works were often abstract in nature. Given this, it is likely that he left the rest of the child’s head unfinished.
The diagonal of negative space running vertically through the child’s face, cutting off the area of his cheek and jaw, as well as leaving a small and seemingly unrendered portion of his ear to fill in the negative space, gives the impression that the “unfinished” appearance is rendered to be abstracted. With such details and the lack of erasure marks, it is evident that Chelko was following true to his style, including elements of his abstract works, even in portraiture
Dimitropoulous is a local professor at Georgia Tech, as well as an artist. He has a formal background in architecture, which may be exemplified in the execution of a one-point perspective of the rural road within this painting. Additionally, this piece originally was comprised of sculptural pieces in addition to the painting, further exemplifying his skill in architecture on a scaled-down level. The additional sculptural pieces were wooden frames in a cube-like construction of various sizes. They were one of the two systems to which the title, Two Systems, refers to.
The box-like frames held test tubes filled with water, which reflected the stream in the painting. The scene in the painting is a replication of Meindert Hobbema’s The Avenue at Middelharnis. The texture Dimitropoulous exemplifies within the work is rich, not only in his brushstroke but also in the canvas itself. The canvas is made of textured printed fabric, leaving the relief-like appearance of the textured flora and butterflies in the oil paint.
On a piece of cut plywood that takes the image’s shape, Finster paints the image of a flying angel. This piece was one of over 46,000 pieces of Finster’s, yet it was not an uncommon image for his works. With a large number of his pieces being mass productions of Evangelical works, Finster frequently created works with similar appearances, such as this cutout angel. With this angel, the wings consist of a multitude of colors, each color ranging from an undefined shape to a shape resembling a human figure. As the title implies, these shapes and figures represent “resting souls” upon the angel’s wings, as many of his works are related to the Christian faith.
Within the wings, there are also words that read “Jesus Saves,” “God is Love,” and “Looking In.” The angel even holds a tablet in the same hue as its robe, in which the tablet includes the time 3:31 pm, March 3, 1985, his signature, and a poem:
“You may not see me when I fly but all along I am passing by. I dry the tear drops from your eyes. I don’t like to see you cry. I will be right with you in the sweet by and by. And you and I together will fly and fly. God Bless you into the heavens.”
Finster’s art and its deep correlation to the Christian faith stem from his life as a pastor. Being from Alabama and living in northwest Georgia, he was very involved in church, as it is a large part of the region’s culture and society. With such an imprint on him and his career path, it is only natural that his art reflects such an involvement. Additionally, to support his family, he held a variety of careers throughout his life, including a bricklayer, carpenter, plumber, and a bicycle and lawn mower repairman (Kirwin, 90). His works often reflect his skill in these trades, as some of the mediums he would use would be used within these trades. When asked about how he began creating art, he tells the story of dipping his finger in paint and seeing a human face when God spoke to him:
“…and while I was lookin’ at it a warm flash kind’a went all over me, all the way down, and it said, ‘Paint sacred art.’ And I said to it, I said, ‘I cain’t do that. I know professionals can, but not me.’ And it comes to me again and it says, ‘How do you know?’ I said, ‘How do I know that I cain’t paint.’ I tuck a dollar out of my wallet, and I pasted it on a piece of plyboard and went out in front of my shop, and I started drawing George Washington off that dollar bill.” (Finster, as cited in Kirwin, 90).
With his background as a pastor and the prominence of the Christian religion in the south, Finster desired to spread the Christian Gospel through his art, creating for those in his community whether they were or were not of the same faith. Throughout his life, he shifted from an ordinary man to a nationally acclaimed folk artist with his extensive collection of works. While many of his works may be found throughout the United States, an extensive collection of his works may be found in Paradise Garen in Summerville, Georgia, Finster’s own property which he had turned into an art environment for his works.
With the use of vertical symmetry and balance, folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe depicts two camels of opposing tones, black and white, on each side of a symmetrical flower. Surrounding the camels are two larger green plants, four purple and blue plants, and several smaller pink and red plants, all symmetrical and created with a mix of paint and oil pastels. The image is engulfed with painted dots, a signature pattern in Rowe’s works. While it is unclear what Rowe intended the symbolism of the image to be, her works were often centered around her faith, civil rights, or her mortality (after her cancer diagnosis). Rowe’s process often came from her mind rather than a study of figural form, as she had no formal training in art.
She describes her process, saying, “I draw what’s on my mind. What’s important is thinking about what I’m going to make. I sit and look my paper over. It will come to me. I look and study and if I see a man’s head, a woman’s head, a woman’s feet, or anything, I start from that. I may make a start with a straight mark, and it will come to me what I want to make. And also if I’m going to draw a tree, I wouldn’t know what kind it’s going to be until I get started. Then it may turn out to be different from what I started it to be. I just guess at what I do; it just comes in my mind” (Rowe, as cited in Souls Grown Deep).
Her works are well-known for being spontaneous and experimental. She created them on the spot without reference and used whatever medium was available.
Her pursuit of art did not pick up until after her second husband died in 1948. She began to display her works around her property: “I started hanging things in the yard, in the trees and bushes. I said, “Now I’m going to get back to when I was a little gal playing in the yard, playing in my playhouse” (Rowe, as cited in Souls Grown Deep). Rowe’s works seemingly reclaim a part of her childhood and reference the home and family in which she grew up. Her father, who had grown up before the abolition of slavery, was a basket maker, and her mother, who was born in the year of abolition, often made quilts (Wertkin, 485). She came from a family well-versed in utilitarian crafts and had been creating art, whether it was dolls, quilts, or drawings, as a child until her adult life. With her work displayed around her property, she was inviting her community to witness and partake in her works.
Warren depicts the history of early Douglasville, Georgia, through sewn fabrics, buttons, and stitching. This representation of Douglasville details the beginning of the city’s history, starting right before the establishment of it as an official town in 1875. In the center, a large tree is labeled “Skint Chestnut,” referencing the city’s name before it was dubbed “Douglasville.” The city was previously referred to as “Skint Chestnut” by settlers due to a tree that had been stripped of its bark by Native Americans as a geographical landmark (Douglasville Georgia and Douglasville CVB, GA). On the trunk of the tree, there is a grey marking, representing the stripped portion of bark that distinguished the tree. Surrounding the tree are multiple buildings and landmarks that are significant to the town, as well as the inclusion of the date they were established. These landmarks include the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, the jailhouse, the schoolhouse, the courthouse and meeting place, Young Vansant’s store, the railroad, Indian fires, and an unlabeled well.
Each landmark signifies a significant building, moment, or person within the town’s history. The yellow building at the bottom of the piece, labeled “Young Vansant’s Store,” signifies a store that likely belonged to Young Vansant. Young Vansant was one of the two brothers who had donated forty acres of land to the town; therefore, being one of the important benefactors of the history of Douglasville. Warren also includes what she labels “Indian Fires, Cherokees. Creeks,” which is representative of the Native American groups that resided in Douglasville prior to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The train at the bottom of the work is also significant to the town, as in 1860, the Georgia Western Railroad had purchased land from Atlanta to Birmingham (Douglasville Georgia). While it was purchased in 1860, the railroad building was halted due to the Civil War; therefore, the railroad was completed in November 1883, as Warren’s label concludes (Douglasville Georgia).
As a local of Douglasville, it is clear why Warren felt inspired to document the early history of her town. While Warren had moved to Douglasville in 1947 to teach at Douglas County High School, it is clear that her time in the community had an impact on her and gave her a desire to create this early map as a visual history for her community to appreciate and learn from (Legacy). Furthermore, Warren started the Douglas County Public Library in 1950 and served on the library board and as head librarian for numerous years, further demonstrating her dedication to the town and the community that resided within it. Outside of her work as a librarian and educator, she had a talent for sewing. Through this piece, Warren’s passion for sewing, education, history, and the Douglasville community is exemplified.
Loretta is one of several works by Wilkinson that depict three women with large, seventies to eighties-styled hair, colorful makeup, and elaborately patterned clothing. In this piece, he depicts various stylings of his favorite country music icon and one of his biggest inspirations, Loretta Lynn, of whom he often painted. He was known for his highly patterned and colorful works, which are both demonstrated in this piece. Each woman has an outfit consisting of various patterns and colors. Their faces are stylized, following his art style with simplified shapes of long noses, circular shapes of blush, almond-shaped eyes, and vertical lines for eyelashes.
He commonly used the mediums of permanent marker and gouache in his works, which are both utilized in this piece. He claims that these mediums allowed him to not only create works that would last, but also have a great range of vibrant hues and have a great quality with shine and gleam (Interview with Knox Wilkinson).
Wilkinson was born in Floyd, Country, residing in Rome, Georgia, for the majority of his life. Like this piece, Knox often created artworks of pop-culture icons, specifically those of country music, as this was something that not only interested him, but many in his community. He had no formal training in art; however, he had a passion for creating art from a young age and was encouraged to pursue it by his family as an adult (Sellen, 274). He noted that his work may not impress everyone, but that “…every kind of art has its own beauty. Even though everybody sees something different, just like there’s beauty in the eye of the beholder from the Bible.” (Interview with Knox Wilkinson). While Wilkinson was an everyday man, he held talent in painting that he utilized to express the interests of both himself and those around him, creating for the folk.
Williams was a local Georgia artist, born in Lagrange. She received her MFA from the University of Georgia and pursued a professional career in the arts as an artist and professor. In this piece, Williams utilizes cool hues on a square canvas, exploring the relationships between color, shape, and line in her non-representational paintings. She often worked in an abstract style, which she described as “primarily explorations of the power of color and compositional relationships” (Lamar Dodd School of Art, UGA). She preferred to work in abstract mediums, as she felt it presented challenges to her as an artist that she felt were absent from representational and figurative artworks (Lamar Dodd School of Art, UGA). In this piece, her consideration of the way color and line interact is clear, as she utilizes blockings of blues, greens, purples, and pinks divided by lines of white brushstrokes. Through her exploration of this relationship, one may make out particular divisions of various shapes as the elements interact.
Wadsworth A. Jarrell was one of the most significant artists of the Black Arts Movement, creating works of black empowerment as well as being one of the founders of AfriCOBRA. While Jarrell was born in Albany, Georgia in 1929 and lived much of his early years in Georgia, he later moved to Chicago in 1954 to attend the Art Institute of Chicago, where he became one of the founders of AfriCOBRA. This group was a collective of black artists focused on highlighting African American aesthetics. When AfriCOBRA was founded in 1968, positive imagery of African Americans and celebrating African American aesthetics was uncommon; therefore, AfriCOBRA strived to create art that aligned with black empowerment and liberation.
Jarell himself discussed the lack of Afro-centric aesthetics in the world of art, stating:
“We thought that it was long overdue for Black visual artists to make art that was grounded in Black neighborhoods, and art that spoke to and related to the people in those neighborhoods” (Jarell, as cited in Parish).
While Jarell was not a folk artist, he still strived to create art for his community that had been underrepresented and misrepresented,. He strived to create works that celebrated African American culture, whether it be by depicting leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, positive imagery of black life, or representing black families. Sadie’s Wedding is no exception to this, as in this work, he depicts the celebratory moment of a wedding. In this image, the human figures are all frontal, the majority smiling. This frontal depiction and proud emotion is an aspect of Jarrell’s works that may be seen frequently, as it is one of the key principles of AfriCOBRA (Douglas).
Overall, AfriCOBRA had five formal qualities in their works including free symmetry, memesis at mid-point, visibility, luminosity, and color. While Sadie’s Wedding was created nearly ten years after these qualities were refined, some of these qualities may still be noted within this piece. The colors are intense and representational rather than naturalistic, a common quality of AfriCOBRA works. The colors are used in a harmonious manner with their repetition throughout the piece, giving a sense of free symmetry. Jones-Hog of AfriCOBRA describes free symmetry as “…the use of syncopated rhythmic repetition which constantly changes in texture, shape, form…” (Jones-Hog as cited in Ellsworth, 29-30). A sense of unity and free symmetry may be further observed in the rhythmic repetition with the use of patterns and texture, such as the zig-zag, wave-like, and pinstripe lines throughout the painting. Such patterns and textures may be observed in the hair, skin, clothing, and background of the work, many of them referencing traditional African art. Many AfriCOBRA artists became returnee artists and studied African art, including Jarrell; therefore, elements of traditional African work such as pattern may be observed in many AfriCOBRA works (Ellsworth, 31). Jarell specifically draws upon the traditions and art of the Senofu people of Nigeria (Fay Gold Gallery). Through all of the geometric and organic lines and patterns, there is still clarity of figure and shape, demonstrating the quality of visibility.
While Jarrell created art for his community and became a renowned artist, he had careers outside of being an artist. When he moved back to Georgia, he became a professor at the University of Georgia, later retiring in 1988 (Douglas). While he has resided and created in many states, he has created an international impact through his works, uplifting his community through his artworks.
O’Kelley, who grew up on a farm in Georgia, utilizes bright hues to depict a rural scene of people arriving, working, and playing on Thanksgiving. O’Kelley had a love for details in her art, which is clearly demonstrated by the many patterns, people, and animals within Thanksgiving Visitors. The scene is visually busy, but it appears that the figures inside the work are too: children are at play, guests are arriving on both carriage and foot, cattle are grazing, a person is tending the field, poultry birds are feeding, a woman greets her guests at her door, and even a charming turkey waddles across the yard. From a further stance, the wide landscape consists of rolling hills, houses, and trees, all rich with texture, whether it be looping lines, stippling, or dashes.
O’Kelley’s inspiration undoubtedly reflects the environment that surrounded her throughout her life growing up in North Georgia’s agricultural countryside, both working and living on farms. Much of her works come from her mind, rather than by eye, and her imaginative stylistic choices of textural elements, repetitive patterns, and bright colors all reflect this.
O’Kelley’s relationship with art and being an artist begins in her childhood. She says,”How did I start painting? I had the usual crayons when I was a child, and from then on I just always had an interest in painting. An older sister liked to paint but she only liked to copy. I never liked to copy anything…I had several small public jobs, some I just lost interest in and left and some my temperamental nature helped me out the door” (O’Kelley, as cited in Ramke, 807). While O’Kelley did not start painting more until she was in her sixties post-retirement, she always had a relationship with arts and crafts, whether it was crayons at a young age, or sewing for work (Smithsonian American Art Museum). While O’Kelley had some experience with art, she never had any training in the arts, as creating art was purely a hobby for her (Ramke, 807). She had no intention of creating art for a profit; however, this changed when Robert Bishop became drawn to her work and began to sell her works in 1974 (Kogan, 50). Both O’Kelley and her art demonstrate the essence of folk art, as she created art for a hobby that reflected her community and the environment she lived in. She was an ordinary woman with an interest in art and depicting her community through her imaginative artistic techniques.
With a variety of cool hues, Yarbrough created a scene of a wide creek flanked by trees. On the right and in a portion of the foreground, the medium used to create the print has pooled around the trees to create a negative shape of the trees. In the upper left of the image, as well as a portion of the foreground, the medium has pooled within the branches of the trees, creating a positive shape of the branches. This technique creates an atmospheric perspective with both shape and color, as the trees in the foreground feel more in focus to the eye due to their bold color and shape, while the further trees are much lighter and give the illusion of their recession.
While Yarbrough was born in Australia, she came to the United States at a young age. She received a formal arts education at the University of Florida and the Atlanta College of Art. For a large portion of her life, she created art in Atlanta. She often depicted waterscapes and landscapes through the process of etching.
Middleton depicts a young, playful red fox that is pinning down a Cecropia moth within this illustration. Both of these creatures are common in the Southeastern United States, yet this moment is one of rarity, as it seems as if the fox is unaware of the viewer’s presence. The pose of the fox is rather playful and appears to be a moment caught in time, moments after the fox had pounced, weight shifting from the fox’s front to the back. Additionally, Middleton creates a sense of playfulness in the glimmer of light that highlights the fox’s eye, giving it a life-like appearance as it stares at the moth it has just caught.
Like her other works, Middleton pays great attention to detail throughout the work, particularly through texture throughout the moss, the fox’s fur, and even the moth’s wings. To achieve such detail as Middleton’s through watercolor, the paint must be built in layers and then redefined through smaller details, such as the hairs of the fox or the fibers in the plants
The majority of Sallie Ellington Middleton’s works depict the wildlife of the Southeast United States, as she lived the majority of her childhood and adult life in North and South Carolina. Her works are highly naturalistic and detailed depictions, highlighting her careful attention to the natural world around her. Middleton’s naturalistic images may be acredited to her studies of her subjects, whether she watches them from afar in the wild or studies them up close when fostering orphaned or wounded wildlife (The Best of Sallie Middleton). She primarily worked with watercolor paint to create her works, as some of her knowledge in art came from her uncle, Douglas Ellington, who had an education in art and architecture and also worked in watercolor (Asheville Art Museum). At a young age, she also attended school at Plonk School of Creative Arts, as well as Vesper-George Commercial Art School for one semester (Asheville Art Museum and Sallie Middleton Prints). While art began as a hobby in which she would occasionally sell her works, she later went on to create art on a professional, more widespread level by not only producing watercolor works but also prints. After her divorce, to make a living and support herself and her children, she decided to submit her work, Owl in the Appletree, to a magazine that later featured her and gained her notice from an owner of Fine Prints Gallery (Sallie Middleton Prints). This would launch her career in art, producing prints of her watercolor works through galleries. While these prints are created through the process of lithograph printing, many of her reproductions still require color correction and dot etching to achieve the quality that is faithful to her original artwork (The Best of Sallie Middleton).
Given Middleton’s interest in local wildlife, the eastern cottontail was an appropriate illustration for her to create. The species in common throughout the Eastern United States and the most common species of rabbit in both North Carolina and Georgia alike. Through this piece, Middleton’s attention to detail may be observed in the individual hairs of the rabbit’s fur, illustrating not only the texture and natural pattern of the rabbit’s coat but also the shadows and highlights to create a realistic render of the animal.
Her technique may also be observed through this illustration, as each hair appears to be an individual brushstroke, while the ears and rabbit’s shadow obtain the natural quality of watercolor. The edges of the shadow are soft and the paint is thinned out, while the layering on the paint may be observed in the interior of the shadow. Middleton appeared not only to be interested in the rabbit’s coat, but also interested in the rabbit’s pose and form, stating,
“In painting the rabbit, I was most interested in the V patterns that took place when he sat alert with his front paws neatly crossed in front of him. His ears are exaggerated for effect. The cottontail is quick and well camouflaged, I think he must have a white tail to give his predators a chance” (Middleton).
The rabbit’s pose is very specific, nearly observing the viewer as if caught in a momentary exchange. Additionally, this print was replicated in a monochromatic blue color palette. It is one of 2,500 prints published by Middleton and Fine Prints Gallery.
Middleton depicts an Indigo Bunting, a bird local to the South, in her print. In this scene, there is a lone Indigo Bunting perched upon the stem of flowers. The scene takes place in the summer, which may be noted due to the bird’s blue color, indicating that it as a male during the breeding season. Below the bird amongst the flora are two butterflies: an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and a Cabbage White. In the bottom right of the image, a stray blue feather rests below, nestled in between the greenery. Middleton includes a notable amount of local flora, which she often collects from around her own home in order to create such detailed scenes that represent the most accurate and vibrant environment for the wildlife she illustrates (The Best of Sallie Middleton).
In this print, Middleton illustrates two gray squirrels in a seemingly playful pose, as one exits a tree and the other places a paw on the head of the former. Once again, this work highlights Middleton’s attention to detail when painting wildlife, carefully rendering each hair in the squirrel’s fur. Not only does she pay careful attention to the animal itself, but also the environment in which they dwell. Surrounding the squirrels are native flora. While the scene is predominately filled with greenery, the squirrels not only stand out due to their scale and form, but also the flowers below the two. With the blue hue of the flowers against the greens, they stand out and catch the eye. These blue flowers are Thymeleaf Bluets, common to bloom in the spring and early summer in the Eastern United States, particularly in the Appalachian region. With this, we get a greater sense of the scene, understanding that this is not only a scene local to Middleton, but also a scene of springtime. Such a scene gives us not only a greater understanding of Middleton’s engagement of the environment around her, but also an understanding of the environment that many of this region experience in day-to-day life.
This print, one out of three hundred prints of the same scene, highlights Wyeth’s melancholic, yet highly detailed and representational style of art. Wyeth often painted areas local to his residences in Pennsylvania and Maine; therefore, this abandoned house was likely a scene from one of the two states. In the surroundings and interior of the house are five horses, each occupying their own space. One frolics behind the house, one peeks its head out from the window, one stares off in a prolific view, and the other two graze in opposing directions.
Each of the horses has a distance between them, none seeming to interact with the other. This seemingly detached setting was a notable aspect of Wyeth’s works, as he often depicted isolated people or structures.
While the image has little action, the isolating distance of the horses, paired with the eeriness of the worn-down house, gives tension and drama to the composition. The name almost implies the exact opposite feeling of the image. When thinking of the term “Open House,” one would likely expect a warm, inviting image, but they are instead met with a monochromatic image with subtle and muted red and blue tints, as seen in the windows and central horse. This print is one of the more muted collotypes of the three hundred prints, yet others still utilize a rather monochromatic palette primarily composed of greens and yellows.
The open window is yet another common motif within Wyeth’s works, which is often thought to symbolize an invite into the house. With the horses surrounding the building, two horses inside of the building, and the open window, it is as if the house is in fact “open” to them, and potentially, the viewer.
Wyeth was the son of another well-known painter, N.C.Wyeth, who is responsible for teaching Andrew Wyeth his skillsets in art (Art Institute of Chicago, 1). Given this, it may be noted that he had no formal training in art, and may be considered a self-taught artist. While Wyeth is not often considered a folk artist, both his self-taught skills and his depictions of his local scenery highlight the skill and significance of the everyday artist. Wyeth’s works were well-known and celebrated throughout his life and beyond due to his exceptional rendering of highly representational scenes.
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