Showcasing the great diversity of talent that they have, the RAL Art Center Gallery Windows will display the works of Johnny Hayes and Karen Williams for the month of August. Both painters are long time-members of the RAL and provide a nice contrast in styles of painting.
Karen Williams works in oils and enjoys a realist approach to her painting. Like many of us, her interest in art and painting had to wait until retirement years for her to have the time to dedicate to her own artistic expressions. Karen describes herself as an "unhurried painter", enjoying the slow drying properties of the oils which allows her more freedom to make adjustments while she is creating. She likes to work from photos that she has taken during her travels and enjoys the process of changing a small photo into a large piece of work, for both her own enjoyment and that of others.
Karen's painting entitled, " Unbothered" is a whimsical portrait of someone, no one in particular, in a playful moment and is something fun which will no doubt make you smile. Other paintings in her group are drawn from a recent trip to Portugal and Madeira Island. She has drawn some images from the vast array of street art found in both locations, colorful and cheerful. Karen's paintings have been exhibited in many other venues including the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, the Deltaville Maritime Museum and the Lancaster Community Library, as well as being recently juried into the Maryland Federation of Arts International online exhibit.
In the other window, Johnny Hayes is not adhering to realism. In fact, Johnny's preferred method of painting is in a flat plane, using lots of unmixed color in a contemporary style. He works in the acrylic medium and has a varied subject matter from still life to landscapes to portraits. Johnny says that the reason he likes to paint is not only to be creative, but he finds that it is concurrently relaxing and intellectual - - and just plain fun! This is easy to see in his painting, "Somewhere Else", a design-driven composition of trees that could be just about ... anywhere.
A member of the RAL for over 20 years, Johnny has exhibited and won awards in many venues including The Hampton Art League, The Virginia Watercolor Society, The Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center, The Virginia Artists Show, as well as the RAL Art Center.