bunnypainter

Watercolor on paper, 2021, 18"x24", by Nancy Polo.

The tent villages popped up quickly all around #WashingtonDC in March 2020. Over a year later they linger under bridges, on the edge of parks, and in more prominent places like in front of the #PNCBank branch on Connecticut Avenue. I come across this man almost every Sunday when I work at the #freshfarm #dupontcircle #farmersmarket

He's usually having a very loud conversation with himself. As I painted him, images of St. Jerome in the desert came to mind. Jerome is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin. He lived an ascetic life of extreme deprivations, and he was prone to hallucinations. I wonder if this man knows more about #whatsgoingon than the the rest of us.

This painting is one of many you can see in my solo show this September at the Barns of Rose Hill There will be an opening show called What’s Going On? Sunday, September 12, 2021 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

This is your chance to meet with me, and talk about my art. There will be light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Walk-ins are welcome. After the reception, don’t miss the concert with Sunny War Please note that the exhibit is free, but the concert is a ticketed event.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

I will also be giving a gallery talk on Friday, September 24, 2021 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM I'd like for people to understand how my creative expression in watercolor was my art therapy for COVID. I will explore the major themes in the collection of paintings entitled "What's Going On?". There will be time to ask questions after a 40-minute presentation.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/whats-going-on-artist-talk-with-nancy-polo/

Ears are actually unique to each and every person, so much so that they are comparable in uniqueness to the fingerprint. What can we learn by studying our parents' ears?

Come find out at the Barns of Rosehill.

September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

Road to Nowhere, dry brush & watercolor, 2021 by Nancy Polo.

COVID has layered the end of truth with misplaced signs and signals. To continue to thrive during the pandemic, my business partner, my son and I continued to travel to DC. Farmers' markets were policed by the national guard a few times to ensure our endeavors to stay afloat were not a hazard to society. Every sunrise I hurtled down I-66, I wondered about the DO NOT ENTER signs along the way.

Come see What's Going On? at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

Tell that to my brain when I try to sleep at night🙄

Come see What's Going On? at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

Unity of Purpose, progress, watercolor on paper.

Slow going, this tapestry of light. Feels like one filament at a time. I'm really greedy about textures touched by light. I want little surprises to be fully formed over and over again as I crawl across the page. 

I want cocoon these two boys in light and color, if only briefly, to keep them safe. When it's done, I might disagree with my past self, but it's the only way through a tunnel at present. 

Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

Beginning a painting is often a topic in my posts. It's when I feel most overwhelmed as an artist. My safe spaces revolve around #flowers in infinite ways.

I started with the t-shirt of a mother in this piece. I paint the soft, flesh filled, folds of cotton as I would a flower.

I am working straightforward, with color first, no #valuestudy.

I wish that women were more convinced of the beauty, solace and contemplation a perfectly imperfect body offers.

This flower has many names, one of which is Naked Lady. If an artist painted the soft curves of my back --you know, the ones that we all try to hide with the right bra, and more painful #foundation garments-- I might feel like a #nakedlady-- vulnerable and exposed.

But all I see in this back is a lovely space to play with color in a conversation with light.

Come see What's Going On? at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

For a grandparent the keeping of a child's joy is a gift. This painting, and Fresh from the Barber, are glimpses into those happy, fleeting moments. We had many grandparents visit the farm where I live and paint throughout the COVID 19 quarantine. @longmarshprairie was a refuge for them.

Come see What's Going On? at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

What's Going On? watercolor on paper, 2021 by Nancy Polo.

The title piece for a show is a phenomenon that lives in the artist's brain and heart. It's a piece where complex lived and imagined experiences coalesce into one composition.

In 2017 Women Who Work? came before all of the other 34 paintings that filled the gallery for my first solo show. It was a witching stick I used to test all other paintings.

This painting of a baby in a sling, made mere weeks before the show What's Going On? is different. This face embodies how I have felt since March, 2020-- a helpless child, protected in many ways, knowing that strange, scary things are afoot that may or may not drastically change my future.

Come see What's Going On?, at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

The Red Gate-Wickliffe, watercolor,ink and gouache on paper, by Nancy Polo.

Big learning curves with this piece.

Gates, gateways and doors have always fascinated me. COVID brought entry points to the forefront of my painting brain. How do we enter spaces? How do we let others know they are safe to enter our space?

Come see my show at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

Fresh from the Barber, watercolor on paper, by Nancy Polo.

The pandemic didn't erase the #curiosity #energy #imagination or #creativity of #children Life went on for every #fouryearold in spite of COVID. This little boy is blessed with a #grandmother who found a way to get him to his favorite place and keep him in style throughout.

This piece is one of many that will explore the love between #grandchildren and their precious #grandparents in my show #whatsgoingon

Come see my show at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

This is a portrait of vendor/artisan for a paper produced by people who are experiencing homelessness, called Street Sense. Every week when I work at farmers market in Dupont Circle, I buy a copy. I have a few vendors I check in with on a regular basis to hear about what they are creating.

This gentleman makes an art form with color every week. His rainbow umbrella, as well as an array of rainbow objects that he lays out each week are a part of his presence. In December 2020 he brought joy to an emotionally bleak landscape.

This week's article, "What a park redevelopment reveals about a community: Beyond the city's plans to renovate the park at NJ Ave and O St NW", by Will Schick has me asking #whatsgoingon If people experiencing homelessness don't get to enjoy the park, then for whom should these parks be created? I've often wondered why basic facilities and safety features can't be built into parks so that people who need the parks most can be safe when everyone else gets to go home.

I painted Rainbow Santa to remind us that everyone has joy to offer, no matter their address or employment status.

Come see my show at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

As I sift through #inspirations #past&present this #babyface didn't make the cut. Painting #children opens up all possibilities.

Come see my show at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

As I sift through #inspirations #past&present this #babyface didn't make the cut. Painting #children opens up all possibilities.

Come see my show at the Barns of Rosehill in Berryville, VA. It will be up September 1-30, 2021. Artist opening 9-12-21, Artist talk 9-24-21.

https://barnsofrosehill.org/event/meet-the-artist-nancy-polo-whats-going-on/

If the #nonfungible falls in the #unseen #twitterverse does it make a #tweet?

To those who wonder about my #process ... I erased the first sketch. I had to tell the #wholestory which definitely required #blackboots and off camera shadows.

Socially Distanced, #progress details, watercolor on paper, 2021.

My #studiospace may look messy, but my #palette #brushes #pens #paper #reference #screen are close at hand and mind for #maximum #efficiency This man has to be just as #efficient #living #itinerant on the street.

Someone asked me, "Are you always so tight in your painting?"

Multiple paintings in one.

#progress #abstractpainting #slowgoing