In September 2011 Mary and I attended a fund raising event to support Rainbow Village, Duluth, GA, and I was asked to shoot a few photographs. http://rainbowvillage.org/ This organization provides transitional housing for homeless families with children. Many local businesses provided items for bid in silent and live auctions.
One vendor I got to know was Kathy Fincher, a Duluth artist nationally known for depicting children, landscapes and still life in a soft painting style with strong storytelling elements. http://www.kafincher.com/ She is described as an inspirational artist who creates “a unique pastel painting style of romantic realism." Ms. Fincher frequently uses dry pastels on paper and they are usually called paintings. http://www.paintmaking.com/grinding_pastels.htm One of her most popular creations is titled “Here's the Church”.
Her task that evening was to create a work of art, in the foyer, for auction after dinner. She told me she had no idea what she would do beyond two self-imposed rules: it would be in dry pastels (no drying time), and it would not be a portrait. Somehow she began a conversation about colors and feelings with the arriving guests, and she started asking for combinations of these ideas to use in her work. I heard the expected “Green with Envy!” Kathy also asked for more thought and received pairs such as “Blue and Confusion”, “Brown and Wanting”, “an Unknowing Black”, “Magenta and Different”.
The painting took form over time and was presented late in the bidding: it was a colorful landscape a bit on the side of dark and brooding. She talked about how it developed in the foyer and suggested more input from the audience. That started the bidding, along with shouts of “White and hope” and “Growth in Orange”. The final painting changed a lot, as you can see.
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