Jeff Gorrell's artwork is on exhibit at The Arts Depot
Oakton, Virginia, artist, Jeff Gorrell presents an exhibition of his landscapes and emotionally-driven abstracts painted on Yupo paper at the Arts Depot in Abingdon, Virginia, April 5 through June 10. There is a Meet-the-Artist reception "First Thursday," April 6, from 6-8 p.m. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
In 2016, Gorrell was the recipient of the Depot Artists Association Award of Merit at the Virginia Watercolor Society's annual juried exhibition. In addition to a cash price, Gorrell was offered, and accepted, the opportunity to exhibit in the Arts Depot's Spotlight Gallery during 2017.
Gorrell works from his studio at the Workhouse Arts Center, where he paints primarily in watercolors. More recently he has been blending in inks and experimenting with painting with smoke using a technique called fumage in his quest to "explore color and shape, surface and depth." Much of his work is done on Yupo, a synthetic (100% plastic) paper where water sits on the surface until it evaporates. Gorrell says, "This fact creates many opportunities to blend color in unusual ways."
In addition to his signature membership at the Virginia Watercolor Society, Gorrell is a member of the Potomac Valley Watercolorist, the Vienna Arts Society and the National Watercolor Society.
In conjunction with his exhibition, Gorell offers a workshop, "Painting on Yupo," on Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arts Depot. Students may attend just the Saturday session ($60 for members or $80 non-members) or both days ($120 for members or $140 non-members). This workshop introduces participants to a wide variety of media and several techniques to use when painting on Yupo. On the first day participants are introduced to a variety of creative ways to use watercolor, ink or acrylics concentrating on color blending, creating texture and developing dramatic movement. Sunday goes more deeply into working with Yupo, especially concentrating on painting representationally and techniques for controlling the paints on the synthetic paper's surface.
Contact the Arts Depot for a materials list, to preregister and more information 276-628-9091, www.abingdonartsdepot.org.
