DC Day 3 part 2's part 2

I just couldn't let a trip to Artomatic go by without posting my other favorite exhibits. For those of you who are unfamiliar with DC's Artomatic, image one humongous art exhibit/show spread out over the floors of an empty office building. Also imagine that anyone who can pay the entry fee, work the required hours and fill a wall can show their work.

Some of you are probably scratching your head, tsk-tsking or snickering over the imagined conglomerate of art/craft/just plain crap that such loose requirements allow. And you would be right. But that's part of the charm of Artomatic. One just never knows what one will see upon entering or even upon turning a corner.

For the sake of full disclosure, I feel compelled to admit that I am an art snob. My tastes tend toward contemporary, sculptural, mixed media, fiber. While I can admire the techinical skill of a traditional or classical painter, most classical paintings leave me cold.

I also love well thought out displays. As I strolled around Artomatic, what tended to catch my attention was a good display. For me, that tends to be a display that showcases the art and does not distract or detract from the art.

Rania Hassan's knitting hands held me spellbound. The sheer simplicity of the concept of hands knitting was genius.

The way she chose to set the painted hands off from the wall to add depth and allow for shadows of the knitting was wonderful.

Her use of Habu threads/yarns was exquisite...and prompted some ideas for how my own collection of Habu yarns could be used.

Sorry, couldn't resist including this shot of my shadow. That's the tallest I've ever looked!

This...metal, I think...bowl was fantastic.

And the shadows provided by it are even more so...creating a sort of cosmos of their own.

I loved the monochromatic theme of Jorge Caligiuri's paintings.

Closer inspection revealed that they weren't quite as monochromatic as they first appeared.

Megan Van Wagoner's homage to cabbage and potatoes done in glass was another that stopped me in mid-step.

The dragon fly is whimsical and wonderfully crafted. I'd love to have it in my yard.

Yep, that's my reflection in the window. Proof that I really was there.

Lisa K Rosenstein's study in white set against a black wall is simplicity at it's best.

As a fiber artist, her use of texture was very appealing.

All too soon, my jaunt to Artomatic to view art and visit with Deb ended. Hopefully a trip to DC over July 4th weekend will become a yearly tradition and I'll be able to see next years's Artomatic. Hmmm...wonder what Deb will do next time?