ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ELIZA EVANS & VIRGINIA RIELEY
/This month we sat down with exhibiting artist’s Eliza Evans & Virginia Rieley to learn more about their work, their long standing collaboration and their current exhibit in The Gallery at Studio IX.
Studio IX: Who are you?
Eliza Evans: My name is Eliza Evans. I am a mother, a portrait painter, a permaculture farmer, and an amateur herbalist . My identity is rooted firmly in the place I make my home. North Garden is where I’m planted and its where I do my planting.
Studio IX: What type of artist are you? What medium/s do you work in?
Evans: I paint acrylic portraits from life. Usually on wood but sometimes on other surfaces.
Studio IX: How do you approach your work?
Evans: Generally in a relaxed way. But I’m quick. I don’t want the person to get bored or tired sitting there.
Studio IX: What is your process?
Evans: To do the portraits I set up my palette and sit across from the person/people I’m painting and ask them to look at me. If it’s a wiggly kid I tell them that if I whistle they have to look at me. I think I usually start at the forehead but generally I spend the most time on the eyes. I try to give every eye a sparkle. I try to really see the colors in the shadows and light. When I’m done I let them pick whatever background color they want. I always do that last before signing in the middle on the bottom (I like symmetry) and dating the back.
Studio IX: What inspires you?
Evans: Rainbows. I know that sounds corny but is there anything more visually pleasing? Also trees growing, birds, finding cool mushrooms, good food, St. John’s wort and comfrey and nettles and red clover, funny things my kids say and do, really good smells like garlic cooking or honeysuckle or the orange tree that’s blooming in my room right now…
And we just got high speed internet in the last week out here on Wild Orchard Farm and there’s this permaculture lady in Australia named Morag Gamble and I’ve been binging her Youtube videos. She’s an inspiration. My goodness!! Also I’m inspired by my parents who are so active and productive and engaged and helpful and loving. It’s amazing! I’m incredibly privileged to be their child and to be able to raise my own three wonderful children next door to them. They take such amazing care of us all.
Also Greta Thunberg and all the Indigenous people and activists who are standing up to the bad guys to protect this precious Earth.
Studio IX: When did you & Virginia first meet?
Evans: In kindergarten.
Studio IX: When did you start working together as artists?
Evans: Second grade.
Studio IX: How do you go about making work together?
Evans: For the last 15 years we’ve made a calendar together: “Every Day is a Holiday!” We write all the holidays and content together and individually I paint the portraits and Virginia puts it together with collage and hand-letters everything.
Studio IX: How did the idea for the calendars come about?
Evans: We were just joking around in the kitchen of the organic farm where we used to work together, and came up with it and starting laughing uncontrollably at the holidays we came up with.
Studio IX: Could you share us a story? Something that stands out in your time working together.
Evans: We always notice when our holidays come true and it’s pretty often. Like on “Republicans Are People Too Day”, the Republican Congress finally ended the government shutdown after many weeks of people not getting paid a few years ago. We also decided to take out Life Sucks Day after a few years, because many bad things were happening on that day.
Studio IX: What do you hope people take from your work?
Evans: To find little things to appreciate and celebrate every day. Remember to laugh.
Studio IX: What’s next?
Evans: Lots more holidays!
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Artist Spotlight | Pt 2 : Virginia Rieley
Studio IX: Who are you?
Virginia Rieley: Virginia Rieley. Artist, writer, lifelong Charlottesville resident.
Studio IX: What type of artist are you? What medium/s do you work in?
Rieley: In recent years I have been working as a mixed media collage artist, using a combination of original photography, watercolor, pen & ink.
Studio IX: How do you approach your work?
Rieley: My goal is to capture everyday beauty in both iconic, recognizable scenes as well as the hidden, lesser known ones.
Studio IX: What is your process?
Rieley: The first step is taking the photographs, which usually happens on long walks around Charlottesville and the surrounding areas. I usually paint the skies in watercolor, then I cut out my photographs and impose the buildings and landscapes over top of these paintings. Sometimes I fill in small details like power lines using an ink pen. Also, I worked as a framer for many years, so I like to incorporate the frame as part of the collage as a whole, often covering the frames in colorful handmade paper.
Studio IX: What inspires you?
Rieley: The abundance of beauty in the everyday. Flowers, trees, the changing seasons, architecture, cityscapes. Everything!