Joan Weiss of Dunwoody and Sharon Weiss of Sandy Springs are not related. Maybe they are kindred spirit muses in Atlanta’s active art scene. Viewers were in for a double treat as Both Weiss’s works have been exhibited for the month of August at the Sandy Springs Library.
Sharon Weiss’ “Water Lily on Pond” is her expression of nature.
In the exhibit are oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolors, along with collages and mixed media in representational and abstract styles. The artists actually met when Joan took an art class taught by Sharon at the Spruill Arts Center and continued their relationship as members of the Dunwoody Fine Art Association.
Two Weiss artists, (from left) Joan and Sharon, where Mississippi talent meets Los Angeles creativity.
Sharon works in pastel, oil, watercolor, watercolor pencil, pen and ink. She is known for vibrant food paintings on glass, silver, and ceramic plates where the fruits and vegetables are more “real” than reality. She enjoys painting landscapes from trips to national parks, fall foliage, and European buildings as well as close-ups of flowers, children and pet portraits, in addition to her food portraits. Some paintings seem “good enough to eat” among those on display at the library: “Strawberries on Silver,” “Red and Black Plums,” “Water Lily on Pond,” and “Golden Marsh.”
Growing up in Los Angeles, Sharon received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors and teaching credential from UCLA, an art school which concentrated on teaching the student to see nature, light, and color as part of the creative process. She is a Member of Excellence of the Southeastern Pastel Society and publicity chair for the Dunwoody Fine Art Association. Her work has won awards and been included in many juried group shows. In addition, she received the Best of Faculty Award at the first student and faculty exhibit at the Spruill Gallery and has participated in shows at the Swan Coach House Gallery and Sights and Insights at the Chastain Gallery.
“Red and Black Plums” by Sharon Weiss appears ripe for the viewer.
Sharon began teaching workshops in 2003 at the Spruill Arts Center in Dunwoody. With a full-time corporate job designing health care software, she initially taught weekend workshops. She incorporates the structure and organization from the business world in her approach to teaching by providing detailed written steps and examples. She individualizes instruction and coaches students to develop their own style. By using this structured training approach from the corporate world, students build the skills to express themselves in creating original artwork.
Sharon’s course work at UCLA focused on seeing nature, portrayed here in her “Golden Marsh.”
Joan discovered the artist within after raising her own children and retiring after a 30-year career teaching Spanish. After she started taking classes at the Spruill Arts Center, she surprised herself when her work was accepted into juried shows and won awards. She won first place in the student category in the first Spruill student and faculty exhibit, has had work purchased by the Spruill Board, and has continued to learn and expand using acrylic paint, collage, and mixed media in representational and abstract styles. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Joan has an emotional response to her Southern life there. Through her art, she attempts to communicate the images, emotions, and memories that place evokes. Some of her works on display are: “Montmartre” (acrylic on canvas), “The Right Path Three” (mixed media collage on paper), “Green Triad” (collage), and “Thinking about the Future” (collage).
The Sandy Springs Library is located at 296 Mt. Vernon Highway. It is open seven days a week and admission is free.
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