Beginning March15 and running through April 18, The Gallery of The Linden Tree Fine Art Studio will feature a very unique and inspiring exhibit by CPSA DC 101 member, Mary Anne Kamph.  Mary Anne, a student of Amy Lindenberger's since 1988, was inspired to create this particular group of drawings after reading the book, Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home, by Sue Bender, and coming across a reference to something called "The 100 Drawings Project".  What follows are excerpts from Mary Anne's statement about this project:

"This project kept nagging at my mind as something I should do.  I thought it would help me to grow as an artist and since I was somewhat frustrated by my slow speed in doing colored pencil drawings and with my rather strict adherence to photorealism, I decided to go ahead and try the project.

 

'The 100 Drawings Project' was a graduate art class taught by a friend of the author who did the project along with her students.  The students had to take an object and draw it 100 times.  The object needed to be portable, familiar, simple and neutral in content.  It could not have religious, sentimental or heirloom qualities.

 

I chose a simple white vase with handles that had originally held wooden kitchen utensils.

 

The project took two years.  I started on October 29, 1998 and finished on November 2, 2000.  I did all of the drawings/pictures in class. Some classes I was able to do more than one drawing, especially in the early pictures that were done in graphite.  Only one picture went home and insisted on being finished.  Some days I arrived at class knowing what I would draw and other days I had no idea and searched through the art studio for ideas to make still lifes or on a few occasions accepted ideas from others.  My creativity seemed to be influenced by my mood and physical well being.  When I had done about 80 drawings, ideas seemed to flood my mind on a constant basis. . .

 

My goals were met.  I drew 100 vases and worked faster.  My ability to draw freehand improved and I expanded my creativity to some degree.  I thought I would be ready to smash the vase by the end of the project, but instead the vase still held possibilities for more pictures. . .

 

The ability to take an ordinary object and see it in many different ways has transferred over into my everyday life.  I look at things differently -- from more angles and sides -- before I make decisions or conclusions and I am more willing to take risks.  I also think, with regards to planning an art project, that making many sketches or just mentally brainstorming is a valuable way to create a picture unique unto the artist. .."

From the group of 100 drawings, slightly more than half have been selected for this exhibition.  As Mary Anne has pointed out, the vast majority of them would not be considered "completed" works of art; they are exercises and experiments done by the artist as she attempted to view the vase in different ways. Come and view the drawings and see what effect they might have on YOUR creativity!