Oil Paintings by Caty Forden on Display at Arlington Central Library

An exhibition of recent oil paintings by artist Caty Forden are currently on display at Arlington’s Central Library. The paintings will be up through the end of the month. Here’s an artist’s statement by Forden:

As a visual artist and art educator working in drawing, painting, and collage, I understand the value of devoting one’s life to art through trial and error. Throughout my painting, whether in a market scene, an urban wasteland, or a portrait, I’ve been interested in exploring color and how to capture the sense of light and emotion in a place or person. Struggling with the challenge of painting keeps me constantly aware of the learning process with all of its highs and lows. While I alternate between sketching, collage, and painting, it is with the media of oil paint that I find myself deeply engaged in the art making process. Gesture drawing while on the go lets me capture a fleeting moment, while photographs allow me to fine tune compositions from which to work with over time. Recently I have been focusing on portraits of family, friends, and colleagues. The process of trying to capture a characteristic pose or facial expression through strategic brushstrokes and color combinations continues to interest me.

Paintings on display at the library are usually for sale. Artists contribute 20 percent of sales made during their exhibit to the Friends of the Arlington County Public Library, to help support Library programming.

IMAGE is “Jonathan” oil on canvas, 12” x 12”