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Atousa Foroohary

Leona Whitlow

I n the face of frantic technological advancement and the ever-escalating complexities of modern life, Atousa Foroohary gives her audience respite in virgin forestscapes, quiet streams, park-like settings, and affectionate portraiture. Eschewing cold abstraction and high concept in favor of realistic and natural representations of people, places and objects, Foroohary reminds viewers that unparalleled beauty is abundantly

W hether working in watercolor, acrylic, or collage, Leona Whitlow is unafraid to use the whole palette, creating works that are full of vigor and whimsy. Her paintings, some completely abstract and others containing recognizable figurative elements, inadvertently emphasize movement - a natural choice for Whitlow, who was once a classical ballet dance teacher and an expressive therapist. In the "The Gathering," as in many of her other works, Whitlow creates a sense of movement and rhythm by using quick brushstrokes, aggressive colors, and her signature black lines

present in ordinary, observable reality.

Though she clearly favors realism, Foroohary's work is fluid in its stylistic boundaries, permitting exploration beyond detail-for-de-tail replication. Encompassing a spectrum of expression ranging from photographic accuracy to impressionistic and symbolistic work, it is Foroohary's consistent use of natural color that unifies her paintings. In the philosophical vein of Monet, Foroohary believes color can be used to draw forth the essence of a character or scene, radically enhancing one's appreciation of illusionistic space. Using what she calls the "miracle of color" to communicate the ineffable, Foroohary's hands are her bridge between the apparent and the supersensible. Balancing faithful representation with lively surface textures, Atousa Foroohary's art casts discernible reality in a friendly, natural light.

www.myartclub.com/atousa.foroohary

that often outline the elements of the painting.

With the exception of several landscapes, the action in her works happens on the surface. "The Gathering" is a dynamic composition full of the comings and goings of people. Yet the abstract background, chaotic spacing of the figures, and their schematic nature makes them into inhabitants of the surface. This intentional two-dimensionality adds to the overall intensity of Whitlow's works and helps the viewer focus on the subtle details of form.

Whitlow has studied with several artists, has won awards in juried art shows, held solo exhibitions of her works, and now serves on the Board of Gold Coast Watercolor Society.

www.whitlow-art.com

Kenji Inoue

T he Japanese Heritage of Kenji Inoue is evident throughout the works of this young artist.Pure color is the subject of the abstract paintings - color used with a passionate sensuality remi- niscent of the ancient Japanese Ukiyo-E woodcut prints. Inoue paints with the force of an im- petuous young culture—reds and blues in wild abandon, uninhib- ited brushstrokes—his abstract compositions are a painterly ex- ploration into the winds of free- dom. These works go beyond simple experimentation with color. The abstract shapes and forms evoke strange landscapes

- sometimes lunar, sometimes underwater, and sometimes wild wilder- nesses of threatening red deserts. Into this unsettling scene Inoue intro-duces familiar shapes such as triangles or rectangles that form a cool, negative space of white nested in a sea of intense red or deep indigo blue. We cannot look impassively upon this wave of pure color blowing in our field of vision. Momentarily, we get drawn into the painting in front of us, our perception and our imagination running free.

Kenji Inoue lives and works in Japan. He has a degree in illustration from the Tokyo Communications and Arts Professional School.


	Atousa Foroohary Leona Whitlow I n the face of frantic technological advancement and the ever-escalating complexities of modern life, Atousa Foroohary gives her audience respite in virgin forestscapes, quiet streams, park-like settings, and affectionate portraiture. Eschewing cold abstraction and high concept in favor of realistic and natural representations of people, places and objects, Foroohary reminds viewers that unparalleled beauty is abundantly W hether working in watercolor, acrylic, or collage, Leona Whitlow is unafraid to use the whole palette, creating works that are full of vigor and whimsy. Her paintings, some completely abstract and others containing recognizable figurative elements, inadvertently emphasize movement - a natural choice for Whitlow, who was once a classical ballet dance teacher and an expressive therapist. In the "The Gathering," as in many of her other works, Whitlow creates a sense of movement and rhythm by using quick brushstrokes, aggressive colors, and her signature black lines present in ordinary, observable reality. Though she clearly favors realism, Foroohary's work is fluid in its stylistic boundaries, permitting exploration beyond detail-for-de-tail replication. Encompassing a spectrum of expression ranging from photographic accuracy to impressionistic and symbolistic work, it is Foroohary's consistent use of natural color that unifies her paintings. In the philosophical vein of Monet, Foroohary believes color can be used to draw forth the essence of a character or scene, radically enhancing one's appreciation of illusionistic space. Using what she calls the "miracle of color" to communicate the ineffable, Foroohary's hands are her bridge between the apparent and the supersensible. Balancing faithful representation with lively surface textures, Atousa Foroohary's art casts discernible reality in a friendly, natural light. www.myartclub.com/atousa.foroohary that often outline the elements of the painting. With the exception of several landscapes, the action in her works happens on the surface. "The Gathering" is a dynamic composition full of the comings and goings of people. Yet the abstract background, chaotic spacing of the figures, and their schematic nature makes them into inhabitants of the surface. This intentional two-dimensionality adds to the overall intensity of Whitlow's works and helps the viewer focus on the subtle details of form. Whitlow has studied with several artists, has won awards in juried art shows, held solo exhibitions of her works, and now serves on the Board of Gold Coast Watercolor Society. www.whitlow-art.com Kenji Inoue T he Japanese Heritage of Kenji Inoue is evident throughout the works of this young artist.Pure color is the subject of the abstract paintings - color used with a passionate sensuality remi- niscent of the ancient Japanese Ukiyo-E woodcut prints. Inoue paints with the force of an im- petuous young culture—reds and blues in wild abandon, uninhib- ited brushstrokes—his abstract compositions are a painterly ex- ploration into the winds of free- dom. These works go beyond simple experimentation with color. The abstract shapes and forms evoke strange landscapes - sometimes lunar, sometimes underwater, and sometimes wild wilder- nesses of threatening red deserts. Into this unsettling scene Inoue intro-duces familiar shapes such as triangles or rectangles that form a cool, negative space of white nested in a sea of intense red or deep indigo blue. We cannot look impassively upon this wave of pure color blowing in our field of vision. Momentarily, we get drawn into the painting in front of us, our perception and our imagination running free. Kenji Inoue lives and works in Japan. He has a degree in illustration from the Tokyo Communications and Arts Professional School.