On January 14th, 2020, Manhattan Arts International's online art gallery celebrated its 20th anniversary! They decided to use the opportunity to give artists a prompt that matches perfectly with this month's theme here at SOUP - new beginnings. Each artist was free to interpret the prompt any way they chose to, creating some truly beautiful works of art, along with a personal statement with each piece from the artist themself.
Each piece of art truly speaks volumes on how the artist views the idea of new beginnings. While some took the prompt in a literal sense, others went with a more abstract approach - however, the theme of new beginnings is still evident in all pieces of art.
Sea, Mist & Birds by Nancy Reyner
The first painting, as seen above, was painted by Nancy Reyner using acrylic paint. By using light colors and textured waves, Reyner creates a very peaceful aura with the painting. The birds flying above only add to the serenity of the painting, and they tie in together with the overall painting very well due to the color choice used. In her personal statement, the painter mentions how she normally "painted spaces and places with minimal detail. Adding the birds... was out of character for me, but I went along with the feeling, creating something different and new... this new beginning encouraged another new beginning as I decided to keep it!" To her, new beginnings meant trying something new.
Butterfly Dream by Andrea Robinson
My personal favorite of the collection, Butterfly Dream, was created by Andrea Robinson using ink, graphite, and re-purposed plastic. The monochrome of the little boy is strongly juxtaposed by the colorful, vibrant butterflies emerging from the book he reads, and it creates a brilliant contrast, very pleasing to the eye. Robinson's personal statement includes her views on learning - "[it] brings awareness and a feeling of responsibility." She also says how she hopes her artwork will "[inspire] thinking and new behaviors," explaining that her definition of new beginnings includes not being afraid to try new behaviors.
Pegasus by Nathalie Marino
The third painting, and last in the collection, takes a much more abstract route to the prompt than its predecessors. While the abstractness is evident in the painting, there is still a clear figure of a pegasus in the painting, its white coat overlayed with vibrant warm colors for contrast. While some people might find a pegasus as not relating to the prompt, Marino indicates in her personal statement that she believes that the "Pegasus is a powerful symbol of change and new opportunities."
However, these three weren't the only paintings depicted in the gallery! To see all the other paintings, check out the official website.
Till next time~ Luna
All quotes and images were taken from manhattanarts.com.