To read the introduction to this series, click here.
Today was my first drawing class, and it went well! The teacher, George Tkabladze — henceforth “instructor George” — had us jump right in by drawing the still life setup below.
Then he came around to give each of us pointers. I glanced around to see how everyone else was doing, and we all seemed to have recognizable objects on our paper.
For the September All-Media Exhibit in The Art League Gallery, juror Judy Southerland gave special recognition to three works, and we’re featuring interviews with each of them. The third prize went to Another Day, a photograph by Amanda Marie Harner. (The first and second prize went to Miriam Keeler and Trinka Roeckelein.)
At age 17, Amanda is a junior member of the Gallery, and this was her first piece entered into an exhibit here. The juror called the image the “most movingly rendered face” among the submitted artwork. We asked Amanda about starting out as a fine art photographer and how Another Day was captured.
What are your thoughts on your first show at The Art League? Has your work been exhibited elsewhere?
Amanda: I am completely excited! I would have never imagined I would be doing something as awesome as this at such an early age. I feel honored to have my work displayed amongst so many talented artists. I guess you could say this is a step up from my high school’s art show.
Is there a story behind Another Day? Where was it taken, and what animal is pictured? Another Day was shot at the National Zoo, of a white-faced saki monkey. The image conveys the perpetual sentiment that yet Another Day will pass before the animals will be released from captivity.
“Another Day” by Amanda Marie Harner.
The juror said your photo had the most movingly rendered face of the submitted artwork. Do you do much portrait work? Was it challenging to get a good image of the monkey?
I actually do not do portrait work very often. I like to work with inanimate objects, however, I have been trying to branch out of my comfort zone. It surprisingly was not difficult at all to get the image. I just watched him for a few minutes through my viewfinder until I felt like it would make a good shot. I took three pictures, and one of them turned out great! Continue reading Q&A with Award-Winner Amanda Harner
