Suzanne Vigil
“Up Close & Too Personal”
December 6, 2012 – January 7, 2013
Opening Reception: Thursday, December 13, 6:30 pm
This month, the solo room in The Art League Gallery isn’t filled with photos — those are photorealistic colored pencil portraits by Suzanne Vigil. “Up Close & Too Personal” captures people at funny, strange, and intimate moments, with all their flaws intact. (See more of the show on Flickr!)
To create her portraits, Vigil layers colored pencil on both sides of translucent acetate. See how she does it, and some of the other pieces from the show, in our studio visit video:
Vigil creates composite faces from multiple subjects, using layers of pencil (and other tools, like an X-Acto knife) to create captivating textures that pull the viewer in close. She discovered acetate when she worked as Art Director at the Drug Enforcement Administration, experimenting with different materials before finding that it allowed for great detail and vibrant color with colored pencils. Vigil, who lives in Alexandria, is an active member of the Gallery and has won awards for her colored pencil and oil work.
The opening reception and meet the artist for “Up Close & Too Personal” is Thursday, December 13, at 6:30 pm. The show will be on view through January 7, so come by the Gallery to see these pieces up close!
