This piece on the left was done by Jessica Curtaz and was shown in the Charles A. Hartman gallery. At first glance, her work confused me, but at closer inspection I admired the fine detail she put into her work as well as the attention the quiet space drew to her subject. It is amazing to me that something as simple as graphite can do so much and convey so much detail. I am a fan of realism, which Curtaz creates well, but the way she used this realism in a more abstract way (by cutting off objects and using so much quiet space) was really creative and original. I was drawn to the details in her piece and the finer points of such average-seeming objects.

The piece on the right was also done by a local artist, Eva Speer, and I was actually surprised I was so drawn to her pieces, which are pretty different from my own style. They are more abstract and contain no living subjects but nonetheless they are extremely expressive and use contrast, blending and a variety of colors to create a whimsical quality that I enjoy. When asked what exactly she has painted, it would be difficult to describe, yet her billowing, cloud-like forms use an impressive amount of detail. Shapes and forms are distict, if unidentifiable, and she is clearly an expert painter. I must also be a big fan of quiet space, because this artist as well uses it a lot.