Andrew Black spent 35 years as a federal graphic designer making what other people wanted. Since retiring in 2017, the Reston resident has been making what he wants, and on July 20, more than 50 of those paintings and drawings go on display at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery inside Reston Community Center Lake Anne.

The solo exhibition, titled "The Art of Play," runs through August 4. Black will meet visitors at an artist's reception open to the public on July 26 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Black, a 1980 James Madison University fine arts graduate, said the show's title reflects how he approaches the studio. He often tells his wife he's going to "play around for a while" when he heads into work.

"The creating, rather than the creation, is what truly fulfills me," Black told The Reston Letter.

Most of the pieces in the exhibition were created in the past five years. The collection includes colorful abstract paintings layered with circles, dashes and scratched lines, along with intricate pen-and-ink drawings filled with patterns and textures. Earlier in his career, Black built dimensional constructions from wood and found objects before shifting toward spontaneous abstraction.

Black said retirement gave him something he had long lacked: uninterrupted time. Being able to devote hours to a piece and sustain that focus over several days changed his practice, he said.

He counts Andy Goldsworthy, Martin Puryear, Edward Hopper and Sally Mann among the artists he admires, though he resists pointing to any single influence.

"A work of art is not fully complete until it is experienced by others," he said. "I hope they leave with the same sense of joy that I received while making it."

After the show closes on August 4, Black plans to take a class in pine-needle basket making. His next creative challenge.

The Jo Ann Rose Gallery, at 1609-A Washington Plaza, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The gallery, which opened in 1999, gives priority to artists who live or work within Small District 5, the Fairfax County tax district that supports RCC.

Upcoming

• Monday, July 20 – Tuesday, August 4: "The Art of Play" exhibition, Jo Ann Rose Gallery, RCC Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza. Open during regular RCC hours.
• Saturday, July 26, 2–4 p.m.: Artist's reception with Andrew Black, Jo Ann Rose Gallery, RCC Lake Anne.