Northern Virginia artist Jennifer Duncan brings a New York garden to Lake Anne Plaza in her solo exhibition "Paradise in Yonkers," opening Oct. 1 at Reston Art Gallery and Studios.
The show runs through Nov. 1 at the cooperative gallery at 11400 Washington Plaza West, on the lakeside of Lake Anne Plaza. A free public reception with the artist is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Duncan's paintings draw on her visit to Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, New York, a 43-acre public park listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974. The site's centerpiece is a walled garden inspired by ancient Indo-Persian garden design, featuring Roman and Greek sculptures, sundials and lush plantings around pools of water, according to TysonsToday. Duncan found the gardens during a riverboat cruise from New York City to Albany.
The resulting works are vibrant acrylics, many painted on plywood with irregularly cut edges. They layer color, line work and collage with geometric patterns found throughout the park.
"I wanted to capture not just what I saw, but the feeling and visual energy I experienced while walking through the gardens," Duncan said.
She said the gardens offered everything that draws her as a painter: architecture, unexpected plant shapes, sculpture, water and man-made patterns.
This is Duncan's fourth exhibition at the Lake Anne gallery. According to her gallery profile, Duncan's paintings are held in private and corporate collections in the United States, Paris, Peru and Chile. She is a member of several regional art groups, including Great Falls Studios, Studio Gallery DC in Dupont Circle and McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville. Duncan teaches painting and collage at the Yellow Barn at Glen Echo and in her home studio.
Look for the orange "ART" sign at Lake Anne Plaza. The gallery is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (April through November) and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., or by appointment at [email protected].
Upcoming at Reston Art Gallery and Studios:
- Oct. 1–Nov. 1: "Paradise in Yonkers" by Jennifer Duncan
- Sunday, Oct. 11, 2–4 p.m.: Free artist reception for "Paradise in Yonkers"
.jpg)
