“Tom” is not going into an oven at Thanksgiving.

He is a barnyard star at a historic farm in Richmond, VA. The President regularly reprieves turkeys from the White House, and surely he wouldn’t allow the axe to fall on this grand old bird.

“Tom” represents a painting style Virginia Pendergrass, a Brevard, NC artist, calls contemporary impressionism. Impressionism is representational painting but while the subject matter is clearly recognizable, it is romanticized by intent.

“What drew me to painting is the leeway offered to depict what speaks to me, and to make it beautiful,” she explains

“A tree or building ruining my vista? I move ‘em. The scene has so many details that the most special parts are lost in the clutter? I simplify or abstract shapes to represent my reality. Didn’t like the color? I choose a not-quite-right but beautiful color. The goal is a sense of distance or movement? I fiddle with edges and colors to create that visual impression on canvas.”

“Tom” shows abstraction to simplify and focus on his wonderful shape and striking colors. Details of ground clutter, fencing and background trees are eliminated, or abstractly by suggestive brushwork, and small variations in color and value.”

“However,” continues Pendergrass, “his colors are as vivid in my memory as in the painting. Perhaps I am exaggerating a feature that made me want to paint him in the first place. But I have to say he was pretty darn colorful.”

Pendergrass’ paintings have been selected for multiple juried regional and national shows, such as American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, and Women Painters of the Southeast, where her art has been recognized with several awards of merit.

“Tom,” along with other animal paintings, is currently on display at the Silver Fox Gallery in Hendersonville, NC. Pendergrass also shows her still life and landscape work at her French Broad Artists studio in Riverview Station #216 in the River Arts District, and the Asheville Gallery of Art in downtown Asheville.

Virginia Pendergrass, fine artist, has works on display at French Broad Artists studio #216 in Riverview Station in the River Arts District, the Asheville Gallery of Art in downtown Asheville, and the Silver Fox Gallery in Hendersonville. Visit her at www.virginiapendergrass.com