Art Students Complete Projects Inspired by University of Virginia Exhibit

Students in Laurie Hartman’s Art 2 classes recently completed pen and ink landscapes of industrial or commercial scenes with watercolor accents to help lead the viewer’s eye. The projects were inspired by an exhibition at the University of Virginia that Ms. Hartman visited during Spring Break — “Critical Lines” by Andrea Ruedy Trimble.

“I was so taken by the beautiful simplicity of the work that I shared Ms. Trimble’s artist’s statement, biography and images of her work with my Art 2 classes when we returned to school,” said Ms. Hartman. 

The students were asked to walk around campus, their towns, neighborhoods or any other place they chose or happened to be traveling to, and look for "forgotten landscapes" to photograph. Then, with pen and ink, using only line, they recreated their image and added accents of color to highlight and/or lead the viewer's eye toward a specific area of interest.

“The students took the assignment and really ran with it! They were excited by the challenge and I was so happy with the results – both their ideas and new applied skill,” said Ms. Hartman, who shared their work with Andrea Ruedy Trimble. 

“I love this so much and the artwork is so beautiful!” said Ms. Trimble. “It makes me so happy to hear that you and the students found inspiration in the exhibition. I love that they took the time to study urban landscapes and overlooked places. I find urban ‘clutter’ so inspiring. This totally made my week!”