Monica Anderson - Art Gallery

Just a Dream, Randi Ford

 

Inspiration : Ludington, MI 

             I visited Lafontsee Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI. It’s a small gallery, down on Lake Dr. During the summer I am down that way shopping the Antique shops, and I have never seen this gallery before. My first thought was that it was adorable, and the work there is amazing. I was automatically drawn to their “Artist of the Month” Randi Ford. Ford’s work is paintings of nature.

            When describing the piece I chose, Just a Dream, you’ll want to close your eyes. Picture a bright blue lake on the right side of the canvas. Now on the left there are different shades of green. There is a forest like green of trees, lining the beach, out farthest away. Dunes covered in heather and grass. Now with all of that, picture Van Gogh’s work within the dunes and grass. Randi Ford has the Van Gogh swish to her paintings. It’s definitely marvelous. 

            I chose this piece because I was drawn to it by personal aesthetics, it reminds me of my favorite place in this state, Ludington. The beautiful blue water and the dunes, it brings me back to my spontaneous trips to Ludington, MI. In my final project, I added some photos of my last trip to Ludington, MI. It was Sibling Weekend, so my best friend and I decided to take my sister and her friend up North. I brought my camera along to capture the beauty that sits there.

            The techniques that were used were acrylic paint with a splash of Van Gogh. Using acrylic paint can be tough, but she has the smoothest work I have ever seen. Acrylic can be tough to work with, but the way her hand moves within this piece, it is hard to tell its acrylic.

            My interpretation of this piece is, nature. Its God’s creation: a creation that she went and re-created through her work. She paints what she sees and how she views it; very whimsical.

            My judgement of this piece is simple this; if I had the money I would have bought this piece in a second. I loved it, the minute I walked up those front steps and turned the corner to view it, I was there for minutes. The way that Ford moves through her painting, its quite amusing to the eye.

               I was inspired by the idea that Ford's piece took me back to my favorite place Ludington, MI. Through the colors and the basic idea of the beach.