This exhibit presents notable works from 1966 to 2002 by Edna Wagner Piersol (Windes), who was born in 1931, grew up in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area and has been winning national awards since high school. She has been active in the national art world throughout her career.
The artist likes to use white spaces as important design elements. Woman of the 80's, at right, is one example. The painting of an eagle, SPACIOUS SKIES, below, is another. The eagle painting received the 1971 Friends of American Art Purchase Award for the permanent collection of the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown Ohio, which houses a comprehensive collection of American art, containing works by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, and other American artists. Another favorite working style of this artist is to layer one image transparently over the first so as to get an impression of the workings of one's mind when viewing a scene. This is a recurring theme in her work as seen in FAMILY REUNION and OLD MAN AND THE SEA, NOVA SCOTIA, plus OCEAN GROVE MEMORIES.
Although she paints both abstract and representational subjects, the artist bases all of her painting compositions on abstract design, hence the title of the exhibit, REALISM THROUGH ABSTRACT and BACK. Many of the works are giclée prints of originals in private collections and therefore can be purchased. New original work is also in the exhibit.
She received her first national award in 1949, while still in high school and later studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon. Artist, writer, lecturer, consultant, workshop instructor, national exhibit juror, Edna Wagner Piersol is author of Living by Your Brush Alone and Learn to Paint in Five Days, listed in the World Who's Who of Women since 1969, a member of the National League of American Pen Women in both Arts and Letters, (1988~89 vice president, Pensacola FL Branch), and a life member and past president of the Southern Watercolor Society, comprised of artists of the 18 southern states and DC. She also retains her life membership in the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
The artist is married to Capt. Irby Windes, formerly of Destin. They now reside between Florida, California, and Kentucky.
WOMAN of the 80s, 1984 36 x 48 acrylic and tissue paper collage on canvas in the collection of the artist $9000.00 Click on image to see larger
