The artwork of longtime friends Paula Rubino and Louise Fenne is linked through making meaningful connections with one’s surroundings and finding inherent value in the familiar. What’s more, the two painters—marked by their subtle, delicate tones yet emotionally poignant content—share a love for experimentation with color. “Paula and I share a strong sensitivity to and fascination with colors and their influence on each other. I think we both derive some of our drive to paint from this preoccupation, and I think it is apparent in our work equally,” says Fenne. “[It’s] possibly part of the reason that I find that our paintings always complement and play well off each other when hung together.” A fresh body of work by both artists will be on view in a new two-person exhibition at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia.
Paula Rubino, Antecedents, oil on linen, 36 x 36"
“The new body of work comprises concentrated observations of familiar objects surrounding me, including household objects—flowers, plants and fruit from my yard, the nearby Atlantic Ocean and its shells, and even my son, sitting during his summer holidays,” says Rubino, who currently lives in Stuart, Florida. “Over the last year, I’ve hardly left my environs, preferring to study the colors and patterns of life close by and close up. I’ve tried pushing color, pattern and volume, and to compose familiar objects in a new light. With this show, I’ve returned to basics in order to contemplate these familiar scenes with a fresh eye.” 
Paula Rubino, Lucania, oil on linen board, 24½ x 23"
Louise Fenne, Sisters No. 2, oil on canvas, 31½ x 39"
Both Rubino and Fenne agree that their shared influences and academic training—they both attended the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy—contribute to their auspicious pairing. The artwork of each artist exudes a sense of calm with women as the primary subjects surrounded by some aspect of nature; florals for Rubino, and birds for Fenne.
“In this body of work I continue to attempt to express visually the themes of feeling estranged from, or connected to oneself and/or one’s surroundings, the birds being symbols of our thoughts or inner selves,” Fenne explains.
Louise Fenne, Possessor No. 14, oil on linen, 17½ x 19½"
“I have wanted to suggest both a flow and tension between dream and reality. Sections of the backgrounds take on a more abstract, vibrating expression through the texture and paint application compared to the more careful rendering of the figures and birds.”
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held October 18 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., and works will remain on view through November 12. —
Principle Gallery 208 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314 • (703) 739-9326 • www.principlegallery.com
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