Beginning March 18 at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, is a new show featuring the paintings of three artists—Larry Preston, Jorge Alberto and Elizabeth Floyd—who create works in the still life genre. The trio will be showing a variety of subjects, including florals and fruits, but also objects that accentuate texture and reflective properties.
For Preston, the objects he chose were things he had around his house and garden. Sometimes he chooses just based on interesting items in his studio. “I never try to tell a story,” he says. “I always choose the items in the composition first and decide on the arrangement of those items. Color is secondary.” 
Jorge Alberto, And All that Jazz, oil on panel, 29 x 21"
In Five Wild Pears, Preston paints a row of pears, each one unique within the lineup. It was the different look of each pear that brought the piece together. “We have several pear trees on our property, some wilder than others,” he adds. “None are particularly well tended. I make a point of looking for fruits that are not perfect. I like fruit with character.”
Larry Preston, Five Wild Pears, oil on panel, 14 x 24"Alberto will bring a different flavor of work to the show by including images showing metal and fabric. “My paintings for this show are a combination of Trompe l’Oeil painting and my own interpretation of traditional tabletop still life,” he says. “The range of the work goes from painted frames, fruit and flowers to a takeoff of the banana that was taped to the wall at Art Basel!” In the painting And All That Jazz, Alberto turned his attention to a saxophone, which he does not play but liked the object as a subject. “Although I do not play any musical instruments, I find them fascinating and always keep my eyes open for the opportunity to paint them. A few years ago I did a similar Trompe l’Oeil painting of a trumpet and was looking for another brass instrument to paint,” he says. “In the case of And All That Jazz, the saxophone I used, I borrowed from a friend. This particular saxophone was owned by my friend’s father who played in a band from 1940 to 1950. The history behind the instrument inspired me to create this painting.”
Elizabeth Floyd, Peonies and Butterfly, oil on linen, 36 x 30"
Larry Preston, Daffodils on Bricks, oil on linen panel, 16 x 12"
Floyd will be showing several floral pieces. “I have a passion for detail. I love how life is often full of layers and that is also how I feel our homes are too,” Floyd says. “We grow each year adding experiences, and often we gather mementos that remind us of these experiences. Each object is a visual note from our past. Looking at a book, or a pile of seashells will animate our senses, evoking nostalgic times of joy and pleasure.”
She adds: “This collection of paintings I have created are celebrations of the small details that populate our lives.” —
Principle Gallery
208 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-9326 • www.principlegallery.com
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