The ArtWorks Cooperative featured artist for September will be C.R. Venegas. Venegas works in watercolor, acrylics and pencil primarily, and is a long time member of the Co-op. Her wide variety of work, including florals, landscapes, portraits and abstracts, ensures that there will be something of interest for everyone in this show. Featured in this exhibit will be some new portrait work.  For the past year, C.R. Venegas has focused on creating pencil portraits in a series she calls “snapshot ladies”. Venegas states, “I use photographs from the early 1900’s as an inspiration. The light and dark contrasts create very strong images and make for very interesting drawings. I began creating these drawings last year and they have continued to be a challenge for me; for each completed portrait, I’ve destroyed four or five previous efforts. But as I complete each portrait they begin to tell me their story.”

    Also exhibited are Venegas’ landscapes. These paintings are based on landscapes viewed while traveling throughout South Dakota but the paintings reflect a more abstract application of style. “I have continued working with the impressionistic style I began three years ago,” explains Venegas.

    The watercolors done for this show are mostly abstracts. “I believe that painting with watercolors is one of the hardest mediums in which to work,” Venegas enthuses. “Depending on the medium I work with, I have a duality of painting styles, from strong controlled linear work in my drawings and watercolors to the free-forming brushstrokes I use in my acrylics. I also enjoy working with bold colors versus using black and whites. This keeps the mix interesting for me.”

    There will be an artist’s reception at the ArtWorks Cooperative gallery on Tuesday, September 12th from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. The gallery is located at 225 3rd ave. SE in Aberdeen. For more information, call the gallery at 725-0910 or visit www.sdartworks.com.