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“It’s the way I breathe’

Pounders’ ‘Lex & Jazz’ impresses Art Guild judges

By Bruce Hope bruce@opcfla.com
Posted 3/18/20

ORANGE PARK – The Art Guild of Orange Park held its show, Relationships, last Thursday. The event showcased work from many talented local artists.

Competition pieces were submitted last month …

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“It’s the way I breathe’

Pounders’ ‘Lex & Jazz’ impresses Art Guild judges


Posted

ORANGE PARK – The Art Guild of Orange Park held its show, Relationships, last Thursday. The event showcased work from many talented local artists.

Competition pieces were submitted last month and judged then. Winners were announced the Thrasher-Horne Center.

Artist Kathy Stark judged the artwork in contention.

Debbie Pounders took home the first-place award for her painting, “Lex & Jazz,” which portrayed a young girl riding a horse. Pounders has been a member of the Art Guild since 2010.

“It’s the way I breathe,” Pounders said when asked what she loves about art. “I paint every day. I’ve been an artist all my life but I didn’t start painting until 2007. I’m elated. My feet haven’t touched the ground and I’m shaking,” she said after the announcement that she placed first in the competition.

Many members of the Art Guild were present for the show and for the announcement of winners.

Dee Roberts has been a member of the Art Guild for 30 years.

“I paint, I draw, I do watercolors, I do pastels but not very often,” Roberts said. “Art is a way to express yourself and to show someone else an image that they respond to. It’s really a collaboration between the artist and the viewer. It’s really good [today’s show, Relationships]. It has so many different expressions. It goes from people’s relationships to wildlife, to abstraction. Everything is balanced with color, shape and design. It has to evoke a feeling.”

Following the announcement of the winners, the gallery was opened so that onlookers could walk through and see the many works displayed.

Jeanne Pellegrino won second place for her work “Derry and His Dog.” Pellegrino is another long-time member of the Art Guild. She has been with it since its inception. She is a retired art teacher.

“I’ve taught 90% of the people here. I’ve taught Orange Park and at Jacksonville University,” she said. “Art is a way [for me] of expressing what God does in my life.”

Her family joined Gwen Mehler as she won third place for her work, “Family Tree.”