The Notable Exceptions

Description

When I retired from teaching several years ago, my wife and I decided to get a season pass to Silver Dollar City so that we could go several times a year for their different themed festivals. During the western themed festival, we purposed to go to all the performances. One that was very entertaining was three western cowgirls who were really getting into it with great rhythms and harmonies. I took many images of the performance for future subject matter. Several years after the performance, I finally got around to creating this composition. In my usual way, I use many different references to create a composition. Rarely do I depict a scene as is. I feel the need to change and alter what I see to create a more dynamic composition. In this composition, I portrayed two of the ladies in a dynamic posture to enhance the excitement of the performance. The stage they performed on that day was plain and with a curtain backdrop. I have instead placed them on a more intimate stage and placed on the walls three of my previous paintings. I thought that would be fun and make it more personal. My depiction of stage lights allows for dramatic shifts in value and color adding to the drama. The use of transparency creates more interesting divisions of space for the viewer to consider and enjoy. When I completed this piece, I was still struggling with a title. Since I did not remember the name of this trio, I decided to contact Walter Morrison of the Homestead Pickers, figuring his long association with Silver Dollar City and his relationships with its performers, might provide me with a clue. Shortly after I contacted him, he sent me a webpage of the Notable Exceptions, and thus the title. Thank you, Walter!