Gay Riseborough on Loving to Draw, Building an Art Career and more

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Evanston Artist, Public Art Advocate, Teacher and more, Gay Riseborough talks about loving drawing and making a life as an artist. Her upcoming exhibit at 1100 Florence Gallery, Go Home with a Nude features drawings & sketches done in the studio, priced to sell. Charcoal, conté crayon, graphite, watercolor, pastel on paper, ranging from (common) newsprint to Strathmore and watercolor paper. Join us for the Opening Party, 1100 Florence Ave, Jan. 4, 5-8p.

Artist Statement: For many years, Gay ran an Open Figure Studio for drop-in artists, both at 1121 and, then, 1123 Florence and, finally, at 1402 Greenleaf. Most of these works are studies from these sessions, both quick sketch and long pose. As a painter, primarily of figure and portrait, she felt it critical to keep up her observational, graphic skills. The sheer volume of displayable work here shows her passion for drawing.

Bio:

An illustrator by training (Washington University in St. Louis,) then a teacher for 36 years at the Evanston Art Center, the School of the Art Institute, and finally in her own studio, Gay (Riseborough) has done hundreds of portrait commissions, many of which hang in prestigious university collections. Represented by Portraits Chicago and Wood St. Gallery, where her non-portrait work was shown. Best known for her “Dark Times”, autobiographical narrative painting series. In 1986, she moved into a building on Florence which was already the origin of the arts neighborhood there. Has served on the Public Art Committee and, now, the Evanston Arts Council, where she is Chair of Public Art. Retired from visual art-making now, learning to play the cello.