Artist varies themes in current show
Council Chambers exhibit offers three favorites
By Shari Kaplan
Unlike some installations of art in the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers, in which one theme dominates, the current exhibit by Sandra Smith-Dugan comprises works from three of her favorite themes: portraits, bovines and still lifes.
The show of two dozen oil paintings runs through Feb. 22 and is part of Art in the Council Chambers, a program organized by the Los Gatos Arts Commission that features new exhibits every few months, often by local artists or artistic organizations.
Smith-Dugan still considers herself "local." Although she now lives in San Jose with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, she grew up in Monte Sereno and is a Los Gatos High School graduate.
"I've always been painting and drawing," she recalls of her childhood. "I always knew I wanted to study art. That was never really a question--it was more a question of what do I want to do with my art."
Upon earning a bachelor's of fine arts degree in painting and drawing from San Jose State University, Smith-Dugan put art on the back burner for a time, working instead in information technology and payroll for various high-tech companies. She drew and painted at night and on weekends, however, and continued her education by attending art workshops.
Now a wife and mother, Smith-Dugan has left the 9-to-5 workforce to devote time to her daughter and to her art, which she creates in her home studio when toddler Leah is sleeping or playing.
Some of Smith-Dugan's favorite topics are figures and portraits, especially in the alla prima style. This is also referred to as "direct painting," she says.
"You're very involved with the subject. Lighting is critical. It's a direct response to what you're working with. It's very demanding and instinctual," explains Smith-Dugan, who does alla prima portraits of friends or relatives some of the time and professional models at other times. "There's a real synergy that goes on between the subject and myself. I like that energy."
She gets a different kind of inspiration when painting the placid cows in what she calls her "bovine series." At age 40, she has clear memories of the agricultural past of Santa Clara County and enjoys the nostalgia of photographing cows, horses and farms in the many rural parts of San Benito County. These images then show up on her canvasses.
The still lifes in the exhibit came from a different emotional impetus--the death of her father. "They're about energy, beauty, line and color. I had a huge need for beauty then," she recalls, adding that at the time, she didn't even realize why she was drawn to these balancing elements of still life painting.
The Town Council chambers are downstairs in the Civic Center at 110 E. Main St. Art is available for viewing weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. if the chambers are not in use. If the doors are locked, inquire at the adjacent planning department. More information about Smith-Dugan is available on her website at www.e-lusiveartist.com.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
