((Left) Tony Knowles Coastal Trail by Rebecca Sentgeorge (Right) Old and Tarnished But Beautiful Still by Rebecca Sentgeorge)
Rebecca Sentgeorge’s painting Old and Tarnished but Beautiful Still was displayed at the annual Watercolor of Society of Oregon’s (WSO) 2025 Spring Experimental Exhibition at the Grants Pass Museum of Art. Her painting was awarded sixth place in the exhibition juried by internationally recognized artist, author, and juror, Jean Pederson, who chose 80 of the best paintings out of 215 submissions to be placed in the exhibition. The juror encouraged each artist to think about the intent of their paintings.
Rebecca’s intent with her painting was two-fold. She wanted her painting to be allegorical. Highlighting that the silverware is no longer shiny and new, but old and tarnished, Rebecca said, “I found beauty in the patinas and the complexity of the arrangement.” On deeper inspection the viewer may discover that spoon at the bottom right has a reflection of a window and the artist silhouetted next to the window. Rebecca wanted to allude to the way older people are sometimes overlooked or discounted, seen as tarnished. She believes age has a different kind of beauty and worth. Life experiences can be seen and appreciated like the depth in the dark areas of the silverware and the way the reflected light shines through the patina in the highlights letting the viewer see the beauty that is still present. in the silverware, and in older humans.
Rebecca’s second intention was a simple exploration of materials and techniques. It was her first experiment using gouache on black paper. Gouache is an opaque type of watercolor that has recently gained popularity among some artists. Rebecca enjoyed exploring the way the black paper required her to think in reverse. She discovered the viscosity of the gouache and water effected the way the paint layered, lifted and reacted on the black surface. She has since created a series of paintings using this combination of black paper and opaque watercolor gouache. Rebecca will be teaching a workshop on this technique at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology from July 17-18, 2025.
Rebecca is a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, The High Desert Art League and the Dry Canyon Art Association.