Marion Riedl Exhibits Acrylic, Collage and Mixed Media Artwork in Ludington
Local artist Marion Riedl has her work on display at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts for her exhibit “Exploration & Experimentation” through the end of May. A 1962 graduate with a Bachelor or Arts degree in teaching Latin and French from the State University of New York College at Albany and following 32 years employment as a staff writer for the Ludington Daily News, Riedl had felt her forte was rooted in the literary arts. That changed when, in January 2017, a collage workshop was offered at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts. Riedl signed up for the workshop and became “totally hooked” on an entire new universe of possibilities. She joined the arts center's Visual Arts Critique Group, explored acrylic paints with guide Mary Case, and devoured art instruction books and online videos.
Local landscapes inspired by referencing her extensive photo library are favorite subjects. “Some images best lend themselves to being rendered as collage pieces, others as acrylic paintings, and still others as a mixed media creation,” she states, adding she lets impulse lead her in the creative process.
“I have also enjoyed experimentation with still lifes of my bottle collection and flowers from my garden and with trying abstracts interspersed with the more customary lighthouse and local landscape scenes.”
March 2020 saw the onset of Covid and a time of shut in and reflection. “I saw the opportunity to begin an extensive project... filling a newly decorated downstairs bedroom with acrylic art,” she states, adding “I chose to use a South Western motif using photographs from two trips to the West, including New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado for reference.”
Revisiting her collection of Zane Grey novels added mental images to the photographic ones. Spring 2021 saw the completion of 20 acrylic paintings and the reading of 24 books. “A very productive use of 365 days of solitude.”
The 20 paintings with descriptive passages from a Zane Grey novel are part of her exhibit. Other art pieces are displayed by subject matter and include country scenes. sunsets, abstracts, florals, local/lakeshore, lighthouses and Ludington State Park.
Riedl adds that her exploration and experimentation into the art field continues to this day and “I find myself venturing outside the box to try new things.”
The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is located at 107 S. Harrison St., downtown Ludington. Riedl's exhibit is located in the art center's performance hall lobby gallery and will be displayed through May 28. Thirty percent of sales of her artwork go to the arts center as a commission. Two other exhibits on display this month are Charles LaRue's “Light & Shadow Forming Structure” in the main gallery and the WSESD Creative Stars exhibit in the downstairs Unframed Gallery.
