On the drafting table in front of artist Amy Herrmann is a nearly finished architectural detail.
“I like the immediacy of pastels; they're so forgivable,” Herrmann said. “I mean, you can blend, you can change so much faster than any other medium.
“The piece I'm working on here is ... about Preservation Hall in New Orleans. I think it was one of the oldest jazz clubs in New Orleans. I am very attracted to old buildings.”
Herrmann said she cannot draw from memory, so instead, she uses her own photos as a reference.
“I can't play Pictionary,” Hermann said. “I'm a horrible photographer, but I can change anything with editing work exclusively from my own photographs. I do cheat a little bit. I've used filters.
While working on a piece, Herrmann reaches for some pastel pencils. She said the pencils help her define the lettering in this work. She also said she plans to keep this piece of work for herself.
“I have inherited lots of pastels over the years from people that have given them to me,” Herrmann said. “I really didn't start using pastel pencils until relatively recently, and boy, they make a difference as far as getting details in.
“This piece is really for my own collection. It's kind of a sentimental piece, since we were on vacation with some friends for it.”
Hermann has worked at frame shops and in faux finish for the aircraft industry. She started framing in 1996, while her work in aircraft was bringing depth to flat surfaces. Both skills apply directly to her current works.
“Interior designers from Cessna would come in and bring fabrics and rocks and things that they wanted to integrate into the countertops on these airplanes,” Herrmann said. “And of course, you can't have texture. I mean, everything had to be very flat, but they wanted a lot of depth. So I learned kind of how to duplicate different rocks and textures.”
Hermann wants to bring more depth to her personal work. She’s now flirting with more than just pastels.
“That's part of why I'm starting to really get into these inks,” Herrmann said. “And this was metallic inks, mostly with just a little bit of acrylic. But I mean ... I think it's got a lot of depth, but it's just very, very smooth.”
Looking at one of her works, Herrmann points out an earlier piece.
“This is the first one I ever did with inks, and it was I want to get back into doing more like this,” she said. “I think it may it forces me to get out of my comfort zone.”
Herrmann’s show at Art House 310 is with Sam Gales, who holds a title she once held.
“It was just luck of the draw that we ended up at Art House 310 together for the show, but she's actually working in the position that I had at Art and Frame when I worked for them a couple of years ago. So I'm thrilled to be able to show with her.”
