LaVista works in mediums other than markers, including watercolor and acrylics. She rarely uses people or animals as her subjects except in Evening at the Shore where two couples sit, watching the ocean waves. But she is most comfortable with painting boats, automobiles and farm machinery. Her bright red tractor sitting solitary in an overgrown field, for example, showed a different perspective on farm landscapes.
LaVista’s strength is in her work with watercolors and Sharpie markers. Her watercolor Not All Is Lost, featuring a darkened window with one missing shutter was exquisitely executed. The colors, though soft and light were juxtaposed with the stark black of the windows. Details, like paint missing from the remaining shutter, hints at age and neglect but signifying there is still hope.
Her Shutter to Think, in acrylic, is soft, light in color but bold and done in an unconventional canvas size, similar to the size of the shutter. LaVista’s obsession with objects, like shutters, boats, machinery, also leads to her other creative strength – abstracts. She sees endless possibilities using color and pattern in her abstract collection and its colorful and fun.
Her abstracts are a departure from the solitude seen in much of her work, including Anchored, with a boat moored in the sand, its anchor solid and stalwart. Though it speaks of being calm and solitary it is also grounded, not isolated or desolate. The meaning in LaVista’s work is seen in the soft, bold lines and few details, conveying certain deep-seated moods but always tranquil.
The exhibit will run this month and through September.
