Passive Solar is a mixed media fine art show by two artists, Alexandra Elliott, and Clare Scott. Work by both Alexandra and Clare depends up on energy and light by soaking it in and reflecting it back to the viewer; the Sun plays a significant part in both of their work. Each piece depends upon light from above to draw out the beauty in both the medium and the subject.

Alexandra uses a combination of watercolor and glass to create abstracts that re-use and reshape found materials while embracing the accidental nature of the Japanese concept ‘Wabi-Sabi’ which embraces the flawed or imperfect. Glass creates texture, shape, sparkle, and depth while watercolor pigments require light to lend a base to contrast with the sparkle.

Clare paints impressionistic landscapes with pastel in all its saturated beauty and then zooms in to a macro abstract view of those landscapes to take the viewer to a new place. These pastel paintings reference the Sun on several levels. On the most minute level each particle of pastel pigment needs light to bring it to life. The particles of color reflect back to the viewer as a primary element in the larger abstract pieces. The impressionistic urban clotheslines are lined with fabric which requires warmth and passive solar to dry, to create shadows and to bounce off surfaces.

Passive Solar is energy waiting for us to use it, it is up to all of us to become creative, and energy aware. Alexandra and Clare hope that the viewer will be intrigued and energized by seeing the interplay of shape, color, and design in their impressionistic and abstract work.