East Suburban Artists League prepares for annual CCAC Boyce show in Monroeville

UPDATE 8/13/21: CCAC has made the decision to cancel the ESAL show due to covid concerns.

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Several decades ago when she was living in the Washington, D.C., area, artist Eileen Yeager took a printmaking class.

It started her fascination with monotyping, a process by which a unique, one-of-a-kind image is drawn or painted — typically onto a copper etching plate — and then transferred to a canvas using a printing press.

“I’m always printing backgrounds, creating lots of layers,” said the Murrysville resident, who will enter a monotype, “Sunlight,” in the East Suburban Artists League’s upcoming members’ art show at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce campus. The show opens Saturday.

“Sunlight” uses backgrounds that incorporate golds, yellows and greens. The top layer — a tree that is the piece’s focal point — was created by coating a plate with a thin layer of black paint that was slightly translucent, wiping out the area where the tree is, then laying down some crown vetch leaves to create the forest floor. The overall effect, as well as the many layers, lend “Sunlight” a great deal of depth and detail that do not seem obvious at a quick glance.

“I enter a lot of shows, and I’ve really gotten back into my artwork the past year or two,” Yeager said.

The ESAL members’ show will run through Sept. 10 and will be judged by Virginia native and South Hills resident Ann McCartney.

McCartney has contributed paintings to Bella Arte Gallery in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood, and in 2012 began working as a teacher and facilitator for the Primary Colors Art Guild, providing artistic experiences through classes, field trips and “plein air” nature painting.

The art will be displayed in the main entrance hall at CCAC’s Boyce campus at 595 Beatty Road in Monroeville. It will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

There will be an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 14, with awards presented and comments from McCartney at 5:30 p.m.

There is no cost to attend.

In addition, Yeager will give a presentation on monotyping at ESAL’s next meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at Christ Lutheran Church, 5330 Logan Ferry Road in Murrysville.

For more, see ESALart.org.