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Burlington, Vermont - September 2, 2008
She's got her helmet and her rollerblades, but for Jean Cherouny to go skating, she needs her paint, too. Cherouny chuckles, "It's sort of a twist!"
The Ripton artist rolls her wheels through paint then over canvas or boards. She explains, "There is absolutely no need to use a [paint]brush. It's not as fun for me."
Abstract art is a change for this former elementary school art teacher, who used to paint landscapes. Cherouny says, "I find a lot more openness with this approach."
She was a competitive skier at UVM, so likes the athleticism of this, too. But before you think it's wild, uncontrolled movement, the final results of Cherouny's skating have colorful depth. The wheel strokes are intentional, reminiscent of the work of Jackson Pollack.
But Cherouny points out, "It's not a living yet. I'm in grad school [at Johnson State College]."
Jean Cherouny is one of 600 artists taking part in this weekend's South End Art Hop. More than 100 businesses become galleries. The sixteenth annual Art Hop is the biggest yet.
Bob Bolyard, one of the organizers of the Art Hop, explains the appeal: "You'll be walking down Pine Street and say, 'What's up that alley?' You'll go up that and see four doors for four studios, and go, 'Oh, I've never seen any of those!' You go down the street and you've never seen some of the buildings before."
That joy of discovery, of seeing the vibrant talent that's in our backyard, is what fuels this event and what inspires its participants. Jean Cherouny hopes to make her mark in her own creative way. She chirps, "I love it!"
The rollerblade artist will perform at the Burlington Factory Studios at 208 Flynn Avenue. You can find maps of participating locations all over town.
Jack Thurston - WCAX News
