Habitant
Paintings by Sheep Jones

The Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center will host the exhibition Habitant, from March 24 through April 25, 2004. This exhibition presents painter Sheep Jones, Friends' 2003 Artist of the Year. Renowned printmaker and Washington resident Lou Stovall selected Jones as recipient of the award. A reception will be held on Thursday, April 8, from 5-8 PM. Mr. Stovall is expected to be in attendance. The exhibition and reception are free of charge and open to the public.

Jones titled her solo exhibition Habitant because her subjects are often children or architectural structures that suggest domestic memories and histories. Her buildings frequently appear neglected or abandoned, her children wear time-worn dresses and ambiguous facial expressions. The marriage of almost haunting subject matter with a confident use of a variety of mediums is the artist's strength. Her surfaces may include actual baby clothing (from her own storage boxes), scraps of canvas, photo transfer, encaustic, and scratch marks from the end of her palette knife. Taken together, the subject and style draw in the viewer and force a consideration of personal time and place.

The Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center sponsor the "Artist of the Year Award" as a means of supporting the current work of a Torpedo Factory artist. The distinction includes a monetary award and a solo exhibition in Target Gallery. The Friends award is the latest in a series of accomplishments for the artist.

In recent years, Jones has exhibited in nine shows throughout the mid-Atlantic, has taught popular classes and workshops at the Art League and Washington Glass School, and has received numerous awards. Internationally, her work is currently touring Eastern Europe as part of the exhibition Journeys from Home, which features work of four American painters.