Newnan-Coweta Art Association: Weisz named Artist of the Month
From Special Reports
The Newnan Coweta Art Association has selected Pauline Cameron Weisz as its featured “Artist of the Month” for October. Pauline’s art will be featured in the entryway of Newnan City Hall until October 31, 2023.
Pauline is an accomplished artist from Brooks. For over 40 years, Pauline Weisz has been a noteworthy leader in the art world as an educator where she has always enjoyed introducing young people to the freedom of discovering art methods to express themselves creatively. You may know her from her work as an Art Star Teacher in DeKalb County. Pauline Weisz can also be credited with contributions to Breast Cancer Awareness for auctioning the printed images from her body paintings of survivors and for raising $6,000 through a children’s art auction to support relief for hurricane Katrina.
Known for her innovative methods in ceramic sculpture and in part for designing a Fine Arts Building and Directing the Fine Arts at GHA, Pauline Weisz has been honored for her contribution to numerous Title I Art programs and was named Art Star teacher in DeKalb county for using Donors Choose to outfit a high school fine art program with $13,000 in art equipment and supplies. Katy Perry and Staples supplied the funds for her grant and Pauline was honored with a VIP invitation to Katy Perry’s Prismatic Tour in Atlanta. Pauline was further honored by being invited to speak on HLN at CNN to address how teachers can give to their classrooms. She was then featured in the Fayette County Newspaper for her achievement.
Having spent most of her life teaching art, Pauline furthered her education by earning her Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics at Georgia State University having developed a unique ceramic technique that incorporates natural cotton fiber techniques with soaking them in porcelain slip. She calls the method “Saturation Ceramics.” Her inspiration for this exploration came while taking a summer course with renowned textile artist Professor Junko Sato Pollack.
Pauline began experimenting with crocheted and knit mop yarn items and then soaking them in porcelain slip. Under the guidance of Professor Don McCance, Ceramics Artist and Graduate Advisor, Pauline developed the methods of supporting these works through the processes required including architectural frameworks to allow for the shrinkage rates of clay, firing out the cords, adding surface decoration and using glaze calculations. Following a meeting with the famous feminist artist Miriam Schapiro, Pauline developed her own narrative and whimsical style for the Saturation Ceramic sculptures featured in her Graduate Exit Show. Pauline’s crocheted teacups and Saturation Ceramics techniques were featured in an Atlanta Journal Constitution article, “Dream Weaver.” Her graduate exit exhibition “Convergence, Coexistence, Conveyance” provided a room full of narrative ceramic sculptures such as floor to ceiling “Vacillating Column,” “One Foot on The Ground I,” “Wild Thing,” and “Tea Tops” to name just a few.
Ms. Weisz’s recent exhibitions include The Southeastern Pastel Society’s Juried Exhibition and the Newnan-Coweta Art Association Juried Exhibit.
Pauline maintains her clay studio outside her home and is concurrently working in pastels and oil paint. Pauline has learned pastel painting from accomplished pastel artists Claudia Maciel and Karen Margulis from Alpharetta, Georgia and learned oil painting and drawing with artist Steven Stinchcomb in 2022 classes at the Turnipseed Farm in Fayetteville.
Her pastel paintings embrace a unique method that incorporates wet underpainting and dry pastel sticks layered on flat sanded or heavy paper to build deep shadows, create bright lights, and give an added effect of blended texture. She also paints portraits, landscapes, and still life with oil, on canvas.
Pauline finds inspiration in local scenery—particularly that which features the natural world and capturing the light. Whether it be a nearby stream in Peachtree City, horses strolling through vine laden branches of live oak trees on Cumberland Island, the glimmering light of an ocean sunset, or a burst of colorful roadside flowers, Pauline delights in harnessing the beauty of the scenery around her and bringing it to life with her pastels and oils.
Pauline is currently a member of the Southeastern Pastel Society and Newnan Coweta Art Association. She is an art sub in the Fayette County School System in Fayetteville, GA. Pauline’s current work is for sale on the NCAA website at: https://www.newcaa.com/portfolio-item/pauline-weisz/ and on Etsy at: https://pcameronweiszfineart.etsy.com .
Pauline can be reached at [email protected] with any inquiries or special art commissions.
Pauline is a member of the Newnan-Coweta Art Association and its general meetings are held the third Monday of each month (from August through May) at the Harriet Alexander Art Center on Hospital Road at 7 p.m. An art demonstration is presented each month. Visitors and new members are always welcome.
