"Last Days of Autumn"
Acrylic by Frieda Post

Frieda Post grew up in New York City, married and moved to Illinois, then Connecticut, and upstate New York before moving to Blacksburg, Va. over 25 years ago. With a background in education, textiles and jewelry, Frieda entered the world of painting in 1990, attending classes at the Studio School in Roanoke. She continues to study at the Studio School and to take workshops from well-known artists and teachers.

Frieda loves the outdoors, as evidenced by a lot of her time spent walking, hiking, and snow skiing with her family. "I am a mountain person and the light and dark patterns, the shapes of the landscapes and the colors of nature constantly intrigue me", she says. Her landscape paintings in watermedia and mixed media include the elements of colors and shapes. Whether one approaches this subject matter as realistic paintings or as abstract paintings, these elements can evoke a feeling—an emotional response. Perhaps the colors and shapes remind the viewer of a special place, a special time, a special feeling or even a dream. A viewer might not feel or see the same things the artist felt during the painting process but the message each one experiences is true and valid. Each of her paintings is truly an adventure.

"No matter what we do now, we are influenced by how we live and what we did in the
past." Frieda says. "I worked in fibers since I was a little girl. First, I learned to knit and to do embroidery. Then I learned to sew. I always thought it would be fun to make jewelry and had the opportunity to take a class when we lived in New York. Later a weaver/teacher gave me the incentive to take classes on weaving and I still weave items for gifts and for clothing many times incorporating weaving techniques into my jewelry. My introduction to working with paper came through a class using a rice paper batik card technique. I love the color effects one gets using this technique and I still make these cards and have taught workshops in this technique", Frieda relates. She has also explored the technique of marbling and was doing a little bit of all of the above when she took a collage workshop led by Vera Dickerson of Troutville, VA. At that time, she wanted to incorporate metal, fiber and paper. Vera announced the formation of the Studio School and Frieda enrolled as a student believing that having this widespread knowledge she is better able to choose the best method to communicate what she wishes to express. After this show, she hopes to work on an idea she has had for a long time- how art influences her weaving and how weaving influences her art.

Frieda sums up her current show at the Arts Depot saying: "I love the colors and shapes that the web paintings (colorscapes) present—using yupo sheets and highly pigmented watercolor. The results make me feel like singing. Since landscapes, especially mountains and woods, are an important part of my life, I have used acrylic paints on other surfaces as well as the yupo. My hope is that the viewing public can identify with some of my paintings and find something he or she can identify with. I am an optimist and its fun to dream. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to create and to teach.

Frieda belongs to the Blacksburg Regional Art Association and the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. She has participated in many individual, group, and juried shows including the Virginia Highlands Festival Show, The Gallery at 153 West in Abingdon, Allegheny Highlands Arts And Crafts Center, and the Roanoke Arts Council show to name a few. Her work can also be seen at the Matrix Gallery in Blacksburg and on occasion, other galleries in Virginia and Colorado. Her work is in private collections in the U.S., Japan and Europe. Frieda and husband, Dan, have three wonderful children and six grandchildren.