When you visit the City Gallery this month, please be ready to be amazed. One of our Harrison Center artists, Jingo M. de la Rosa, has created an exhibit of art inspired by favorite, iconic Indianapolis views that should take your breath away. I have been watching on social media as he has produced a collection of exquisite miniature landscapes using micron pens and done en plein air, and I was blown away to see these pieces hanging together. Each of them is a tiny treasure.

Jingo, who is an illustrator and teacher, began creating this collection of forty landscapes early last winter with the clear intention of leaving his comfort zone. Jingo was used to “drawing like a surgeon”, in his own words, but like the many artists in the “Landscape Today” show (in the Harrison Gallery this month), Jingo has discovered the joy and freedom of creating pieces of artwork on site. He told me that by loosening his style and line work he has been able to create a more accurate representation of the sites he is depicting. It has also allowed him to enjoy discovering beauty and interest available to him “in his own back yard”.

What I love about these pieces is the way he focuses on the very part of a site or structure that is responsible for making it a local icon. An example of this is his depiction of the Vogue theater. Instead of backing up to draw the entire building or streetscape, Jingo drew a closeup with the wonderful font that we all recognize on the sign that reads,”Vogue”. When I see that sign, I am transported to a place I love and memories I’ve made there. Even though these pieces are incredibly accurate in their depiction of a certain location, they ooze with personality and I can instantly associate them with their creator, which makes them all the more valuable.

Though, as I said earlier, Jingo’s collection included forty pieces, he wisely narrowed these down to fifteen for the sake of creating some “breathing space” for this delightful show, so that the details in each piece can be appreciated without overwhelming the viewer. The only problem for collectors is that almost all of these works sold on the opening night, but that is obviously a good problem to have for the artist! Hopefully we’ll be able to view the remaining twenty-five drawings soon. I am certain they’ll be as captivating as those comprising Jingo’s current show. In the mean time, if you haven’t had the chance, I know you’ll want to make time to visit “Circle City Sketches” in the City Gallery of the Harrison Center during the month of September.