Shows & News

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Give Thanks

Sheila

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I find deep meaning in the simplicity of gathering with family and friends to share a heartfelt prayer of thanks for all the wonderful things we are given each day. We have so much and it is good to have a special day to slow down our hectic lives to think about that and really take the time to be grateful.

Our Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a Norman Rockwell painting. It can be small. It can be alone if need be. But we do need to remember how much we have. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. We don’t need a Martha Stewart table setting, or fancy recipes. We just need to reflect on the basics and how lucky we are.

The painting I have chosen to represent Thanksgiving this year is titled Pumpkin Delivery (acrylic, 8″ x 10″). This painting was created on location at Russel Orchards in Ipswich, MA on a perfectly crisp October morning. The abundance of the old red truck full of a bountiful pumpkin crop, the sturdiness of the old barn and antique gas pump surrounding shout New England in autumn!

While painting, I enjoyed quick visits from happy apple pickers, and strollers of all ages. I was enticed by the aroma of freshly made apple cider donuts in the orchard bakery. Of course, I stopped in there to warm up when I was done with my painting! Being there made be feel alive and very, very lucky!

I wish the same for each of you.

@RussellOrchards

russellorchards.com

#RussellOrchards

#NewEnglandThanksgiving

#antiquetruck

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Art in Giving Gallery

Sheila

The Art in Giving logo is based on a drawing Rachel Molly Markoff drew during one of her many visits to the Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund Clinic.

Rachel was diagnosed with a brain tumor on January 16, 1992. She passed away on October 17, 1992, one week after her ninth birthday.

Rachel embraced life and loved her twin sister, Audrey. To me, the flowers and the sun in the logo represent the hope for all other children and their families affected by cancer.

—ELIANE MARKOFF
   FOUNDER, ART IN GIVING

I am so proud that another of my paintings has been accepted into the Art in Giving online gallery. Art in Giving is a wonderful charitable foundation that has taken in more than $2.5 million by promoting the work of artists who work in a variety of styles and mediums. Please visit their website, www.artingiving.com then click “View our Gallery”. You can scroll down to my name, but please visit the galleries of all the talented artists on the site.

Thanks!

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Library Exhibit

Sheila

The Danvers Art Association is pleased to announce its 10th exhibit at the beautiful Peabody Institute Library in Danvers (aka the Danvers Public Library on Sylvan Street Danvers). The opening reception featuring a talk by the judge about her choices, as well as delicious refreshments is free and open to the public. The paintings look exceptionally well in the fine setting of the Standring Room, with its lovely fireplace and lavish antique moldings.

I have two paintings included in the exhibit. Pine Grove is an oil painting, 25″ x 20″ framed. It is done in an impressionistic style using only three colors: alizarin crimson, phthalo green, and titanium white; and it was mostly painted with paper towels! This is a technique I learned at a demonstration by the wonderful local artist, Dennis Sheehan at the Danvers Art Association.

The second painting is a light-hearted illustration of a group of cute little penguins standing in the snow making a snow penguin together. This small 8″ x 10″ acrylic is titled Snow Penguins. Hint, Hint… Art makes a great Holiday gift for yourself or anyone on your list!

The show will be on display from November 23, 2024 until January 4, 2025. I cannot end this post without sending out a big thank you to our photographer/member, Jim Morrocco, who organized and hung all the library exhibits.

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Member Exhibit

Sheila

The Swampscott Art Association is presenting an exhibit of members’ work at the Swampscott Senior Center from November 14, 2024 until January 10, 2025. The members have shared many lovely paintings, drawings, photographs, etc. in many styles, mediums, and subjects.

I was surprised and delighted to find a big purple Judge’s Choice ribbon on my painting when I came to view the show! And I was even more heartened to discover that the people who came to enjoy the exhibit were the judges! There is nothing nicer than a People’s Choice award, especially when most of the People voting are other artists. Thanks to each of you from the bottom of my heart.

My painting in the exhibit is titled Great Horned Owl. It is done in acrylic, and is 16″ x 20″. I painted this piece from inside the back door or my house, looking out on the woods on a very snowy day. The world was reduced to grays and whites, and the snow was blowing. I love to paint en plein air, but on a day like that I was lucky to be able to “be there” but still be inside by a cozy fire.

While I was painting, a great horned owl who lives in the woods swooped by! I had heard him every day, and had seen baby owls high in a tree, but had never witnessed the adult owl in all his glory. It was gorgeous, stunning, and fast. He flew by so quickly, I had to research pictures of owls to get a realistic idea of what a flying owl looks like! The little chickadees in the upper right of the painting were really there too, and believe me, they were staying still!

I hope you are able to visit the exhibit. The address is: Lynch/ Van Otterloo YMCA, 40 Leggs Hill Road, Marblehead, MA, 01945

@ymca

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YMCA Gallery Wall

Sheila

If you are at the Lynch/ Van Otterloo YMCA in Marblehead/ Salem, please look for the Swampscott Art Association’s gallery wall! A big thanks to our intrepid President, Ruth Rooks, for her tireless efforts to find us wonderful places to show our creations.

The gallery wall gives us plenty of room to show the work of many members in all different styles, subjects, and mediums. My painting in this exhibit is an original 10″ x 20″ framed acrylic titled, Nocturne. It was inspired by the howling coyotes I can hear in the woods behind my house. There is no sound quite like it in a modern suburban neighborhood!

The artwork will remain on display until January 16, 2025. I hope you take a jaunt to the Leggs Hill Road location. And while you are there, get some coffee and a delicious muffin so you can sit and relax and enjoy all the paintings.

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Library Mural

Sheila

Just finished! The new mural I painted at the Children’s Room at the Swampscott Public Library is ready to go. It was so much fun to paint while listening to the happy voices of so many little children, loving parents, and dedicated librarians!

The theme for the mural is the ocean, perfect for our little seaside community. The mural was a collaboration of my ideas and those of the Library Director Jonathan Nichols, and the Children’s Room Librarian Lisa Julien Hayes. I sketched 5 variations on the theme, creating a world of colorful smiling sea life; then Jonathan and Lisa gave me their suggestions. I am pleased to say that everything found its place on the library wall!

So many fish and jellies, the Swampscott sea serpent, a giant purple octopus reading 3 books at once, a family of seahorses, so many fish and jellies and clam and sea stars! And that’s just the start. There are so many things for children to look at, and think about, and start their own stories. I feel honored to have my work in such a warm welcoming place.

The Swampscott Library is located at 61 Burrell Street, Swampscott, MA 01907. You will find plenty of parking along the street.

www.swampscottlibrary.org

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Holiday Member Showcase

Sheila

For this last show of 2024, the Salem Arts Association invited all member artists to submit our best work in celebration of a creative year well done.  Salem Arts Association is excited to close the 2024 exhibition schedule with a showcase of member artists. It’s a great opportunity to consider the gift of art for your friends, family, or to treat yourself to something beautiful. Current Salem Arts members are exhibiting our best work showing the community what we have to offer in all of our diverse styles and artistic disciplines.

My entry in the Holiday Member Showcase is my original painting, Pickering Wharf Panorama, acrylic, 10″ x 20″ framed. This was painted on site, and I couldn’t stand looking at the poor Friendship without its masts STILL under repair. So I painted them in. LOL. I’ll admit it! That is one of the best things about painting. I can easily change the world with a quick brushstroke. If only everything were that easy!

The Holiday Member Showcase will be on display from November 16 until December 15, 2024 at our beautiful sea side galleries at 159 Derby Street, Salem, MA. Please visit www.salemarts.org to discover our expanded hours. When you stop by to see the gallery show, don’t forget to check out our lovely art shop full of the creations of our members: jewelry, textiles, paintings, prints, cards, ceramics and more. Everything you could want for a loved one for for yourself!

Wake Up Call
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MAA Winter Show

Sheila

What better way to end the year than with the Marblehead Arts Association annual Winter Member Exhibit! The works of MAA Artist members will be spread throughout all galleries of the King Hooper Mansion. The exhibit can also be viewed online at www.marbleheadarts.org !

Marblehead Arts Association Artist Members Winter Exhibit, Nov. 9 – Dec. 24, 2024. My entry: Wake Up Call, mixed media, 10″ x20″ framed. The show will be spread throughout all the galleries of the King Hooper Mansion, Marblehead. The home of the Marblehead Arts Association, the King Hooper Mansion, was originally built in 1728 (enlarged c. 1745) and will be 300 years old in 2028. A visit to the MAA is a treat whether you are there for the art, the architecture and history, or the lovely artisan shop which is chock full of delightful one-of-a-kind creations made by the members.

My entry accepted into the show is a mixed media piece which recently won Best of Show at the Salem Arts Association in August 2024. It is titled Wake Up Call and combines cut paper and pen and ink drawing in a bold, graphic style. The boldness of the piece echoes the boldness of the message which is to alert humanity to the need to work to change the world for the better.

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DAA Fall Show — 2nd Prize

Sheila

The Danvers Art Association is proud to present its Fall Art Show featuring the creations of its members. The exhibit will take place for two days only on Saturday and Sunday November 1 & 2 at the DAA Gallery 62 located at 105 Elliot Street, Danvers, MA — right on Route 62. The opening reception will be held from 7-9 p.m. on 11/1/24. It is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. The show features work in many mediums including: oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolors, drawing, mixed media, photography, and crafts. Awards will be presented in each category.

My painting in the show is titled Gloucester Shore Garden, and I was delighted to be the recipient of Second Prize for Acrylic Painting! This painting was created en plein air on location at the Gloucester MA Shore Walk. Each year a group of avid gardeners plants the gardens all along the Shore Walk with hundreds and hundreds of gorgeous dahlias in every color of the rainbow. The effect is stunning, a big draw for flower lovers and honey bees alike. My painting was done looking at Ten Pound Island looking through the tall colorful garden. Eastern Point Light can be seen way in the distance.

I hope you can stop by to enjoy the artwork and to have a tour of our beautiful antique schoolhouse gallery. The building was made in 1908 and had become very run-down. The DAA brought it back to its former glory and now uses the two rooms for our art shows, open studio time, art lessons, and even gallery space for rent in the cellar. Talk about meaningful recycling!

@GloucesterMA #dahlias #GloucesterDahlias @DanversArtAssociation #DanversArtAssociation

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GALA Member Show

Sheila

GALA (The Galleries at LynnArts) is sponsoring an Autumn Member Show at their beautiful downtown Lynn Galleries, and my painting has been juried in! Come down to the Opening Reception on Friday evening November 1, 2024 and it is open to the public. As always, there will be lovely refreshments and music. A donation is requested to help GALA continue its work of showcasing the work of local artists. This exhibit will run until December 13, 2024.

My painting, Pumpkin Delivery (acrylic on canvas, 8″ x 10″) was painted on location at Russell Orchards, Ipswich, MA. Shown is a picture of me taken by a professional photographer passing through (probably on his way to nab a delicious cider donut!). I belong to a group of plein air painters who gather weekly at various lovely Cape Ann locations to enjoy the fresh air and paint the scene. We were so engaged with Russell Orchards that we went there three weeks in a row. And I painted this adorable red truck every time! I couldn’t get enough of it filled to the brim with ripe orange pumpkins.

The Galleries at LynnArts (GALA) is a Collaborative Nonprofit Art Gallery led by local artists and creatives. GALA supports artists at all career stages, offering artistic practice development, professional presentation, and exhibition opportunities. Our organization promotes and sells artwork, honors diverse makers, and supports the whole artist through skills growth, well-being, and fostering a healthy art community. We feature group and solo exhibitions as well as a gallery shop showcasing North Shore artists and makers. By providing safe spaces, economic opportunities, engaging receptions and events, and partnering with local organizations, GALA brings people together to connect and grow.

I hope you can come by the GALA at 25 Exchange St., Lynn, MA to enjoy the work of local member artists!