The August and September art exhibit features works by eight members of the Andover Artists Guild: Joan Breen, Melissa Kuhn Forte, Elaine Meisinger, Donna Mills, Steve Mills, Garima Parakh, Donna Price, and Rekha Quazi, MD.
Joan Breen – Artist Statement
Painting – Jenny on the Marmalade; Medium: Pastel; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 22″x16″
Why do I paint? There is so much exquisite beauty surrounding us. Most often, we are too busy to see it. I feel my job as an artist is to look, see, and then reproduce that beauty — not in the way a photographer reproduces an image, but in the spiritual juxtaposition of peace, tranquility and joy; in the gloriousness of color and line; in the spontaneity of that nanosecond of recognition. And then there are the faces: on the subway, in the street, in shops and alleyways. So much beauty, everywhere! The painter sees into the soul of his model. Dropped eyes, a slope of the shoulders, that wisp of a smile fleeting across memories of pain and joy. So many beautiful faces. These are the things that drive me to paint. My mother was also an artist, and she used to say, “The drive is the talent.” So much to paint, so little time!
Melissa Kuhn Forte – Artist Statement
Small Painting 1 – Mount Desert Island Sunset; Medium: Acrylic on Canvas; Format: Square; Dimensions: 10″x10″
Small Painting 2 – Mount Desert Narrows; Medium: Acrylic on Canvas; Format: Square; Dimensions 10″x10″
I am an Andover based Artist, who enjoys recreating landscapes, animals, and architectural structures through my paintings, sketches, and illustrations. I work with a multitude of mediums including pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, and oil. I’m inspired to create scenes that have interesting contrasts within them, humorous elements, or just the simplicity of the beauty in nature.
Elaine Meisinger – Artist Statement
Painting – Junkyard Dog; Medium: Watercolor; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 30″x23″
Making my art is a creative journey that helps me become more aware of myself and my surroundings and enhances my sense of the wonder of life. With painting I try to express, without words, the beauty of nature so that others may see it too. If I come across a scene that speaks to me, I do a small sketch or a series of sketches. After selecting one, I will look at the shapes and may move objects around to find a pleasing composition. Then I organize the values so the viewer knows where to look and can easily travel around the painting. I love color and like to note how the light falls on objects. This process helps me to express my feelings about the scene. My painting is a watercolor of the junkyard that formerly was located on Park Street, Andover, owned by Morris Krinsky many years ago. Morris considered himself an artist in that he liked to arrange his findings like sculptural items. My painting is a tribute to Morris and his “Junkque Yard.”
E-mail: cartdesign2@yahoo.com
Donna Mills – Artist Statement
Painting – Wash day; Format: Landscape; Dimensions: 28″x22″
Unlike many artists, who know from childhood that they are in love with drawing and painting. I began to paint in middle age, and almost by accident. After a 20 year career in corporate pension plan administration, I went back to school to get a degree in fashion design. Wanting to learn to draw and paint so I could execute some fabric designs, I started to take art lessons. The fashion and textile design career never materialised, but those art lessons became the highlight of my week. Fabric fell by the wayside, and now my main love is portraiture. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than the individuality and personality of the human face. I love the challenge of creating a likeness, hopefully capturing not just the surface features, but something of the person’s inner essence as well. I also love to paint “small things”. There is so much beauty around us and painting gives me eyes to see the little miracles of nature – mushrooms, tiny flowers, leaf formations – that I might otherwise miss.
Steve Mills – Artist Statement
Painting – Primary Trinity; Medium: Watercolor; Format: Square; Dimensions: 18.5″ x 18.5 ”
I work in oil, watercolor, pencil and pastel. My style is realism and surrealism with an emphasis on the human figure. I believe that art is a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. My work as a scientist nurtures my mind as my work as an artist nurtures my soul.
Garima Parakh – Artist Statement
Painting – View of West Parish Church; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 27″ X 23″
Tall trees, quiet marshes and quaint towns .. I am mostly drawn to these elements. I like to go out and paint en-plein air whenever I can. My goal for each work is to achieve the fleeting effect of light on canvas. I paint energetically and quickly. I use a combination of wet-on-wet and layered approach. I often use palette knife to apply paint quicky to achieve the desired freshness and vibrancy. Blending is very minimal. My style is a mix of Realism, Modernism and Impressionism. I am an Andover- based artist. I was born in India and worked in the IT industry for 15 years. I have been painting professionally since 2012. My paintings have been accepted in several juried shows and are held in private collections all over the country.
Donna Price – Artist Statement
Painting – Barred Owl; Medium: Oil; Format: Portrait; Dimensions: 40″x 28 ”
Nature and the environment feature in my artwork as I find inspiration in the natural world around me. I prefer using a bright rich color palette and working in a variety of mediums. I often experiment with composition and enjoy illustration and the ability to tell a story within my work. I have a passion for painting wildlife in a realistic style and I also enjoy sketching, drawing and photography. Born in Australia and interested in art from an early age, I went on to study art after school at the Queensland College of Art majoring in graphic design. I worked as a graphic designer and a commercial artist for many years and also as a children’s art teacher. I have won a number of awards throughout my career and continue to explore the wonderful world of art using a variety of mediums and techniques. Most of my artwork to date has an Australian theme. Now as I live in Massachusetts and as a current member of the Andovers Artists Guild, I am working on paintings of wildlife, landscapes, mixed media compositions and scenes of beautiful New England. I enjoy painting either on site (en-plein air) or in my studio using my own photographic reference. I was inspired to paint this beautiful Owl after discovering her perched in this tree while exploring the woodland behind my home. She was well camouflaged and I was lucky to take a few shaky photos with my phone. I sketched out a rough composition and decided on doing a larger painting that would include the ochre colors and rich browns and greys surrounding her. I have always loved birds, especially owls and as owls are often associated with wisdom and knowledge I thought it an appropriate subject for the library exhibit.
Rekha Quazi, MD – Artist Statement
Painting – Great Grandmother; Format: Portrait watercolor on paper; Dimensions: 24″x18″
Though I am a pediatrician by profession, art has been my passion since childhood. Growing up, a lack of guidance left me to explore it on my own. I pored through art books, and painted and sketched whenever I could. It was after my daughter left for college four years ago that my interest in painting was rekindled, and my newfound time allowed me to take lessons at Gessner studios. I am learning new techniques, and readily evolving my style of work. My favorite medium is watercolor and lately my subject matter has included landscapes, portraits and artifacts from my homeland, Kashmir, India. I have also tried painting with alcohol inks, and had a lot of fun with the process. Beauty is all around us in the form of nature; to observe that and create it on paper gives me immense pleasure. I like to take on challenges. The whole process of painting is very gratifying and can transport one to another reality. After a busy workday taking care of my patients, there is no better way to unwind. I only hope to continue pursuing this wonderful hobby. It gives me great joy to share my art with you, and I hope you enjoy it. The figure in this painting was inspired by my great grandmother, whose grace and presence resonated through my childhood home. Diya, as we called her, was a light who radiated throughout our community and brightened the lives of everyone around her. This image brings me back to that distant past. A Kashmiri woman: simple, beautiful, and perfect…
Display Case – Watercolors by Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz
Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz, a longtime resident of Andover is an exceptional watercolor painter. She has always enjoyed painting, however worked full time so had little time to commit to her passion. Jeanne Marie was influenced in her early years by her mother Francis Gorse who was an accomplished oil painting artist. Jeanne Marie became an avid student of Andover resident Cory Staid. Cory was a member of the Andover Artist Guild and the Reading Art Association and won numerous awards for her work in the medium of watercolor. Recently Jeanne Marie has been studying with Margo Pullman of West Newbury, which included a trip to France in the heart of Vincent Van Gogh country, where she learned new water color techniques. In 2014, Jeanne Marie suffered a significant stroke that resulted in aphasia, a language and communication disorder. She now has difficulty speaking, so painting has become even more important to her. Since her stroke, painting has helped her relax and focus on recovering. She’s also been able to express herself through her artwork when words are difficult to use. Her favorite subjects are flowers and landscapes of places traveled. Painting helps her appreciate the beauty of nature. Jeanne Marie lives in Andover with her husband, Gary. She has two children and four grandchildren who she spends as much time with as possible. This is her first opportunity to exhibit her artwork.