Memorial Hall Library

Artist of the Month

November Artist of the Month

Biography: Vihaan Sirivelu

Vihaan Sirivelu, a talented young artist in the 5th grade at High Plain Elementary, is known for his creativity and imaginative flair. His favorite piece, The Spiders, captures his fascination with nature and intricate details. Vihaan’s artwork often showcases his unique perspective, blending vibrant colors with playful themes, and he continues to develop his skills, inspiring classmates and teachers alike.

Biography: Kashvi Sirivelu

Kashvi Sirivelu, a 7th-grade artist at Wood Hill Middle School, brings warmth and elegance to her artwork. Her favorite piece, The Sunset, beautifully reflects her love for serene, natural landscapes. Kashvi’s art often explores soft, radiant color palettes and the peaceful essence of nature, revealing her thoughtful and observant personality. Her talent and dedication inspire her peers and have earned her admiration in the school community.

In the Display Case: Items from Makerspace staff to show what you can make in the Makerspace!

exhibiting at the library

The Library is always looking for artists who are interested in sharing their work with our community. Art must be deemed suitable for display in a public library within the broad standards of community acceptability and be appropriate for all age groups, including children. The Library reserves the right to reject any part of an exhibition. If you are interested in exploring having an exhibit, we'd love to hear from you!

Looking for Original Art at Memorial Hall Library? Click here!

Past Artists of the Month

November Artist of the Month — November, 2024

November Artist of the Month

Biography: Vihaan Sirivelu

Vihaan Sirivelu, a talented young artist in the 5th grade at High Plain Elementary, is known for his creativity and imaginative flair. His favorite piece, The Spiders, captures his fascination with nature and intricate details. Vihaan’s artwork often showcases his unique perspective, blending vibrant colors with playful themes, and he continues to develop his skills, inspiring classmates and teachers alike.

Biography: Kashvi Sirivelu

Kashvi Sirivelu, a 7th-grade artist at Wood Hill Middle School, brings warmth and elegance to her artwork. Her favorite piece, The Sunset, beautifully reflects her love for serene, natural landscapes. Kashvi’s art often explores soft, radiant color palettes and the peaceful essence of nature, revealing her thoughtful and observant personality. Her talent and dedication inspire her peers and have earned her admiration in the school community.

In the Display Case: Items from Makerspace staff to show what you can make in the Makerspace!

October Artist of the Month- James Flynn — October, 2024

October Artist of the Month- James Flynn






For over twenty years I have been immersed in painting, photography, and graphic design. I look for the interplay between light and composition that is fresh and unpredictable. I love how painting tells a story. I look for different juxtaposing elements, things unexpected and vibrant. Images serve many functions: as a reflection of where we are collectively and as a way to focus on beauty and transcendence. 

 

I am a member of the Loading Dock Gallery, the Arts League Lowell, and Western Avenue Studios and Lofts group. 

https://toneatlas.com/

Instagram- @_tone_atlas

September Artist of the Month Christopher D Phaneuf — September, 2024

September Artist of the Month Christopher D Phaneuf






Christopher D Phaneuf is a mixed-media abstract expressionist whose work captivates with eye catching visuals and emotional intensity. Known for his distinctive style,
Phaneuf dives deep into the process of mixed-media action painting, creating pieces that are as unique as they are powerful. His work is not just seen - it’s felt.

instagram: @rectanglesbychris

June Artists of the Month- Essex art Center — June, 2024

June Artists of the Month- Essex art Center






Barbara Cloonan
Barbara developed a love of the watercolor medium through her study of Art History and Interior Design when she used watercolor for architectural renderings and portfolio presentations. Recently retired, she has dusted off her old paints and brushes and began to study watercolor painting from an artist’s point of view.

Fred Confalone
Fred has loved art ever since he was a young child. He was always drawing and sketching pictures from storybooks, nature, and animals. His love of art was shared by his Aunt Mary as she was an accomplished artist. Fred studied art classes at Wakefield High School, Boston State College, and most recently Essex Art Center. His favorite mediums are watercolor, pastel, granite, and stained glass. Fred had the honor of displaying his work at the Essex Art Center’s annual ”Fiesta en la Calle” where he has sold several pieces.

Lyn Kertesz
I love color and texture and explore both in creating original hand built pottery, nature photography, sewing and needle crafts. Watercolor painting is something I have enjoyed in the past and recently enrolled in a class at Essex Art Center. I am learning new painting techniques and skills. My paintings on exhibit were painted during those classes. I hope you enjoy them.

Deb Morin
When Deb was young and asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always replied, “An artist”. Now after a lifetime of working and raising her family as a new retiree and a first-year watercolor student she is working towards becoming that artist. Having worked with acrylic paints in the past she is enjoying the new challenge of learning to use watercolors as her medium.

Hadley Pensgen
Hadley has always had an interest in various mediums of art. She began doing watercolors around 2012 and focuses primarily on natural subjects- and has fun in the process!

Drew Sartel
Drew Sartell is a lifelong resident of Methuen. He became interested in art at a very young age while attending Comprehensive Grammar School. Drew began taking watercolor classes at Essex Art Center late last year. He finds painting to be a peaceful hobby. He is learning how to use different techniques of blending transparent colors for still life paintings.

Jeanne Velde
Jeanne always loved to draw as a child and chose a profession which required an artistic sense although not in the arts. After retirement she has studied art at the Essex Art Center and learned to love watercolor.

Eiko Tabata- May Artist of the Month — May, 2024

Eiko Tabata- May Artist of the Month






Eiko Tabata Art Gallery
Nature is a powerful force. It provides life for billions of people and it can take back those gifts in moments notice as well. It all depends on the balance that we are able to create. If we contribute to it with the respect that it deserves, nature reflects those contributions back to us with her
beautiful creatures and colorful landscapes. My focus and journey is to capture those amazing reflections in my works of art.

I find that tapping into nature can be very soothing and healing to the soul. With the different faces that natures presents, I can easily find inspiration from this plurality. On my canvas, nature is portrayed as a loving thing because this is how I see it. To express this love of nature, I typically use
warm and bright colors. Each item has many shades from which I create by mixing up a small number of mediums on the fly.

It is with this work that I hope to lift up people that are feeling down, to provide a scene in a painting that demonstrates something bigger than all of us as individuals, and to display and highlight the tremendous gifts that surround us every day.

It is my intention, to communicate through canvas, that by loving and respecting our surroundings and our environment, we can all live in a magical space shared by all.

www.eikotabata.com
eiko@eikotabata.com
781-775-5316

April Artist- Pixie Yates — April, 2024

April Artist- Pixie Yates






Pixie Yates is a NYC an MA based artist, designer, illustrator, and educator. Inspired by urban life, everyday objects, and the natural world particularly her childhood summers in Cape May N.J. Pixie is known for her dreamy, effervescent, color drenched style that invokes a sense of style and delight. Pixie's eponymous late 90's fashion label, featured in Vogue, harper's Bazaar, W, and more was carried in upscale boutiques around the world.

Today Pixie's original watercolor and acrylic work features color-drenched flowers, sea grass, sunsets, cafes and shop windows, cocktails, perfume bottles, and more. She is inspired by the places and objects people find meaningful and accepts custom work. Her custom commissioned paintings are whimsical and tell a significant moment in a client's life.

www.pixieyates.com
Instagram-@pixieyates

March 2024 Artist of the Month- Sally Gello-Silvers — March, 2024

March 2024 Artist of the Month- Sally Gello-Silvers






Sally Gello-Silvers
Time Revisited

Artist Statement
Each of us carries with us a rich reserve of images, experiences and emotions. For me, those images and experiences include nature, events happening around me, current social issues, happiness, grief, loss and joy to name a few.
As an artist, I express those images and experiences by putting charcoal, unique papers, fibers, string, ink, paints and just about any materials that move me onto paper and layer with textures, shapes and color. My goal is to tap into what is within, bring it forward and create a work of art through the use of different mediums that can be shared with others. Because art is personal I ask my viewers to see what resonates with them as they view the work.

The name of this exhibit is “Time Revisited.” Twelve years ago I traveled with my husband on a volunteer medical trip to a remote region of Nicaragua called the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) to offer support and medical assistance to the people in a small village there. I was moved by the raw beauty of the countryside, the poverty, the sickness, the doctors working in the clinic, the fear I experienced as we were guarded by soldiers with rifles due to fighting that had occurred between the Contras and Sandinistas in the region many years prior, the courage and graciousness of the people and the pleasure people took in the simple joys of life.

While there I also worked with children, shared paper and crayons with them. Some of the kids had never seen crayons or had the opportunity to draw before . I returned home with drawings done by the children and many photos of the country, the people, and life in the villages. The images and experiences of the trip continued to remain with me over the years. Now 12 years later, it is with the works in this collection, that I pay homage to the people, the love and bravery that inspired them to live urging my viewers to live in the moment, be kind and generous to each other.

The materials I used in all the works felt to me, as I chose them, to reflect the people and culture. They are earthy, raw and natural and include original photographs, fibers and paper, charcoal, thread, string, ink, acrylics and watercolors.
A decade later I think back on how showing support and kindness were so important in building bridges to others and how at the time we traveled there the possibilities seemed limitless to make a difference in the word. In many ways now the world seems to have shuttered it’s windows. It is my hope that the shutters open wide again in the future and we continue to build bridges with people and cultures all over the world.

Sally Gello-Silvers is a mixed media artist. She lives and works north of Boston.
sally.gellosilvers.artist@gmail.com


PDF icon Sally Gello-Silvers Time Revisited

February Artist-Steve Bragg — February, 2024

February Artist-Steve Bragg

WATERCOLORS
By Steve Bragg

Hi There!
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to view some of my paintings. Thanks to Memorial Hall Library for allowing me to display my art work. 
Watercolor painting was something I always enjoyed. Fifty years ago, I took a certificate art program in Boston but never found time to pursue my interest in watercolor painting until the pandemic. I wanted to use what talents God had given me, so I went out and bought paper, paints, and brushes, and started to paint. Like I say, it’s never too late! I paint a picture a week.

I paint and hope that just maybe I can bring joy and happiness to others, with God’s help.

God Bless,
Steve Bragg

Looking At Time with Bob Frishman — January, 2024

Looking At Time with Bob Frishman






Andover’s Bob Frishman is January’s guest curator at Memorial Hall Library for an exhibit of paintings, prints and art-photographs with clocks and watches in the scenes. Bob’s clock-repair business, Bell-Time Clocks, has operated in town since 1993, but he has retired from repairing and now focuses on writing, lecturing, and creating exhibits about the history, technology, and vital cultural importance of timekeeping.

Bob displays more than twenty artworks from his personal collection. These include an 1830’s oil-on-canvas portrait of an English woman with a watch, a Berenice Abbott 1929 photograph of a New York City watchmaker’s shop, a 1919 Norman Rockwell magazine cover with a cuckoo clock, a 1922 Swiss Longines watch poster with Father Time, and much more.

Pieces from Bob's collection can be viewed in the display case at the top of the stairs on level 1 and in the main circulation area.

Reba Saldanha — December, 2023

Reba Saldanha






The Lawrence Mill Project 
Photography by Reba Saldanha 
Andover, MA 

The historic mills of Lawrence have been repurposed and are revitalizing the city. Under their majestic facade lies a storied past. 
These mills are a point of civic pride for the city. Having stood for almost 200 years, 
they are a mainstay of our community. Perhaps as we look at this collection 
we can see ourselves as part of the greater community that surrounds these structures. 
We could try to understand our neighbor, instead of thinking we know them based on the language they speak or the clothes they wear. 
This understanding could lead to unity, and unity could lead to equality. 
From there, the possibilities are endless. 

Please visit my website to see more photos and purchase custom prints on metal.
www.rebaphoto.com 
(617) 501-7327 reba@rebaphoto.com

November Artist of the Month- Heather Scott — November, 2023

November Artist of the Month- Heather Scott






Heather Scott is an artist and art teacher who has lived in Andover for the past several years. Ever since she was young, she has been drawn to creating food and animal characters and putting them in quirky situations. She enjoys working from a set of prompts and seeing where the words and ideas take her.

By day, Heather is an art teacher at Tremont School in Concord, MA, where she teaches multiple sections of Studio Art, Art History, and Art Appreciation. She loves working with students and bringing her love of visual art into their lives. Heather is also an experienced graphic designer, and creates all of the admissions and promotional materials for the school.

Each of the pieces in this collection was created using an Apple Pencil and Procreate on an iPad, and are available for purchase. When Heather is not teaching or drawing, she loves spending time with her family and pursuing her latest passion – creative writing.

For prints, please email Heather at scott.hmj@gmail.com.

Leah Spencer - Odd Duck Gallery — October, 2023

Leah Spencer - Odd Duck Gallery






Leah Spencer is the illustrator of Odd Duck Gallery and hails from Andover. The collection combines traditional techniques, contemporary aesthetics, and a subtle wink of humor. Although accessorized, each species is portrayed without exaggeration to highlight the inherent charm and character of animals.

These pieces are drawn with pen and ink and embellished with gold metal leaf. By using old-school dip pens instead of a modern pen or marker, the mark-making is given a more organic quality. The audience neutral subjects and minimalist color scheme make these illustrations mood-lighteners for anyone and any space.

By day, Leah works as a Graphic Designer for Film and TV for period productions, creating graphic props and set pieces. Her work can most notably be seen in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

Deep gratitude is extended to all of her APS art teachers, who in addition to instilling technique, made artfulness feel worthy and joyful: Mrs. Chapin, Mr. Stevens, Mrs. Michaud, Mrs. Dunning, and Mr. Parker.

For prints, greeting cards, and commissions, please visit oddduckgallery.com. 10% of sales are donated to Re:Wild to help protect wild animals and wild lands!

Steven Edson — September, 2023

Steven Edson






Artist Statement: The Art of The Automobile

As a photographer, I attempt to describe moments in transition while observing the complexity and vastness of the land, people, and objects within constantly changing conditions.  For these brief moments, time stands still for eternity.

Form and function welded, bolted, and stitched together for speed, comfort, performance, and safety. My car photography illustrates the exquisite precision of bent metal and chrome to conform to a designer's vision for the efficiencies of aerodynamics combined with the beauty of timeless style. Within this series, I use the camera to highlight and celebrate the industrial precision of car design both in its abstraction and the transformation cars undergo in different lighting and environmental atmospheric conditions.

Cars are a catalyst for many people’s earliest memories: from romantic dinner dates or to the store and day trips across the region or cross-country adventures. Vehicles are used for pleasure and for commercial entities and for some, the sheer thrill and enjoyment combined with the skills of racing to be the first to cross the finish line in the shortest amount of time.

All vintages are represented in my work starting from 1885 to the Model T and antique cars from the turn of the century to the vintage era of the 1920’s thru to mid-century cars of the 1930’s to the 1950’s and on to hot rods, muscle cars and current late model cars including performance luxury vehicles and race cars.

Lens Based ARTIST / Documentary Photographer
102 Florence Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476
http://www.stevenedson.net
e-mail:
steve@stevenedson.net
Studio: 617.993.3212 / Mobile: 617.504.4994
Instagram: #edsonphotoart

August Artist of the Month-Lori J. Cutter — August, 2023

August Artist of the Month-Lori J. Cutter






Hi, my name is Lori J. Cutter.

I’m an abstract fluid artist. I’ve been intrigued by how different color combinations can complement each other. When I was young my dad loved my odd-looking finger paintings so much that he hung them up on the walls.
I use different fluid art techniques in my paintings and sometimes I incorporate more than a few technique combinations in one painting. I’m self-taught and I customized my own fluid paints. When the painting is done and dry, I use a protective layer of clear gloss urethane for long term, nonfading finishes.
My abstract fluid artwork can be hung whichever way is pleasing to your eye.
These are all one of a kind and I cannot duplicate one.

My artwork also includes Surreal art and some designs. You’ll see that I have quite an imagination. All my designs are socially neutral and printed on high quality semi-gloss paper. In my collection, I have many other interesting / different artworks on glossy prints.

Email - eric@artdistractionsbylori.com
Phone - 508-400-3289

Michele Bourgeau- July Artist of the Month — July, 2023

Michele Bourgeau- July Artist of the Month






Michele Bourgeau

Michele is a visual artist who grew up in the Midwest, six in line of nine children. Whether in or out of school, art making was a constant throughout Michele’s life as she was inspired by creative parents, nature, recycling materials and a dynamic junk drawer. Michele celebrates the gifts of her youth through her art by embracing quirky elements of design and color to express ironic or poignant narratives. This playfulness invites the observer to see the unremarkable as quite extraordinary. Michele’s work includes more traditional paintings in oil, watercolor or acrylic as well as printmaking, ceramic, sculpture and mixed media. In 2022, Michele collaborated with master chocolatier, Michael Nichols of m cacao in Amesbury, MA, to create six unique designs for edible cocoa butter screen print art bars. Four art bars are currently available with two additional to be unveiled by the end of 2023.
Michele currently lives and works in Andover, Massachusetts with her husband, Timothy, and terriers, Zuzu and Malcolm. In June 2022, Michele opened ONE19 Gallery, a small studio/gallery
space on her residence property at 119 Lowell Street, Andover, MA. Contact Michele at michelebourgeau@gmail.com.

Michele's work is displayed in the circulation area and the display case in the reference room.

June Artist of the Month — June, 2023

June Artist of the Month






Don Hammontree

Featured: "Freighter on the Detroit River."

Artist's Statement:
“When it comes to my artwork, there are three personal traits of mine that are usually reflected in it, though not necessarily all at once. Firstly, I’ve got a vivid imagination. As an example, I’m fascinated by older cars and how their front and rear-end designs almost mirror human expressions - the headlights resemble eyes; a bumper may reflect a smile. There’s also a sense of deep curiosity – I’ll often seek out buildings in a new city that have unique (though not necessarily pretty) architectural details for inspiration, or I’ll search street-view sites online for interesting scenes of places I’ve never been. And lastly, I have a strong memory – if so moved, I’ll try to re-create scenes from my past that I find special or inspiring with as many details as I can recall. I’m very much motivated by these three things and the attempt to reflect them on canvas. It’s always exciting for me to see how my paintings and ideas behind them are going to turn out. They may not always end up the way I originally envisioned them, but I always usually find something about them that’s unique and interesting.”

Artists bio:
Hailing from Central Illinois, Don Hammontree is a Salem, Massachusetts-based artist, photographer, musician and writer. His colorful paintings, which tend to focus on streetscapes, architecture and vintage automobiles, have been displayed throughout New England. For more information about Hammontree's work, email him at LVIV44@YAHOO.COM, call/text him at (508) 615-5808 or visit his Etsy.com store at www.etsy.com/shop/blackmorefreak.

April Artist- Joe Gemellaro — April, 2023

April Artist- Joe Gemellaro






Joe Gemellaro

I was born to draw. I never thought it was anything special until I started receiving complements from both students and teachers in grammar school. The Edgar Allen Poe portrait is a slight revision of a portrait I did of the author back in sixth grade. My portraits often celebrate and honor those who have given much to society: musicians, athletes, authors, poets, actors, and even a few politicians. I am very happy that I was able to honor one of my idols, Italian boxer Rocky Marciano, with a portrait I created that is on permanent display in the public library in his hometown of Brockton, Mass. These portraits are my small gift to the world during these troubled times. I hope they remind people of the great talent that continues to exist in the world and that they somehow inspire others as well as give them hope for humanity.

 

March Artists of the Month — March, 2023

March Artists of the Month






Will Putnam, Photographer

Will Putnam is an Andover, MA, based photographer who focuses on creating images that he hopes will inspire the viewer – to appreciate beauty, to wonder, to think, perhaps to be moved emotionally.
Photography has provided Will with the opportunity to capture photographs of life and nature not only close to home, but in far corners of the world. In his travels, he has found that we all are very similar in our hopes and fears and dreams. Art has the capacity to bring us together in appreciation of the interconnected world around us. 
Most recently, Will has been creating images in various locations in the Eastern U.S., from Acadia and Mid-Coast Maine, to the North Shore of Massachusetts, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and to the French Quarter of New Orleans.
To see more images by Will, please visit his website at: www.willputnamphoto.com

In the display case:

Deanna O'Neill, Brick Piggy Pottery

Deanna O'Neill is an artist living in Andover, MA and working out of The Clay School in Lynn, MA. She has been practicing ceramics on and off for nearly 20 years. Deanna studied painting in undergrad but as part of a well-rounded curriculum took a few ceramics classes. It was during these classes that her love for pottery began. Pottery has allowed Deanna to explore form and function while incorporating stylistic motifs in each piece. She finds inspiration in the world around her but is especially inspired by nature. Her forms are soft and often curvaceous, feminine, and colorful. When not at the studio Deanna enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat. She is especially fond of lazy afternoons snuggled under a blanket drinking a cup of tea or coffee and reading a good book. 
brick piggy pottery - deanna@brickpiggy.com

 

February 2023 Lidia Mikhaylova and Baluka Shop Nesting Dolls — February, 2023

February 2023 Lidia Mikhaylova and Baluka Shop Nesting Dolls






The Hidden Beauty in Simplicity- Lidia Mikhaylova

I enjoy expressing the world around me through my paintings, and I love putting the reality of everyday life on the canvas using colors and shapes. The purpose of my art is to inspire people to see the hidden beauty in the simplicity of their surroundings. Too often we are waiting for miracles, but forgetting to look right in front of us. There is a lot of beauty in everyday life! In order to notice it, we simply need to pause, look around…and maybe ask yourself a question: what brings richness to my life? As a child, I wanted to become an artist, but didn’t go for my dreams. This is not an uncommon story. Born and raised in Russia, Siberia, I’ve spent most of my life working in the corporate world as a lawyer. After more than 15 years of a successful career in Moscow, I made the decision to move to Riga, Latvia in the search of new ways to fulfill my dreams.

“If not now, then when?”- I thought. “Life is full of challenges anyway.”
Latvia is the place where I became inspired by the colorful imagery of my surroundings and completely fell in love with painting.
The fall of 2019 was one of the happiest and most fulfilling periods in my life. I had an opportunity to travel across the ocean and witness the incredible beauty of the east coast of America, and my art was seen by the eyes of distinguished American viewers. Three years in America taught me how to enjoy the change, as well as anticipating the transformation. I continue to transfer the beauty of the surrounding reality onto the canvas / silk, and get incredible pleasure from it.
I used to paint mostly in oil, but a couple of years ago I tried painting with special inks on silk, and I really liked it. Silk is, in my opinion, the most refined and lively material, and paintings on it are very special.
I passionately believe that love and beauty will make our world a better place.

Yours, Lidia
401-855-7672
simpleartforms@gmail.comhttp://simpleartforms.comhttps://www.facebook.com/SimpleArtForms/https://www.instagram.com/simple_art_forms_/

Display case: Baluka Shop Nesting Dolls

Founded in 2022, Baluka Shop’s mission is to preserve the traditional folk art of Ukraine and to support the local population during times of great economic hardship and war.
The project is named after our grandfather Stepan Ivanovych Baluka (Степан Іванович Балука), who was the mayor of Chernihiv, a northern city in Ukraine, from 1979 to 1984. Stepan Ivanovych was an avid supporter of local folk art and worked closely with artists. He passed down his admiration of the art form to his children and grandchildren. Today, we want to share these beautiful collectibles with you!
Where are Our Dolls Made:
Located in the north of Ukraine, and known as the spiritual capital of the country, Chernihiv was founded more than 1300 years ago, in the 7th century. Home to ancient churches, the city was considered one of the most important centers of the Kyivan Rus’, being the center of princedom. In 2022, Chernihiv was named a Hero City for defense and outstanding heroism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The city remains unconquered, but war continues to disrupt normal life in the region.
Two of our founders, Vladyslav and Tetyana, now residents of Andover, Massachusetts, were born and raised in Chernihiv. Over the years they kept in good contact with the workshop, where nesting dolls, amongst other wood-crafted items, are brought to life. 

 www.baluka.shop
 www.baluka.shop/shop/.

January 2023 Artist and Display of the Month — January, 2023

January 2023 Artist and Display of the Month






Aliiyah Cole

Bio:
Born in Melrose and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, I began drawing realism in eighth  grade and eventually reconnected with art as a hobby in my Junior year of high school. I am currently a Sophomore at UMass Lowell and pursuing a Bachelors degree in Studio Art. After receiving my BFA, I hope to attend an MFA program.

Artist Statement:
I recently started using oil paint in my Painting I class and worked from still life's. There was an immediate feeling of enjoyment and I realized that I wanted to continue working from live models and further my art practices. In the near future, I hope to attend an Atelier and create art that incorporates visual elements from different art movements such as Romanticism and Symbolism.

Display Case:

Graham Long- Antique Bottle Display

One of the things I love the most about living in Andover is our unique history, and how it is on full display all around us. These bottles tell us a lot about daily life here 100-150 years ago and remind us that in many ways the local population was not too different from us today. All of these were unearthed right here in Andover, from places where homes and farms no longer exist. I hope you enjoy the HP & CI Hood story, and the many other stories these bottles tell us.

Interview with Graham Long

December Artist of the Month — December, 2022

December Artist of the Month






Diane Maroun

Artist statement.
Painting is one of the things I love doing. Although I try other things, painting is the one medium I come  back to. Animals and Victorian style pieces are a favorite and I hope to add Fantasy pieces as well. I am interested in usually  one strong light source to   show a subject to a good advantage.

BIO:
Born and raised in Methuen, MA I was taught to draw at first by my Mother who was an artist and took lessons after that through public school.  I received an Associate of Arts Degree from Bradford College in Bradford, MA  and a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art at The School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA. Since then I have painted with different groups and on my own. I ran The Andover's Artists Guild Art in the Park outdoor art show for many years, helped several organizations run shows of their own and participated in many group shows.

November Artists of the Month — November, 2022

November Artists of the Month






Tina S. Gagnon
Artist Statement

      Nature & Nostalgia - Those are the subjects that I am, pardon the pun, drawn to. I am a hyper-realistic artist and the “devil is in the details - the more details, the better. 
 
     The medium of colored pencil affords me the ability to hone in on that aspect. Nature has so many nuances that detail is imperative to capture the essence of a living being, whether it is flower or animal. 
 
     Nostalgia also lends itself to detail. The more detail, the more the image will come alive for the viewer – evoking their own memories attached to that particular object in the drawing. 
 
     After choosing what I will draw, I lightly sketch out an outline of my subject. I start by coloring light to dark. Building up the color in light layers, building up and building up until the color “pops”. This is usually accomplished in five to six layers of color. When you think that the piece looks “dull”, keep building – and it will come alive. 
     I will work on one area of the drawing and finish that area before moving on to the next, establishing technique for the rest of the piece to follow. Patience, is the key to my art. Most pieces I spend about an hour per square inch. More complex pieces can be twice that time. It is not uncommon for a piece to have more than one hundred hours put into it.

spectbus@aol.com
www.TinaGagnon.com

 

In the Display Case

Karan S. Penton finds inspiration for her artwork everywhere she looks. Heavily inspired by the patterns, lines, and colors, found in nature Karan creates pieces that are organic and thoughtful.

     Born in New York, Karan started taking lessons as a child. She states that she “dabbled” with art, but was never terribly serious about what she made. Over the last few years while living in Connecticut Karan had gone through many changes that we associate with the Covid pandemic. She left her career as a sonographer in order to help care for her family at the start of the pandemic. It was during that time in which Karan began to pursue her artist interests again. Initially the work she produced was in acrylics and as she found her path, she ventured into watercolor, ink, and jewelry making. Watercolor and ink pieces allow Karan to truly free her ideas onto paper. They are her favorite media. 
     The pandemic that seemed to stifle in so many ways brought an opportunity that allowed Karan the time and means to create on a regular basis. If asked who her artistic influences are, she would likely say “everything and everywhere.” As for specific artists, the list is quite long and varied: Seurat, Matisse, O’Keefe, Kahlo, Klimt, Yayoi Kusama, Murakami, Kara Walker, Xiaodong, Kehinde Wiley, David Hockney, Joyce Kamikura, Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Njideka Akunyili Crosby to name a few. It is these artists who inspire some of the forms Karan uses in her paintings.
     Karan’s jewelry designs are fluid and informal. They use the swirls that Karan frequently features as a modern, contemporary play on wire weaving. The designs are not forced rather they are simple, clean, and natural. She often says that the stone itself determines its setting.

You may find Karan’s work on WWW.ArtPal.com/k_shapiro. She greatly appreciates the warmth and support she has received artistically from both family and patrons

October artists- Dorothy Lorenze and Renate Berthold de Bustard — October, 2022

October artists- Dorothy Lorenze and Renate Berthold de Bustard






Dorothy Lorenze paints contemporary still life and interiors following the classical atelier methods of oil painting. Her representational paintings realistically and poetically render translucency, texture and atmosphere. She enjoys celebrating the simple forms of nostalgic and evocative subjects finds inspiration in surprising moments of unexpected color or patterns of reflection in familiar objects. A recent transplant to Andover, Dorothy and her husband moved from New York state just prior to the Covid pandemic and is happy to join the New England Art Community. Previously, her work was exhibited in solo shows as well as national and invitational art exhibits, including American Women Artists National juried exhibit at Steamboat Art Museum, the International Trompe L’oeil exhibit at John F. Peto Studio Museum, Ames Mansion Historic Site and Weir Farm National Historic Site. Six paintings of the interior of American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir’s Connecticut home, painted during her residency there, were purchased by Weir Farm National Historic Site. Since moving here she has won an Honorary Mention at the Guild of Boston Artists, Best in Show at Newburyport Art Association and awards from Rockport Art Association and Museum. Dorothy’s painting studies have included the Art Students League, New York Academy of Art and Purchase College. She feels especially privileged to have been mentored by Todd M. Casey of Grand Central Academy. Dorothy became a juried member of New York’s historic Salmagundi Club and is a Signature member of American Women Artists, Elected Member of Allied Artists of America and member of Oil Painters of America, as well as Hudson Valley Artists Association and Newburyport Art Association. www.dorothylorenze.comdlorenze@me.com, Instagram: @dorothylorenzefineart FaceBook: Dorothy Lorenze Fine Art

In the Display case:

Títeres Kasper is a puppetry performance and design company owned and operated by Renate Berthold de Bustard, a recent immigrant to Andover, MA. The name “Títeres Kasper” translates from Spanish to “Kasper Puppets” and refers to the famous German court jester character, called "Kasperle."The combined influence of Spanish and German in the company name is a direct reflection of Renate’s heritage. Born in Germany, Renate moved with her family to Venezuela when she was a small child. She received a formal education in fashion design Munich, followed by several years of hands-on training in New York City. Following her time in New York, Renate returned to South America, where she transitioned from design to textile production and from textile production to puppet-making and performance. When Renate immigrated to the United States in 2015, she brought Títeres Kasper with her, where she has continued her work to support the mission of her company—to inspire parents and children, teachers and students, to cherish and nurture not just the love for stories, but for storytelling as well.

Bridgette Caron — September, 2022

Bridgette Caron






Bee Caron is a 16 year old realist photographer. She loves nature and animals and hopes to share the pure beauty of the world. She attends Central Catholic and has been a photographer for over 3 years! Bee’s self taught journey started when she received a camera for Christmas and realized her passion for photography. Her favorite of these photos is the Sprinkled photo featured here.

MHL Staff: Anna Tschetter, Sarah Margi and Gerry Deyermond Display Case: Andover Teens — August, 2022

MHL Staff: Anna Tschetter, Sarah Margi and Gerry Deyermond Display Case: Andover Teens

Collages:
Anna Tschetter (she/her) is one of the Teen Services Librarians at MHL. She has been making collages for the last 15 years and loves to use found materials, advertising images, postcards, and all kinds of paper. She also enjoys many fiber arts like sewing, crochet, and embroidery.

Quilt and Rug Hooking:
Gerry Deyermond is the Assistant Head of Circulation and has been sewing for many years and enjoys making quilts and home decor. She took up rug hooking about 8 years ago and also enjoys wool applique and knitting. 

Embroidery:
Sarah Margi is a Children's room aide. She started embroidering about two years ago. She is a self taught artist and use embroidery almost in a therapeutic way. "I love to embroider and recreate vintage illustrations. It's a fun, easy, and relaxing hobby to have."

Display case: "Andover teens worked with artist Peggy Rambach over the course of three weeks to work on painting items from nature - leaves and feathers - colored pencil and watercolor.

Known as a writer and teacher of writing for the majority of her career, Peggy Rambach, M.A. M.F.A. began to draw in 2016 when she urged her students to illustrate their writing. Then she expanded from pencil and pastel to colored pencil and watercolor and began painting as a Natural Science Illustrator. Though raised in New York City, Peggy always loved nature, and Natural Science Illustration gave her a way to express it. "

July Artist of the Month- Edie Tang — July, 2022

July Artist of the Month- Edie Tang






Artist Edie Tang was born and raised in China. She began painting in 2019. She is totally self-taught, her first experiences as an artist was when she painted a cartoon portrait on a pair of shoes. She discovered she really enjoyed it and had a natural talent. She soon started painting human and animal portraits and landscapes.

She believes that being an artist is something that one is born to do and not learned at school. She went on to study through practical experience, learning through trial and error and self-learning studying the works of YouTube artists as her teachers.

Continuing with family encouragement and support, especially from her father who is a calligraphy artist, she became a full-time artist, part-time model and actress while taking care of the kids.

She is the owner of Pimpmybling art studio which has painting parties every week. Edie brings a warm, supportive, and positive environment to people who loves art combining art and fun in a creative/carefree way to improve art skills and meet like minded people.
 

Edie's work is displayed both in the main reading room and the display case in reference area.
For more information, please contact Edietangartstudio@gmail.com

Artist Statement

I discovered beautiful things in my life! Happiness, Joy, chills, laughs, and all sorts of emotions! I enjoy what art has brought to me. Colorful on canvas or on unique objects, that's the way I make my brush dance and my color sing.
Capturing the light is everything! It's elusive quality can transform a figure or a landscape in just a matter of seconds. I strive to convey that sense of place by capturing its fleeting magic. It's always the light that I need to put on a face to make a natural expression or to make the flowers brighten.
My goad is to inspire those who see my work to look more carefully at the world around them and to discover beauty in the unusual places.

June Artist of the Month- Virginia Guazzaloca — June, 2022

June Artist of the Month- Virginia Guazzaloca






Virginia Guazzaloca

Virginia Guazzaloca is a library assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. Her grandfather gave her his old SLR camera, and she never looked back. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Artist Statement

Whenever I go somewhere, I try to always take pictures. When taking photos, I always try to find interesting angles or focus. I like to get the camera down low or point the camera up at what people don’t normally see, for a different point of view. I want to capture a picture of a place where you can imagine a fairie living, and to show people what they are missing when they just walk right by without taking the time to look around.

Eva Lee and Lily Gregoire — May, 2022

Eva Lee and Lily Gregoire






Eva Lee
evaleepainting@hotmail.com
evaleeFineArt.com
978-387-3539
Statement
Touch and HealingI am a contemporary realist painter from Andover. I am a mother of two. I received my B.F.A in 2015 from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The subjects of my paintings include portraits, human figures and nature. My mediums are watercolor and oil. My paintings are reflections about myself and women discovering their inner self. I use ambiguous abstractions and minimal figures in my work. I explore women’s inner sense of self conflict and its connections to society. My paintings are transforming, since becoming a mother. It is through motherhood my paintings are spiritually fulfilled. These include the feeling of hopelessness, sadness, loneliness, hope, forgiveness, peace, healing, and love. My painting series of “Touch and Healing” represents the victim’s experience in violence and war. The portrait is a combination of a woman figure and nature. I was inspired by healing in the Bible. The painting contains the story of a person’s inner fear and anxiety; her soul and body freed by healing hands. According to the Bible, the God’s hand is a symbol of protection and healing. “Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.” Psalms 140:4. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalms 147:3 I believe in spiritual healing. The healing moment of a person in danger and hardship, yet at peace.The healing hands gives comfort and encouragement. The healing hands is not just an object, it could represent anyone, like family, friends, or society. The recognition of victims helps the restoration and healing in their lives. The soft and warm tones dominate over the darkness. The healing of the body and soul overcomes its hardship. The human body is like an old tree with many scars. A tree is like a victim who cannot ask for help. They are waiting for someone to reach out and comfort them. The healing hands restores their soul and body. It is our hopes and dreams that drives us through our time of despair. Since the COVID-19 , many people are in fear and hopelessness. It is through my paintings, I wish to recognize the despair and comfort them. My heart breaks for the victims. I feel for their fear and anxiety. I pray for strength and peace. The paintings are an encouragement and healing for all who suffer. This soon will pass and we will be at a better place

Display Case
Lily Gregoire

I’m currently a senior at Andover High School. This fall I will be starting my first year at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I have been making art since before I can remember. I only started making the three-dimensional art I make now last summer and have been discovering new ways of making ever since. I like to have fun with my work and explore different mediums and methods. Most of the things I make are bizarre and have so much detail you could look at them for a long time and still notice new things. In march, I won a national silver medal with distinction from the scholastic art and writing awards for my art portfolio. I’m looking forward to attending the awards ceremony for it at Carnegie Hall in New York City next month.
Instagram: @lilygregoireart
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/lilygregoireart/home

April Artists of the Month — April, 2022

April Artists of the Month






Lisa Hayden

Is nature ever untouched by human influence? I explore this intersection on my canvas, combining a lifetime love of painting and the natural world. Using a palette of blues and greens and expressive motion, I aim to capture the feeling of both the outside world and the touches left behind by human creations – a vertical stroke suggesting fences, old piers, boats, windows. Painted and textured with brushes and palette knives, my work ranges from seascapes and abstracted landscapes to fully abstract pieces. Each painting is a journey in itself, with a captured sense of time passing and experiences lived.

Lisa Hayden studied painting at the University of Miami before returning to her native Massachusetts where she continued classes in painting and other art forms at the Danforth Museum and Worcester Art Museum. Four years painting in an environment of warm ocean waves, wild greenery, and colorful architecture has melded with the last 30 years of New England shores, forests, fields, and the Boston Seaport to create her visual viewpoint. Lisa lives in Northborough MA and participates in art events throughout the East Coast from Maine to Virginia. Visit www.MeltedTheory.com for more about the artist, including local events, or email meltedtheory@gmail.com for information on purchasing paintings. 

Display case- Rich Padova

 "Presidential Visits to Andover" is the theme for a display during the month of April at MHL.  Over the years several presidents and former presidents have visited Andover for various occasions, and April's display contains memorabilia related to those presidents and former presidents that are on loan from Rich Padova,  a member of Andover's 375th Anniversary Committee and a history and government professor at Northern Essex Community College.

 Rich Padova is a member of Andover's 375th Anniversary Committee, the Master Plan Steering Committee, Friends of Memorial Hall Library and the Andover Center for History and Culture.  During the academic year he teaches history and government at Northern Essex Community College and during the summer is a historical tour interpreter (guide) at Lawrence Heritage State Park, where he provides guided museum tours of the visitors' center, guided walking tours of the downtown historic mill district and narrated boat tours of the Merrimack River.

March Artists of the Month Joseph Votano and Linda Feroce — March, 2022

March Artists of the Month Joseph Votano and Linda Feroce






Joseph R. Votano Photography

Joseph R. Votano is avid photographer with his principal areas of interest being fine art, architectural, and documentary photography. He has received numerous awards in both monochromatic and color prints from both the Merrimac and Greater Lynn Photographic Association. His images have been published in Prestige Travel Hong Kong, Michelin Travel Guide, Aishti magazine (Middle East) and in Boston.com (Boston magazine).

In the last eight years he has had four hardcover books published by Schiffer Publishing:
● Boston Below.. about the Boston subway system (co-authored with Karen Hosking)
● The Shaker Legacies, a 160 photo-documentary covering development of Shakerism
● The Every Changing Coastline.. about the sea
● The Timeless Seashore.. about the sea shore

The latter two books being a combination of fine art and scenic photography coupled to aesthetics and published 2018.

He has a total of five (5) eBooks:
● Exploring Infrared Imaging (Co-authored with Karen Hosking)
● Place to Place (2014)... street photography
● Moment to Ponder (2020)... street photography
● By the Sea..(2021)...much along the lines of Andrew Wyeth
● The Nile River..(2021)...photo-documentary

His photo-work can be seen at: www.joevotanophotography.com. Also, Amazon's author corner for Joe Votano can be reached with URL below describing books and accompanying videos.

https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-R.-Votano/e/B08LX82WY8%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt...

Name: Joseph R. Votano
Ph: 978-658-5744; Cell: 978-973-7427
email: jvotano@gmail.com

 

In the Display Case 

Linda Feroce 
Never TOO Colorful Decoupage

lindamg75@aol.com

About the artist:
Throughout my life I have always been very interested in various art forms. I have taken various classes such as painting, stained glass, pottery, and jewelry making. After retiring from a long career as a social worker I had more time to do the things I enjoy A few years ago I became enthralled with the art of decoupage and began decorating various objects. What I have learned is that one does not have to be “gifted” to make beautiful decoupage. Creativity, a love of color and design are essential, however, 

Artist Statement:
Decoupage is a very old form of art. The word decoupage comes from the French word “decouper”, meaning to cut out or cut from something. The origin is thought to be Siberia, where it was used to decorate tombs. From there it came to China and then eventually spread throughout Europe where it was called “the poor man’s art”. There are many famous decoupage artists throughout the world today. Vivica Moller and John Derian are two of my favorites.

It is both fascinating and satisfying to turn an ordinary glass plate or vase into something beautiful. The process involves using interesting paper, wherever you find it and gluing it on to the surface you are working on. The paper can be something you painted or photographed yourself or found in various places. After the gluing is completed several coats of polyurethane must be applied Each piece, when completed, is “one of a kind”.

February Artists of the Month Molly Foley and Beth Frey — February, 2022

February Artists of the Month Molly Foley and Beth Frey






Molly Foley

As a child I was always drawn to soft things, a worn piece of silky ribbon or my dog Abigail’s smooth floppy ear. Still, it took me until my forties to realize that my creativity was best served through weaving and fiber art. Weaving allows my playful and imaginative side free reign to combine fibers, patterns, and colors - the possibilities are literally endless - providing me with the sense of freedom I have spent much of my life searching for. My love of weaving takes many forms including wall hangings, scarves, table runners, and clothing made with the SAORI weaving method. SAORI also helps me to explore deconstruction and reconstruction, using anything from audio tape to old clothing.

The wall hangings I make using the frame looms were given the name Hopefuls by my good friend and gifted Andover musician Sandi Bedrosian after I made a weaving for her to cheer her after a serious injury. I love to create custom pieces to convey a certain energy and my hope is that the playfulness and warmth I feel in creating the Hopefuls shines through and brings joy to their owners.

My love of astrology infuses my work with a sense of magic and wonder. As I've explored my own creativity and spirituality, I have found weaving is often used as a metaphor for alchemy. Learning to bring together individual threads into a varied and unique piece, has taught me how to take the disparate and often contradicting parts of myself and fashion them into a unified whole.

My work has been part of the group shows - Chemistry of FiberLAB at LexArts in Lexington, MA, Loom in Essence at JMAC (2020) and Worcester Center for Crafts (2021) in Worcester, MA, and Fantasy Lands at Artless Bastard in De Pere, WI. Finally, I am a member of the Cazimi Collaborative whose public art installations - Andover Weaving: Rebirth Renewal, Time is a Circle, and the upcoming (March 2022) Andover Mending: Healing and Resilience - have provided opportunities for wonder and contemplation along Main Street in Andover, MA.

Website: https://www.mfcreates.com
Instagram: @725Fulton
Email: molly.725fulton@gmail.com

Cazimi Collaborative Website: https://www.cazimicreativecollaborative.com
Instagram: @cazimi.collab

Would you like to try weaving? Molly donated a small loom to learn how to weave. It is part of the Library of Things collection www.mhl.org/library-of-things. Watch Molly teach Gerry Deyermond, Assistant Head of Circulation how to weave using the loom at https://vimeo.com/672480926

Beth Frey Frey Ceramics- display case

About the Artist:
Beth Frey fell in love with clay at age thirteen, and developed a passion for pottery that grew throughout high school and college. As an art major at Swarthmore College she took a variety of classes, but kept coming back to clay, concentrating on both functional vessels and sculptural pieces.
She began her professional career as a gallerist in Boston for many years, working in her family's art gallery. After moving to Andover and taking care of her two children full-time, in 2019 she set up a ceramics studio in her home to pursue pottery once again.
You can view more of her work at www.freyceramics.com

Artist Statement:
I strive to create pottery that captures and celebrates the beauty of nature. My inspirations are the woods, gardens and beaches that surround me in my native Massachusetts. I love the challenge of combining art and functionality in my work, to create pottery that will be used and cherished for generations.
I begin most of my work on the pottery wheel, and use a variety of techniques to alter, carve and glaze each piece by hand. Hand carving is the most challenging and time-consuming technique for me, but also the most rewarding. It requires intense concentration, and I’m able to channel that into a meditative experience in the studio.

Ayelet Katz — January, 2022

Ayelet Katz






Ayelet Katz is a local artist from Andover. She has 3 daughters 11,15,17, all are studying in APS.
Her main medium is oil painting. Her work includes figure drawings, still life, plein air and also local sceneries she photographs with her iPhone. (a beloved subject of hers is old houses in town and in the area)
Her style is impressionistic.
Ayelet is a member of Newburyport Art Association.
She teaches at Everett Art Guild.

 ARTIST STATEMENT

I believe in constant progress and improving by working in a group.
In the past years I have been creating with a group mentored by the
artist Eva Cincotta in Stoneham, MA.

I strive to paint every day, I manage to do that especially in the
months of September and January – when Strada challenge is on
(painting every day from real life) - during those months I try to
post daily on my facebook page please visit me there!

Commission work and classes are always welcomed.

My email: kojoa10@gmail.com

Vicky Enright — December, 2021

Vicky Enright

Vicky Enright was born and raised in the city of Philadelphia but has now spent more time in the Boston area with over 25 years in Andover. What a great town it has been to raise two sons, walk a few good dogs, and appreciate the charm and nature of New England! Vicky has been married to a childhood crush (from summer camp in Maryland) for over 30 years - Tim Enright.

Having studied graphic design at Syracuse University, Vicky often was hired for her illustrative abilities. She has designed wallpaper, illustrated children's books, greeting cards, wedding invitations and in the first year of Covid won a state wide poster contest encouraging healthy outdoor activities in a mostly Spanish speaking neighborhoold of Salem, MA. The town of Andover has used her to design and illustrate items for the Shawsheen 100 year celebration, (canceled due to Covid), the town's 375th year celebration along with illustration and design for holiday activities. Vicky has worked for Andover Trails with an illustration showing a proposed bridge connecting hiking trails over the Shawsheen River. She also does graphic design for some businesses downtown.

Vicky works mostly in watercolor; in the old days with ink. While she likes to keep her watercolor on paper she works digitally with Procreate and Photoshop, as well, but has dabbled in other mediums when it was necessary.

The Friends of Memorial Hall Library commissioned Vicky to create four illustrations of the Library in all seasons. Her artwork appears in their new Food for Friends cookbook.

Artist statement

Life, as we all know, can be filled with heartaches and such, so I really like to show the little details of our lives that are so joy filled....staring at the lights on a Christmas tree, or at a school of fish swimming by, or just the most adorable face of a young child. I also love to have my clients say these three words at the completion of a project: "I love it."

Vicky's website: https://www.vickyenrightdesigns.com/
Vicky's email: venright@gmail.com

 

Danielle Green - "My Soul Speaks" — September, 2021

Danielle Green - "My Soul Speaks"





becoming danielle green

Artist Statement

Many people throughout their lives undergo multiple transformations of self. I’m fascinated and inspired by how spiritual growth changes the soul over a lifetime. As an artist I ask and explore the question: How do we as human beings observe the evolution of our own souls? I use colorful lines, space, and landscapes to depict moments (grand and simple) of our lives where spirituality and personal growth takes place.  

Artist Bio

I’m an emerging artist in the area, and excited to share my vision with you. The focus of my work is creating pieces that express emotion and provoke contemplation within the human self. My drive and passion are reaching others through the symbolism in my pieces. It is my sincere hope that these pieces inspire all people to embrace and act with love, kindness, acceptance, and peace. Together, we will draw out the best in human nature. We will do this for ourselves, our planet and for future generations to come.

Follow Danielle on Instagram @danielleg8888.

Etsy Shop - https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/ArtandSoulByDanielle/tools/listings

Elena Cronin — June, 2021

Elena Cronin





elena cronin

Artist Statement

I grew up in New England and spent my summers roaming the woods and coasts of Maine. There I grew to appreciate the natural beauty of the land and seascapes around me. My love of nature led me to watercolors. They are perfect for En plein air painting (painting outside). The luminosity of watercolor makes it the perfect medium for working quickly and capturing the light in natural landscapes. I enjoy playing with composition and often use diagonals and swirling patterns to create the feeling of motion. After retirement in 2020, my new adventure is to become an entrepreneur. I have my own website where more of my work can be seen at ElenaCroninArt.com, an Etsy shop called ElenaCroninArt, and a Facebook page where I share my process and everything that goes into painting. I hope you will visit and enjoy seeing my work.

About the Artist

I attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. There I studied painting, drawing and print-making with a special emphasis on the techniques of the old masters. One of my fondest memories is passing through a secret door behind a medieval tapestry into a hidden studio to learn to replicate the techniques of master painters. This was in the 1970s! After graduating, life took a practical turn, raising a family and an interesting career in medical ultrasound. Now retired, I am once again able to dedicate my time to the craft of painting and growing my small business. It has been so much fun to rediscover art and share it with others. Visit ElenaCroninArt.com to see what I’ve been working on!



































Zohar Mamet Photography — May, 2021

Zohar Mamet Photography

Artist Statement

As a documentary photographer, I used to travel long distances to find pretty sights. However, like everyone else, my “normal" changed in 2020. My family’s busy-ness came to an abrupt halt, and my work as a documentary photographer became nonexistent. I realized that some things have changed in many senses but with those changes we can create normalcy. Long hikes with my children in my hometown, Andover, revealed beauty hidden around every corner. The places we had rushed by on our way to school, practice and playdates beckoned, silent treasures waiting to be explored. All of these pictures were taken between March 2020 and March 2021 within 5-12 minutes of my home. This pandemic brought fear and pain to my family, as it did to many others, but I found the silver lining—a sense of peace and calmness while I explored nature trails near my house. I am grateful to AVIS and the Conservation Commission for maintaining these habitats and trails to ensure that even though humans are spending more and more time in them, the animals and plants continue to thrive and stay safe in their homes. These photos show gems hiding in plain sight throughout our town—if you are like me, you’ve probably driven past them without a second glance - dozens of times.Together, let’s slow down, look for these pockets of charm and light, and remember to always seek beauty, near and far as we return to a more busy life.

About the Artist

Zohar Mamet is a documentary photographer based in Andover. She graduated from Haifa University with a BA in Education and Visual Arts. On top of photography, she also enjoys painting, hiking, and spending time with her family. During the pandemic she used her ability as a documentary photographer to capture emotions and feelings, using that skill to capture pictures of nature. You can see more of her work on instagram @zoharmametphotos.

 

























Cassie Doyon - Pangea Mosaics — April, 2021

Cassie Doyon - Pangea Mosaics

About the Artist

Cassie Doyon holds a masters degree in art education from Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and has worked as an artist and art educator in the Merrimack Valley for the past 30 years. Her artwork has won several awards and has been exhibited throughout New England. See more of her work at http://www.cassiedoyondesigns.net/

Artist Statement

I work in mixed media with a strong focus on mosaics.  I use a wide variety of materials in my work, including natural, foraged and found items such as sea glass, bone, driftwood and stone.  My use of color is widely variable, from muted and earth toned to bright and psychedelic hues. Where mosaic work tends to be structured and planned, I try to incorporate spontaneity and serendipity within my pieces. I am particularly focused on surface design and pushing the boundaries of sculpture with unconventional and re-purposed materials.

Much of my artwork is abstract in style and form, reflecting my lifelong interest in tribal art and artifacts from around the world. I was born and raised in a seaside town, and the ocean has been a powerful, repetitive theme through most every piece of art I have made.  In addition, I like to create “color and texture memories” of places I’ve visited over the years, and to explore macro and micro-environments in nature.

























John Yurka Photography — March, 2021

John Yurka Photography

Artist Statement

Photography is an interesting art form in several ways.  Takes no special skills.  There are many ways/tools we can use to create a simple or a very complex image.  We can shoot just to our personal taste or to present to a group.  It’s also much more than just photos; photography exposes us to other people/nature, seeing new things/places, always learning, seeing faces of the determination/happiness of people doing their sport/hobby.  Seeing/experiencing nature vs sitting at a TV.  Seeing other photographers work, to understand/appreciate how they see photography.  It’s a wonderful art form that can now be captured on our phones.

About the Artist

I was a project engineer by trade which I feel brought structure to how I approach photography. I started photography in the 1970s with a point and shoot. My wife introduced me to taking photos and a family friend introduced me to the 35mm SLR photography world and the camera club.

Mostly during the film days, a few of my how-to articles on photography were published. My photos have been published in Sierra, The Boston Globe, several industrial magazines, a few calendars, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, National Wildlife, and International Wildlife. I feel my best accomplishment is learning how to see the world around us, from seeing a chipmunk gather his acorns or a bird building their nest--stopping and looking at nature.

Today I enjoy shooting outside sports and creating double exposures, also called surreal photography. Thanks to a challenge I got in the 1980s, saying I could not do a double exposure within the camera, I began my surreal photography. Creating double exposures in the digital world is a whole lot easier than it was during the film days. Creating surreal photos today is very enjoyable, rewarding, and opens the mind's imagination. Surreal images are only limited by imagination and process skills.

If you want to improve your photography and see more of the world around us, join a camera club.



























Maryellen Stone Photography — February, 2021

Maryellen Stone Photography

Artist’s statement

As a photographer I feel fortunate to be able to share my love of animals and the outdoors in the form of photography.  In my work I try to capture a special moment in time or bring unnoticed beauty to the eyes of others.  As I’ve grown as a photographer, I’ve expanded my subject matter and it’s presentation in more creative ways.  While my first love is the natural world, I also enjoy the challenge of creating images that show the rhythm and unexpected beauty of other subjects.  I consider my images successful if they evoke a memory, make you laugh, gasp, smile or pause awhile to take a look.    --Maryellen Stone                                                          

About the Artist

As a photographer, Maryellen is grateful to be able to combine her love of animals and the outdoors with photography. Her photographs have been published in several books and other print media. She has won recognition at various art shows throughout Massachusetts. Maryellen is a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, The North America Nature Photography Association, The Cape Cod Art Center, The Photographic Society of America, The National Association of Photoshop Professionals, The Plymouth Center For The Arts, Phlorography, a supportive community of Artistic Floral Photographers, The Cape Cod Art Center Camera Club, and the Reading Art Association.  

In January, 2021 two of Maryellen’s images received Top 250 image honors in the Share The View International Nature Photography Contest. A third image received Honorable Mention honors in the Pollinator category.

Maryellen volunteers at the Joppa Flats Education Center’s, (MA Audubon), bird banding station and is a member of the weekly volunteer survey team at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord Unit. Maryellen is a former member of the Board of Directors of Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch.

Maryellen’s recent exhibits include the Kimball Library in Atkinson, NH, the Flint Memorial Library in North Reading, MA, and the Firehouse Center For the Arts in Newburyport, as well as acceptances into juried exhibits at The Cape Cod Art Center and the Plymouth Center For The Arts.  

A retired educator, Maryellen lives happily with her husband and their cat Lily north of Boston, MA.  Maryellen believes like Miss Rumphius that, “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.”

More of Maryellen’s work can be seen at www.naturesimages.com.

Image galleries: https://maryellenstone.myportfolio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Natures-Images-Photographic-Art-by-Maryellen-Stone-439146339507287

 





























Mokshaa Bhutani — January, 2021

Mokshaa Bhutani

Artist Bio
Art has always been my passion. My journey in art started at a very young age and I followed the path, picked up my learnings from every teacher/mentor/artist I met on the way. I am Mokshaa Bhutani (11-year-old) from India (recently moved to Andover, MA), starting Wood Hill Middle School (grade 6) in Fall 2020. I have been part of various art competitions at inter-school as well as school level. Recently I bagged first place in my school (Grade 5, High Plain Elementary) for the MSLA Bookmark Contest and my artwork was sent for the inter-state competition. This Pandemic sparked up my passion further and gave me more time to work towards polishing my skills. I am a budding artist, now taking online classes. I really enjoy doing water-coloring, acrylic painting, doodling and sketching. DIY is also one of the techniques which takes up my free time, it brings me happiness by designing/creating innovative things with the available resources at home. It satisfies me to find out ways to recycle or reuse the resources. I use my art skills to make the world around me more bright and colorful.

Artist Statement
To me art is about having passion. Spreading imagination and happiness through my art makes me feel contented. I hope one day my art will speak up when the words are unable to explain. WEAR A SMILE SHARE A SMILE! :)

 























Pat Watson Photography — December, 2020

Pat Watson Photography






Artist Statement

My goal with floral photography is to for the viewer to experience the same emotional reaction I had when I captured the image. My path to floral photography began in the garden. Being in the garden is my “happy place.” I enjoy digging in the dirt and watching flowers emerge in the spring. I am especially drawn to rare or unusual flowers. I greatly admire the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and consider her to be an inspiration for my work. Photography has also been a lifelong hobby of mine, especially when traveling. Over time, I began photographing flowers in my garden as a way of capturing their fleeting beauty. After raising a family, as I approached retirement, I joined a local camera club where my two lifelong hobbies converged. I quickly developed a passion for macro photography and developed my skills, both with the camera and through processing images on the computer, to create floral images that are works of art, rather than purely photographic. During COVID I have recently learned to paint my own backgrounds in Photoshop. In that sense, I consider myself to be a digital artist, as well as a photographer. I want to give special thanks to Stefani Traina and the Andover Library for giving me this opportunity to share my work.

About the Artist

I am a recently retired attorney and a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, where I serve as co-chair of the Field Trip Committee. I am also a member of Spade & Trowel Garden Club and am a volunteer at the Flint Memorial Library in Middleton. I live in Middleton with my husband Doug, together with our cat and parrot. We have two adult daughters, Sarah and Julia. This is my second exhibit. You can find more of my work here. If you are interested in purchasing any of Pat's work, email her or visit her website.























David Drinon — November, 2020

David Drinon






Dave is a longtime resident of Andover. He paints in the tradition of the Boston School of landscape painters of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Although Dave came from an artistic family, he pursued a career as a financial advisor. Nonetheless, he continued to sketch and paint. In 2008, he made the decision to transition from a successful career as a financial advisor to a career as a full-time painter. He studied studio painting at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, NH. He studied with Stapleton Kearns and David Curtis in workshops and with Thomas R Dunlay in workshops and privately at the Thomas R Dunlay Teaching Studios.

  • Selected as Artist-In-Residence at the Whistler House Museum of Art in 2015, 2016
  • Juried artist member of the North Shore Arts Association in Gloucester, MA, 2016
  • Accepted into the Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA, 2017
  • Juried into the Rockport Art Association, 2019
  • Selected artist for the 2020 and 2021 Cape Ann Plein Air Festival
  • Exhibited: Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA; Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, Rhode Island; Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell, MA; Andover Historical Society, Andover, MA; Guild of Boston Painters, Boston, MA; Copley art Society, Boston, MA; Brush Gallery, Lowell; Millbrook Gallery, Concord, NH and the North Shore Arts in Gloucester, MA, among others.
  • Passion: Painting outdoors in all the different times of the year and seasons around New England  
  • Dave’s works are owned by individual collectors as well as institutions, such as the City of Lowell (Lowell City Hall); Enterprise Bank in Lowell, MA; Boston Partners Financial Group in Andover MA, Lowell Community Health Center, Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA, MKtix Company and Toast Vodka in Fort Lauderdale, FL, among others.   
  • Dave maintains a north light studio at the Western Ave Studios in Lowell, MA, #512.

For inquiries contact Dave at drinonstudio@gmail.com and to sign up for his one page quarterly newsletter visit his website at www.drinonstudio.com.
Follow on Instagram:  d.drinon     Facebook:  David Drinon and Dave Drinon Studio     



























Joe Votano Photography - Diversity — October, 2020

Joe Votano Photography - Diversity






Artist Statement

In writing this artist statement I realized that I deal mainly with ephemeral visual relationships of all kinds- hence Diversity using the medium of digital photography to express what I see, feel, and imagine. There are all sorts of different relationships: those among strangers or friends, nature and man, among species in nature, communal ones among people, and those generated in one's mind.

Maybe it's all those museums I've visited. Spending hours looking at painting and sculptures and always asking myself what is the intent (the message) the artist is trying to convey. Recognizing the diverse intentions of artists plays out in developing diversity in your own thinking about subject matter and ways to treat it. This definitely carries over into, the ephemeral visual relationships one sees.

For example, think about how one can visually express solitude:  a lonely person, an isolated tree, an empty room, a deserted seashore, such visual relationships are endless. How one responds to the scene before the camera is what makes us all a little different, consciously and subconsciously we are different, so why shouldn't our diverse personality show up in diverse photographic works. When it happens, it's usually results in creative outpourings in different subject areas.

David Brooks, NYT columnist, in a July 29, 2019 article on Diversity mentions "people who specialize in one thing succeed early, but then slide back to mediocrity as their minds rigidify." Diversity in subject matter in photography is a way to keep those little gray cells imagining different ways of seeing things then combining images as well as our thoughts on how to present something new and rewarding. Maybe this is why my website (www.joevotanophotography.com) keeps growing  year after year.    

                                                                                                                                                                            -- Joseph R. Votano

Joe Votano is avid photographer with his principal areas of interest being fine art, street photography, and documentary photography. He has received numerous awards in both monochromatic and color prints from both the Merrimac and Greater Lynn Photographic Association. His images have been published in Prestige Travel Hong Kong, Michelin Travel Guide, Aishti magazine (Middle East) and in Boston.com (Boston magazine). In the last six years he has had four books published by Schiffer Publishing: the widely acclaimed Boston Below co-authored with Karen Hosking about the Boston subway system; the Shaker Legacies, a 160 page photo-documentary which covers the development of Shakerism in the USA principally in Massachusetts and New York; and in 2018, the Every Changing Coastline and the Timeless Seashore. The latter two books being a combination of fine art and scenic photography coupled to aesthetics. His newest book, Moments to Ponder.. street photography here and elsewhere, is due out in 2021 from Schiffer Publishing.  His work can be seen at: www.joevotanophotography.com.





























Dan Rocha — September, 2020

Dan Rocha

Dan Rocha is an artist from Lowell who produces mixed media work. He has a B.F.A in Painting and Sculpture from the Mass College of Art and Design and has been featured at many galleries in New England.  His exhibit features artwork dealing with the emotive qualities of color, deep reflective, saturated color that evokes balance, spirit, wonder, and presence.  Geological, terrestrial, and abstract “templates” are used to convey this message.

He has developed a mixed media technique using multiple coats of tinted resin and metal leaf to enhance his art. This technique provides transparency, reflecting and refracting light properties similar to that of stained glass and portrays his feeling that “the earth is a brilliant place to live and to contemplate.”

Follow Dan on Facebook at Dan Rocha ART.































Virginia Guazzaloca Photography — August, 2020

Virginia Guazzaloca Photography





cover photo for exhibit

Virginia Guazzaloca is a Library Assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Artist Statement

Whenever I go somewhere, I try to always take pictures. I went hiking at Mount Monadnock last summer with my family, and brought my camera along, hoping to get some interesting photos. I always try to take photos with interesting angles or focus. I get down low, point the camera up, focus on something in the foreground instead of the normal sweeping landscapes. I want to focus on what people usually just walk right by without even noticing it’s there.

Please contact Virginia at vguazzaloca@gmail.com for a price quote if you are interested in her work.


monadnock1

monadnock 2

monadnock 3

monadnock 4

monadnock 5

monadnock 6

monadnock 7

monadnock 8

monadnock 9

monadnock 10

monadnock 11

Sakshi Nandan — July, 2020

Sakshi Nandan






Artist Bio

Sakshi Nandan is a 16 year old aspiring artist attending Andover High School. Her passion for art sprouted at a young age and she has continued to express herself through lines and colors ever since. She has attended classes at Acton Art and Essex Art and has taken online art courses at Udemy. She was one of the top five selected state finalists for the Doodle for Google art competition of 2012. She works with traditional art mediums as well as digital art tools. You can see more of her work on her Instagram account @sakshi_art_lifestyle. You can also view her traditional art work on her website.

Artist Statement

I am a young aspiring artist, passionate about spreading joy and delight through my work. I've recently been experimenting with different techniques. My current artwork is primarily in oil pastels, however I also work with digital art. I'm always striving to improve and one day I hope to have a career in graphic design/animation.





















Johanna Kerrigan Photography — May, 2020

Johanna Kerrigan Photography





Johanna Kerrigan

Artist Statement
To me, photography is an expression of capturing a story without words. Every picture has its own unique backstory but only one frame is captured. It makes us think why was this moment in particular so important? What can we gain from what we see?

Bio
I’ve always had an interest in photography. Growing up it was a hobby of my Dad’s that I participated in and grew to love as well. When I began my high school career I had limited practice with a camera, but as soon as possible I was taking all the photography courses my school had to offer. Photography became my way to capture the world from a different perspective. With every picture I take, I am able to hold that moment in time forever. Towards the end of junior year, I began to consider what I wanted to do with my future, and art, especially photography, was something I wanted to continue with. In March, I officially committed to the Pratt Institue in Brooklyn, New York to continue my studies as a photography major.

As the seriousness of the Coronavirus has restricted my senior year to the walls of my bedroom and a computer screen, I am hopeful for the future. Though many long-awaited traditions have been canceled for our safety, I am grateful for the four years at AHS. I have made long-lasting relationships, and I am proud of all that I was able to accomplish. This was not the ending anyone expected for the class of 2020, but together such a strong community has grown together, and my classmates and I will leave our high school careers in search of our futures beyond quarantine.

Johanna Kerrigan
18 years old
Andover High School Student


Suffocation

Don't Rush

In Trend

50% Off

A Promise

Pamper

Dazed

Panoptic

Fallow

Tempestuous

Pat Watson — April, 2020

Pat Watson





Pat Watson

ARTIST STATEMENT

My goal with floral photography is for the viewer to experience the same emotional reaction I had when I captured the image. My path to floral photography began in the garden. Being in a garden is my “happy place.” I enjoy digging in the dirt and watching new flowers emerge each spring. I admire the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and consider her to be an inspiration. Photography has also been a lifelong hobby of mine, especially when traveling. Over time, I began photographing flowers in my garden, as a way of capturing the fleeting beauty of flowers. After raising a family, and as I approached retirement, I joined a local camera club where my two lifelong hobbies converged. I soon developed a love for macro photography and developed my skills, both with the camera and through processing images on the computer, to create floral images that are works of art, rather than purely photographic. I am especially drawn to rare or unusual flowers.

BIOGRAPHY

Pat is retired attorney and a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, where she serves as co-chair of the Field Trip Committee. She is also a member of Spade & Trowel Garden Club and is a volunteer at the Flint Memorial Library in Middleton. Her floral images have a distinctive style, and have won recognition by judges at local camera clubs. She lives in Middleton with her husband Doug. Pat’s other hobbies include cooking, gardening, hiking, quilting, kayaking and traveling. This is her first exhibit. You may see more of Pat’s work at https://patwatsonphotography.pixels.com/.


Unfurling

Tiny Dancer

Stained Glass Water Lillies

Regal Beauty

Reaching for the Sun

Lotus Lantern

Indigo Blue Nigella

Himalayan Blue Poppy

Crystal Fountain Clematis

Adrift

Pat Watson Photography & Sarah Nourse Watercolors — March, 2020

Pat Watson Photography & Sarah Nourse Watercolors





himalayan poppy

ARTIST STATEMENT

My goal with floral photography is for the viewer to experience the same emotional reaction I had when I captured the image. My path to floral photography began in the garden. Being in a garden is my “happy place.” I enjoy digging in the dirt and watching new flowers emerge each spring. I admire the work of Georgia O’Keeffe and consider her to be an inspiration. Photography has also been a lifelong hobby of mine, especially when traveling. Over time, I began photographing flowers in my garden, as a way of capturing the fleeting beauty of flowers. After raising a family, and as I approached retirement, I joined a local camera club where my two lifelong hobbies converged. I soon developed a love for macro photography and developed my skills, both with the camera and through processing images on the computer, to create floral images that are works of art, rather than purely photographic. I am especially drawn to rare or unusual flowers.

BIOGRAPHY

Pat is retired attorney and a member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club, where she serves as co-chair of the Field Trip Committee. She is also a member of Spade & Trowel Garden Club and is a volunteer at the Flint Memorial Library in Middleton. Her floral images have a distinctive style, and have won recognition by judges at local camera clubs. She lives in Middleton with her husband Doug. Pat’s other hobbies include cooking, gardening, hiking, quilting, kayaking and traveling. This is her first exhibit. You may see more of Pat’s work at https://patwatsonphotography.pixels.com/.

Display Case - Reference Area

The display case exhibit is a set of watercolors by Andover resident, Sarah Nourse. Sarah has worked as an aide at Memorial Hall Library in both the Teen Room and the Children's Room.

 

Ayelet Katz Paintings & Folk Art Lure Display — February, 2020

Ayelet Katz Paintings & Folk Art Lure Display





ayelet katz

ABOUT THE ARTIST  

Ayelet Katz is an artist from Andover. She moved to Massachusetts from Israel in 2009, where she earned her architect degree. She worked as a computer programmer for many years. In recent years, she has been reviving her old love for painting that started when she was a teen. Her main medium is oil paint. Her works include figure painting, still life and interiors, plein air and local sceneries taken by her camera.

A beloved subject of hers is old houses in town and in the area. These paintings depict stories not only about the house and its architecture, but also about their past owners and current residents that are fortunate to live in a house full of character. If you follow her you may find your house in one of her paintings. Her style is impressionistic. There is usually a movement within the painting performed by a stream of color and expressionistic brushstrokes. Ayelet is a member of the Andover Artist’s Guild.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I believe in constant progress, improving by working in a group and with a teacher. In the past years, I have been taking classes with an artist from Stoneham: Eva Cincotta. I am offering Beginner’s Lessons in Oil or Acrylic for adults during the morning hours in either private or group settings at my home studio in Andover. I’m also available to paint someone’s house by commission. My email: kojoa10@gmail.com

Display Case - Reference Area

Folk Art Lure Display

Folk Art Fishing Lures are a form of utilitarian folk art. While a definition of folk art has been elusive, adjectives like self-taught, naïve, and primitive are frequently used to describe this art form. The fishing lures and decoys that were selected for this display satisfy two criteria. The first is authenticity - meaning that they were created, usually by an anonymous fisherman, for the sole purpose of catching fish. Secondly, these fishing lures and the fish decoys possess an appealing visual aesthetic. Utilitarian folk art was never created as art but for a specific practical purpose. Yet, in these examples, the innate artistic spirit of their makers is apparent, bestowing upon them a certain charm that transcends their original function.

 

 

Donna Mills & Virginia Guazzaloca — January, 2020

Donna Mills & Virginia Guazzaloca





woman of africa

Artist Statement

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 materialized, 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.

Donna Mills holds a BA in Fashion and Textile Design from California State University, Los Angeles, and garment construction has always been a primary form of creative expression for her. As part of her study of textile design, Donna began to paint about 20 years ago. In 2017, she moved from southern California to Massachusetts and joined the Andovers Artists Guild. Inspired by the new environment and the natural beauty of New England, she began to spend more creative time in her studio, and has shown and sold many of her pieces. While Donna’s style is representational, she prefers “painterly” to photorealistic. You can view her work at www.donnamillsart.com/gallery. In addition to creating paintings and garments, Donna is a certified hand analyst and creativity coach. She provides a safe space for her clients to explore their purpose and work through their creative blocks. To learn more about that aspect of her work, visit www.printsonpurpose.com.

Display Case - Reference Area - Camera Collection (1940s-1990s) - Virginia Guazzaloca

I’ve been interested in photography ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother and aunt got me my very first camera, a little Kodak point and shoot that I brought everywhere with me. In high school, I took my very first photography class, and fell in love with the dark room, developing and printing my own film. When I started getting more serious about photography, and started taking classes in college, my grandfather gave me his old Canon AE-1. Photography ended up being a way for my grandfather and I to connect, something we were never really able to do before. He told me stories about how he would grind his own glass for his enlarger, about developing his film and printing his own photos. He even once mentioned to me that his camera collection would be mine when he passed away. Sadly, he passed away last year. Our conversations about photography are some of my best memories of him, and I’m so glad I now have his camera collection to help me remember him.

Fernanda Lopez & Christina Giebner — December, 2019

Fernanda Lopez & Christina Giebner






Artist Bio
Fernanda Lopez is a Colombo-American community artist and art therapist. She started to use painting as an intuitive healing modality at age 18. At that time, she was dealing with anxiety and depression that resulted from some significant changes and life transitions. As a result, she decided to study psychology, yet kept learning to paint on the side, knowing from experience that art is also a way to heal. During an exchange program in the United States, Fernanda learned about art therapy and consequently changed her career and life path. She enrolled in Lesley University, where she completed a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapies and Mental Health. Currently, Fernanda works as an art therapist serving the Lawrence, Lynn, and Lowell communities. Fernanda is currently focused on strengthening Lawrence Arts House (aka LA House) a community art based studio in Lawrence that promotes the arts as a tool for empowerment, self-expression and healing. Fernanda is also starting a small private practice in Lawrence, offering an open studio approach to art therapy. For any inquiries about these visions, please contact Fernanda directly at lawrenceartshouse@gmail.com

Artist Statement
This body of work is the result of many years of self-exploration. My initial goal was to intentionally show my work to the public. By showing, I am culminating a process of self-acceptance and celebration of the uniqueness of my work. As an art therapist, I was guided by the question of how to create work that is genuine and congruent to the many ways that I experience myself. As a result, some of these pieces became "process paintings". From my methodology, "process paintings" are creative endeavors in which self-judgment is acknowledged as an integral part of the creative process. Balancing working with my own therapist and developing a studio practice, I was able to honor self-judgment as an inner part that brings light to my own resistances and the many voices that "stunt" my creative growth. My therapist suggested that I offer to myself the same compassion that I bring to my work with others. I have learned a great deal about self-acceptance and self-love, and as a result (and after many tears and growing pains), I have become more kind and acceptant of myself and my creative work.

As stated above, my goal is to show my work to the public, to allow it to be seen and felt by others, interpreted and imagined in many multitudes of ways. I hope that these images bring vibrancy to this space and that they inspire others to get acquainted with their inner judge, embrace it and make that best out of it.   

Display Case - Reference Area

Christina Giebner - Hallies Comet Fine Handcrafted Jewels

Outstanding artisan designs and gorgeous gemstones give this collection a perfectly eclectic look. Modern and sweet, these singular pieces are crafted with the utmost attention to beauty, detail and perfection in craftsmanship. I personally select all semi-precious gemstones and metals from gem shows and showrooms, which allows me to choose the most stunning of materials and assures complete quality control. All jewels are created by moi in my Western Massachusetts studio. As a BFA graduate and potter; color, collage, form and embellishments are my loves. All of which are evident in the details of my designs. My wonderfully supportive galleries, boutiques, spas and my lovely clientele showcase the best representation of my obsession. Layer or wear alone – Hallies Comet Jewelry will make you smile. Contact me to learn more about my products and custom design services.  www.halliescomet.com     

Fernanda Lopez & Vicki Murphy — November, 2019

Fernanda Lopez & Vicki Murphy






Fernanda Lopez Paintings

Artist Bio
Fernanda Lopez is a Colombo-American community artist and art therapist. She started to use painting as an intuitive healing modality at age 18. At that time, she was dealing with anxiety and depression that resulted from some significant changes and life transitions. As a result, she decided to study psychology, yet kept learning to paint on the side, knowing from experience that art is also a way to heal. During an exchange program in the United States, Fernanda learned about art therapy and consequently changed her career and life path. She enrolled in Lesley University, where she completed a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapies and Mental Health.

Currently, Fernanda works as an art therapist serving the Lawrence, Lynn, and Lowell communities. Fernanda is currently focused on strengthening Lawrence Arts House (aka LA House) a community art based studio in Lawrence that promotes the arts as a tool for empowerment, self-expression and healing. Fernanda is also starting a small private practice in Lawrence, offering an open studio approach to art therapy. For any inquiries about these visions, please contact Fernanda directly at lawrenceartshouse@gmail.com

Artist Statement
This body of work is the result of many years of self-exploration. My initial goal was to intentionally show my work to the public. By showing, I am culminating a process of self-acceptance and celebration of the uniqueness of my work.

As an art therapist, I was guided by the question of how to create work that is genuine and congruent to the many ways that I experience myself. As a result, some of these pieces became "process paintings". From my methodology, "process paintings" are creative endeavors in which self-judgment is acknowledged as an integral part of the creative process. Balancing working with my own therapist and developing a studio practice, I was able to honor self-judgment as an inner part that brings light to my own resistances and the many voices that "stunt" my creative growth. My therapist suggested that I offer to myself the same compassion that I bring to my work with others. I have learned a great deal about self-acceptance and self-love, and as a result (and after many tears and growing pains), I have become more kind and acceptant of myself and my creative work.

As stated above, my goal is to show my work to the public, to allow it to be seen and felt by others, interpreted and imagined in many multitudes of ways. I hope that these images bring vibrancy to this space and that they inspire others to get acquainted with their inner judge, embrace it and make that best out of it.  

Display Case - Reference Area -Wool Works by Vicki Murphy

My love of working with wool was a graduated process.  It began with knitting, felting and rug hooking, but my preference these days, and where I get most creative, is with wool appliqué.  After years of pursuing my hobby, I have a huge stash of wool and yarn, and working with wool is the best kind of therapy, especially during long cold winter months in New England.                                                           —Vicki Murphy, MHL Staff

 

 

 

Elizabeth Pogor and Anne Thiam — October, 2019

Elizabeth Pogor and Anne Thiam






Elizabeth Pogor

Elizabeth Pogor, a Massachusetts native, began her career as an artist after graduating from Massachusetts College of Art in the 1980’s as a sculpture major. She studied briefly at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. She became interested in working with oils much later, when she enrolled at an evening oil painting class. By the time she had completed that class she knew that painting in oils was what she loved. Her first pieces were more traditional, some figurative, some still life, then she moved onto more abstract work. Elizabeth is also the owner of Silver Tie Servers, providing servers, waitstaff, and event planning for all types of events.

“People say they see images in my abstract work… I do not. I never plan out my paintings nor do I anticipate my palette beforehand. Some pieces work, others do not. Many times my successes are painted over my failures… look deep into the layers of color and you may see what’s underneath”.

Display Case - Reference Area Anne Thiam, Ceramic Artist/Owner of ThiamDesigns

My forms take root in the natural world. Plant and sea life structures greatly intrigued me. I am influenced by textiles and architecture from around the world. The intent of each sculpture is to excite the viewer, drawing them into a new world that merges the real with the imagined. In 1995 I earned my BFA from the University of Miami majoring in ceramics with a double minor in art history and printmaking. I have been involved with several artist guilds over the last 25 years from Rochester NY to Miami FL. Currently, I work out of my home studio/gallery in Andover. I am an exhibiting artist at the Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne VT. Over the years I have sold to individuals and collectors, as well as the CBS network for set art. Locally, I have been involved with the Essex Art Center in Lawrence since 2014. This fall I am excited to be a crafter at the first-ever Studio Clay Sale at the Essex Art Center Nov 24th-25th this year with 14 other amazing clay artists. Over the past several years, I have also been an exhibiting crafter at Andover Crafts in the Park and The Red Bow Fair in North Andover. All pieces are porcelain mid-range cone 6 electric fired. They are hand-built using a soft slab technique. I integrate textures and patterns into my pieces with handmade stamps and rollers. In addition, pieces are either hand carved or a second outer shell is added. The second layer usually consists of individually added details. Pieces are finished by layering oxides and glazes to bring out the textures and add another layer of depth to each piece. https://fsgallery.com/artists/anne-thiam thiamdesigns.com

Evan Bedrosian & George H. Winslow Display — September, 2019

Evan Bedrosian & George H. Winslow Display






Artist Statement

I make art to express the intentions and desires that have manifested in my unconscious mind. I am interested in using my imagination and skill to explore the visual makeup of dark and mysterious imagery in my unconscious mind. I am fascinated with the concept of color from simple to complex variations of one tonal value.  By manipulating these colors, I have found a purpose through today’s visual culture.  By combining these colors with the desires from the unconscious mind, a revitalization in my work and association with a group of characters has emerged entirely from my own creation.

My intent has been to create a world through the visual representation of the stream of consciousness in a new and unique way.  Through a creation of robots for my undergraduate Thesis show Supplement for Life, I have found a way to recycle the old and forgotten art from the Medieval era and bring it into modern time by capturing the darkness and whimsy of my imagination. By exploring different techniques of oil and acrylic paint and bringing the work to a larger scale, the work is situated within a realm of color and fantasy.  My overall goal was to create a series that has its own unique nature.

Color, Through the Abstract Mind conjures a world where these invented robots interact with a selection of demons and monsters that originate from the Medieval Christian art. By associating color and variations of said colors, I utilize the elements of abstraction, surrealism, and illustration. Using these styles to create this body of work has enabled me to explore and nurture my feelings of anxiety, depression and fear.  Not only in the thesis selections but in most of my work over the past 3 years has been a collection of color and abstract shapes.

Evan Bedrosian, BFA Studio Arts- Painting Concentration, 2019, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
September 2019
evan.bedrosian@gmail.com

Evan Bedrosian is an Andover resident. He hopes to work in the field of graphic arts.

Display Case Exhibit - George H. Winslow, Andover Town Clerk

George H. Winslow was Andover town clerk for 30 years in the 1930s-50s. Before that, he was general manager of the American Woolen Company Homestead Association and in charge of the development of Shawsheen Village and sale/rental of the properties. As part of his work with the American Woolen Company, he traveled with his family several times to China for business and hosted travelers from China in Andover. Most of the business was related to government contracts for uniforms during World War I. This collection consists of items brought back from these travels. All of the items in this collection are over 100 years old and came from China and Japan to Andover. Also included is a copy of the original passport application and pictures showing the collection and the family's travels.

 

Gerald Hersh Photography — August, 2019

Gerald Hersh Photography





gerry hersh chair bear

Gerald Hersh is a long time resident of Reading, MA, and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Salem State University. He currently works in pre-press design for a marketing company in Somerville, MA, but his artistic endeavor outside of work is his photography. His main focus is figure photography,  literally, seeking to bring life and narrative to the inanimate. Gerald also enjoys industrial landscape and architecture photography. 

Gerald has also begun experimenting in creating silicone molds and casting in resin and plastic compounds. He hopes to someday create his own figures to be his photographic subjects.

Fun Fact: Gerald is a hobbyist yo-yoer and an Eagle Scout (2007, Troop 702).

Ulrike Kapp Paintings & Andover 1969 Display — July, 2019

Ulrike Kapp Paintings & Andover 1969 Display





Uli Kapp

About the Artist

Uli Kapp was born and raised in Germany, and the architecture of her hometown, and many trips to Italy during her upbringing, influenced what she loves to paint. She is inspired by European artists like Hundertwasser, Klimt and Klee. Art has been part of her life from early childhood. She had some formal training at school, and her style is self-taught and developed over time. Painting and expressing, what she sees and feels makes her happy. While playing around with paint and brush strokes, she creates energizing paintings from her imagination, or from photos, with her interpretation and bold colors, layers of layers of acrylics to create a certain effect. Occasionally she paints with oils on canvas, and mixed media.

Her profession in health and wellness as a professional reflexologist and associated polarity practitioner, has a big influence in her artwork. Her intention is to make a positive difference in people’s lives and to achieve wellness.

Uli integrates balance and flow into her artwork and her life. Her artwork is a healing tool for her to bring inner balance and happiness into her life and others. She is a rowing enthusiast. As an active master rower and coxswain, she spends many mornings on the Merrimack River and enjoys the sunrise, the different looks of the river in all kind of weather situations. She gets inspired by the water, the birds, the clouds, the energy of every stroke in the boat. A resident of Andover for over 20 years, she is president of the Andovers Artists Guild. Commission pieces are available. www.ulikapp.abmp.com

Display Case: Andover in 1969

Curated by staff librarians, Stephanie Aude and Anna Tschetter, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the display case is filled with artifacts from 1969, including clothing on loan from the Andover Center for History and Culture.

Martin Culpepper: Owls of New England — June, 2019

Martin Culpepper: Owls of New England





owl martin culpepper

This month we are welcoming back Martin Culpepper, a sixteen-year-old aspiring wildlife photographer, who has always enjoyed nature, and began photographing outdoors at age 12. He spends 50-60 hours each month looking for wildlife to photograph. He's traveled to Alaska, Wyoming, and most recently to northern Minnesota, to capture photographs of wildlife there. When he's not out with his camera, he enjoys being a Boy Scout, and camping, hiking, and fishing. He was a finalist in the National Geographic Student Expeditions 2019 photo contest. Find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Martin will give a talk about the owls of New England on Monday, June 3rd at 7:00pm in Memorial Hall.

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photographer — May, 2019

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photographer





small baltimore

Howard Hoople takes pictures of butterflies in Andover, the Adirondacks, Texas and anywhere else he happens to be. A former president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, Howard leads butterfly walks, showing people how to observe and identify butterflies without damaging these delicate creatures. He has had butterfly photos published in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Butterflies, American Butterflies, and Butterfly Gardener magazines. He also produces and prints an annual butterfly calendar and note cards, all featuring his photos. And he is very pleased to talk with anyone interested in learning about butterflies! Visit his website at www.andoverbutterflies.net

Garima Parakh — April, 2019

Garima Parakh





windemere painting

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Garima Parakh is a fine artist from the Boston area who creates landscapes, still life and floral paintings that have a certain joyful emotion in them.  She draws her sense of color from many places including her native country India and USA, her home since 1999. In 2011, she left a successful career in the IT industry to pursue her passion for art. Oil is her medium of choice. The artist paints full time in her home studio in Andover.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Creating art that has great color, depth and mood are my key objectives. I use a combination approach from wet-on-wet, to layered, to scraping using both brush and palette knife. In my recent work, I am attempting to use shapes of color,  transparency, and layers to create an interesting surface and design.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

All the paintings both large and small (in the glass display case) depict scenes from my neighborhood, Windemere Drive in Andover. I hope the viewer enjoys looking at the different viewpoints and seasons.

A price list has been submitted at the library front desk. Please contact me at my cell 339 2272540 or email garima.parakh@gmail.com.

Virginia Guazzaloca Photography — March, 2019

Virginia Guazzaloca Photography






Virginia Guazzaloca is a Library Assistant at Memorial Hall Library. She is a photographer based in New England who has been taking photos since she was a young kid. She won an award for her photography at Salem State University, where she graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Photography.

Architectural Photography (large format)

One of my favorite classes at Salem State was large format photography.  While taking the class, I mainly focused on unique architecture. Any building that stood out in any way became my subject, whether it was because it had burned down, or was covered in buoys, or just an old stone church in the middle of nowhere.

Monhegan Island, ME (digital)

I went on a trip to Monhegan Island, a small island off the coast of Maine, and spent my entire trip taking pictures. I wanted to get across the idea of just how small the community is there, and just how beautiful it is.

Please contact Virginia at vguazzaloca@gmail.com for a price quote if you are interested in her work!

Island Street Studios Group Show — February, 2019

Island Street Studios Group Show





Island Street Studios

This month's hanging exhibit and display case feature works by artists at Island Street Studios.

Island Street Studios at Union Crossing is a vibrant and diverse creative community of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Lawrence's historic downtown. Housed within one of the eco-conscious, redeveloped mill buildings, ISS is on the second floor with views overlooking the former Everett Mills on one side and the mighty Merrimack River on the other.

The artists on display include Leslie Cottrell, Cassie Doyon, Emily O'Hara, Elizabeth Peck and Tiffany Stewart.

Cassie Doyon is a local Merrimack Valley artist and art teacher who works with mixed media mosaic sculpture. Her art reflects a life long interest in primitive/tribal arts around the world along with the beauty of the natural world and is particularly focused in surface design, color and pushing the boundaries of sculpture with unconventional and repurposed materials.

Emily O’Hara of Silver Labyrinth Design is a self-taught metalsmith and fiber artist.  She maintains a metals studio at Island Street Studios in Lawrence, MA and a weaving studio in her home in Andover, MA. In 1990, she took her first weaving class at East Lansing Community Education in East Lansing, MI.  After returning east, she took classes in color theory and design and tapestry weaving at Harrisville Design in Harrisville, NH.  She was a member of Hudson-Mohawk Weavers Guild in upstate NY and The Weavers Guild of Boston in MA.  Upon reading a brief article about weaving with metal in Handwovenmagazine, she became increasingly curious about metal weaving and found her first course in metalsmithing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she has taken classes for the past fifteen years.  Additionally, she has taken courses at Metalwerx in Waltham, MA and MassArt in Boston, MA.

Elizabeth Peck
I believe that art is essential to our quality of life.  Painting is my escape to an amazing place.  It enriches me, soothes my soul, balances me, and gives me peace.  I am passionate about painting, and hope my audience feels my excitement. I grew up on a farm in Poland, where life was both hard and simple.  My art education began in the US, with classes and workshops taught by local New England artists.   Eventually, I earned my Certificate in Fine Art from the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Then continued with several semesters at the School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.  Today, I continue my educational journey by taking a little bit of something from many, different, well known artists, including David Leffel, Jeffrey Watts, Rose Frantzen, Robert Liberace, and Michelle Dunaway. My painting experience centers mostly in New England.  However, I also travel extensively to paint in the American Southwest, Alaska, France, Netherlands, Norway,  Italy and Scotland.  I paint landscapes (mostly en plein air), trying to capture not only the light and color, but also the mood and energy of the scene.  I like to paint portraits (from life), trying to convey the character, personality and spirit of the subject.  With my still life paintings I try to evoke emotion in the viewer. My abstracts give me the freedom to express my imagination and the emotions that I feel at the moment.

Jean Stewart, accomplished fine artist, goldsmith, jewelry designer and co-owner of Whitney's Custom Jewelry, has been creating one-of-a-kind silver, gold and gem creations both nationally and Internationally. Today, Jean continues this tradition of excellence along with her daughter Whitney Stewart, after whom Whitney's Custom Jewelry was named. Whitney's philosophy is simple - to create one-of-a-kind jewelry creations that are not only intriguing and beautiful in design but also are of the highest quality. Each piece designed by Whitney's features only the best materials such as fine silver, sterling silver, gold, precious and semi-precious stones.

Rich Vogel Photography & SHED Clock Towers — January, 2019

Rich Vogel Photography & SHED Clock Towers





Andover Library exhibit

When I think of black and white landscape photography, the magnificent images of the West captured by Ansel Adams come to mind.  While Andover doesn't have the dramatic features of the West, its woods and ponds are every bit as beautiful in a subtler, more understated way.  With these twelve black and white prints, I’ve tried to capture a bit of this quiet beauty that is within a short walk or drive from my home near Andover Center.

I enjoy walking in the woods in and around Andover, where my wife and I brought up our two boys and walked our dog.  (Many thanks to the Andover Conservation Commission and AVIS for dozens of miles of well-maintained trails.) These walks provide a welcome escape from the hectic rush of the surrounding area.  The New England weather and seasons vary these landscapes with an infinite variety of light and mood.  I especially love the sharp contrasts of winter, which are well suited to black and white photography.  I try to capture this sense of calm and variety of light and mood in my photographs.  I also try to find a pleasing arrangement of elements in my compositions without compromising what is essentially random and natural.

I use mostly black and white film in medium and large format (2 1/4 inch square and 4 by 5 inch negatives).  This allows me to take my time, capture detail and concentrate on variations and balance of shades of gray, contrast and composition.  I develop and print the negatives using traditional darkroom processes in my basement and other darkrooms in and around Boston.  Instead of sitting in front of a computer manipulating digital images, I enjoy this slower, more deliberate, meditative process, working with my hands to make a physical object.

Travel for work and the iPhone revived the interest I had in photography as a child.  After a brief fling with digital photography, I fell in love with film and darkroom processes.  I began studying photography at evening classes at Northern Essex Community College in Lawrence and Theia Studios in North Andover, starting in 2013.  After retiring from a career in software, I continue to take workshops and work as a teaching assistant at the New England School of Photography, struggle in the darkroom, wander the woods in the Andover area and travel under the big skies out West every summer.

Jodi Feil at Theia Studios, Nick Johnson at the New England School of Photography, and Bill LaPete at LaPete Labs in Boston have taught me a great deal about photography and printing. I have shown my work at regional and on-line galleries, including the Griffin Museum of Photography, Camera Commons, The Darkroom Gallery, The Curated Fridge, a photo of the day at Don't Take Pictures and an honorable mention on L.A. Photo Curator. To view more of my work, go to richvogelphotography.com.

Display Case - Our Clock Towers: Celebrating the Everyday Sounds of Andover

On our first of many walks to the Addison Gallery we collectively heard the sound of the Memorial Bell Tower located at Phillips Academy. The sound of these bells has connected us to our neighborhood and as a community of learners. The children in the Springboard classroom at SHED Children’s Campus refer to it as “Our Clock Tower.” The sound of Our Tower and others in surrounding communities has connected us when we are apart. After the weekend, children often come in with stories about their sightings of clock towers. After a family trip, R came to school eager to share, “I was in Boston and saw a clock tower but it wasn’t like our clock tower.” In the display case, artists used their passion for creating with loose parts to build models of their own personal clock towers. Inspired by the Memorial Bell Tower, children incorporated their version of the many details we have noted on the tower such as writing on the side of the tower, the door, clock with no numbers “just lines”, lots of stairs, base of the tower, crack or lines in the tower, and windows.

A big THANK YOU to Christine at the Addison Gallery who has supported and inspired our research of the Memorial Bell Tower. Through looking at work by Paul Manship, we have enhanced the lens at which we look at our three dimensional world. She has guided our endless questions and scaffolded us in gaining a deeper understanding of what we see and the story of what is happening to help us appreciate the art around us.

Alex Schwartz & Wendy Button — December, 2018

Alex Schwartz & Wendy Button





Alex Schwartz

About the artist

Twenty-four year old self-proclaimed “awesome artist,” Alexander Schwartz, of Andover, is a creative force. Once or twice a week for two to three hours for the past two years, Alex meets with his art teacher, Andrew Royce Fournier, a Rhode Island School of Design Graduate and resident of North Andover. Together, they explore shape, form, color and composition using mixed medias. Each piece created is a slight variation of a theme of line, shape, color and form. Alex’s weekly journey is unplanned and each of his creations is raw and “in the moment.” He just creates. Alex knows that each piece he creates is his design and he is happy with the process. He draws his shapes, forms, numbers and letters in layers and then patiently and painstakingly colors them in. His art is layered, intricate and unexpected. The bright colors and geometric and organic forms create motion and energy for the viewer. The layered colors explode on the canvas surface. Alex’s process and completed works engage the viewers and encourages them to take part in his celebration. Alex’s creative space is a myriad of markers, paints, colored pencils, papers, canvas, cardboard and the sounds of music. Alex listens to all types of music as he creates. Music plays a huge role in his expression. In the words of Wassily Kandinsky, “Music is the ultimate Teacher. Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting and …..stop thinking! Just ask yourself whether the work has enabled  you to ‘walk about’ into a hitherto unknown world. If the answer is yes, what more do you want?” Alex communicates with this colorful abstract language. He is a masterful and talented colorist, uninfluenced and refreshing. He uses the multi-medias to express his love. As an autistic person, art provides Alex with a great sense of accomplishment, joy and self-love. View more of his work at https://alexanderschwartzart.weebly.com/.

Wendy Button - Display Case - Reference Area

Andover resident, Wendy Button, is the mother of 15 year old twin girls, her biggest fans. She has explored watercolor, acrylic and oil painting, and prefers acrylics, followed by watercolor, although it really depends on subject matter and inspiration for the piece. When she was around five, her mother gave her some modeling clay. She shaped a figure of a man, and found various “tools” around the house, like tweezers and toothpicks, to fashion all the details. It was quite the masterpiece, according to her mother. So began her sculpting career! She uses mostly polymer clay to sculpt a variety of creatures, and she uses a marbling technique, combining a variety of swirling colors of clay in some of her projects. A member of the Andover Artists Guild, she exhibits her work in shows around New England. She has also written a short story, Amber and Antiseptic, the first in a series available on Amazon. Her website is www.mulberrymoose.etsy.com

Martin Culpepper - Nature Photography — November, 2018

Martin Culpepper - Nature Photography





Barred Owl

Artist Statement

My name is Martin Culpepper, I'm fifteen years old and an aspiring wildlife photographer. I'm in 10th grade and planning on going into Biology in college out in the Yellowstone area. I have been obsessed with learning about wildlife since my earliest memory and now it's nice to interact with nature through my photography. I started taking pictures at the age of 12 and have progressively spent more and more time out in nature observing animal behavior and documenting them with my camera. I enjoy taking pictures of bears, owls, raptors, song birds, water birds, moose, deer, weasels, foxes (pretty much all mammals, even skunks) and marine life. I spend about 50-60 hours a month looking for wildlife to photograph, walking in the woods and on the beach. I've been fortunate to travel all over the country with my parents and see animals in all their different environments. My favorite place in the world is Wyoming but I recently went to Alaska this summer to photograph Coastal Brown Bears (basically Grizzly bears that live on the beach) and Alaska comes in a close second for landscape and wildlife. With my pictures and presentations I hope to inspire people to spend more time outside and encourage them to protect nature & wildlife. In my spare time I’m a Boy Scout and enjoy camping, hiking, fishing and all things nature. I also enjoy writing science fiction and have signed up for NaNoWriMo to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.

All of the photographs in this collection have been taken in the last two years. I’m obsessed with Raptors & Owls so there are many different kinds of owl pictures. I have a 500mm lens and this allows me to stay far away from the bird, respect its space and still get great pictures. All the snowy owl pictures were taken at Salisbury beach, Plum Island and Hampton Beach. I was able to document over 25 different individual snowy owls last winter. The Barred Owl was at Parker River Wildlife Refuge.I spent many many hours with this Barred over the winter last year on the Marsh Loop trail. It was in the area for over four months. The Short Eared Owl is my favorite to photograph because it’s so aerodynamic. I have photographed more Screech Owls than I can count. They’re small and adorable. I have many other photographs of other species of owls as well that are not included in this gallery.

The Juvenile Bald Eagle was taken in Salisbury, MA. All the bears, otter and moose were photographed in Alaska on my trip there in July 2018. My mom and I flew in a 6 seater plane an hour and a half down to Katmai National Park to walk with the bears. These are wild bears not captive in a zoo or reserve. This was the most exciting wildlife adventure I’ve ever had. I waited for over 8 hours several days in a row, waiting for the foxes to come out of their den to play. This family was so much fun to watch and take pictures of. The short tailed weasel won first place in the underaged mammal category from the Mass Audubon Society last year. I took this shot at the Ipswich River Audubon Sanctuary in Topsfield, one of my favorite places to spend time locally. This little guy was extremely fast and it’s incredible that I was able to get this picture. I also took the picture of the hummingbird and the fawn there as well. The ducklings I photographed in Newburyport, MA.

The best place to connect with me is on instagram @ martinz.photos. You can find me at facebook at Martin Culpepper Nature Photography. My website is still being built but a lot of it is up www.martinculpepperphotos.com

Elaine Richards & Kelly Barnes — October, 2018

Elaine Richards & Kelly Barnes





Western

Elaine Richards

About the Artist:

Living in Andover for 8 years, formerly a member of the Peabody Arts Association. Professionally, an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Ironstone Farm in Andover, The Kioko Center in North Andover, River Valley Charter School in Newburyport, and at various Genesis Healthcare rehab locations. I’m also a certified Reiki II practitioner, and my hobbies right now are essential oils and nutrition.

Growing up in Connecticut, I attended UConn, where I had an individualized major in Art and Physiology. I’ve always loved drawing, and took every opportunity to do it at home and in school. I started adding lessons in watercolor and acrylic during elementary and middle school, with an emphasis on detail and realism. My creative world expanded in college, where I explored oil painting, figure drawing, pottery and photography. Mostly, I still prefer two-dimensional mediums, and like to combine structural and natural elements in my compositions.The interplay of color and light always delights and inspires me! I’ve also had a lifelong love and appreciation of nature.

In 2017, two of the three photographs here were entered into the Andover Historical Society’s juried show, highlighting 'Andover Places,' and one received an honorable mention. One of the paintings was also accepted for exhibition in Boston to represent the Massachusetts Office on Disability in their Breaking Barriers show. Enjoyment of the arts, nature and physical activity help me maintain a work/life balance, although I don’t have as much time for them as I’d like! Currently my creative efforts are channeled into customized OT treatments and healthy, gluten-free cooking. If interested, a price list is available at the circulation desk, which includes information on purchasing matted 8x10 prints as well.

Kelly Barnes - Display Case

Kelly (Deyermond) Barnes grew up in Andover and worked as a page in the Children’s Room when she was in high school. After getting married and buying an antique home in Haverhill, she started to find old furniture and refinished the pieces in their own style to match the house. Kelly and her husband enjoy estate sales, barn sales and yard sales and find many treasures that she can make into something else.  She makes signs, candle wall sconces, beer bottle openers with old beer taps and even had made a wall sconce with a light out of an old roof jack!  Kelly sells her reclaimed, reimagined treasures at local artisan fairs and though her online Facebook shop, A Second Chance. www.facebook.com/asecondchancedesign

Andover Artists Guild & Display Case Artist Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz — August, 2018

Andover Artists Guild & Display Case Artist Jeanne Marie Blongiewicz





Donna Price barred owl

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.

Jonathan Hosmer — July, 2018

Jonathan Hosmer





Jonathan Hosmer

Artist Statement
Art puts me in a state of " flow"; it is meditative, much like a musician or an athlete being " in the zone". Flow changes the contents of your consciousness, relinquishes your ego and self for a period of time, and puts you at one with the present moment while not having a thought process outside of the now.  Most of my work depicts an in the moment movement, feeling, and connection or the vibrational energy of nature’s presence.

About the Artist
Jonathan Hosmer is 32 years old and resides locally in Andover with his wife Adair and 15 month old daughter Isla. He grew up in Andover and attended Merrimack College, where he received his B.A in Spanish, Clinical Psychology, and Environmental Science. Jonathan is passionate about culture, cooking, nature, and art. His art career began with black and white sketches, colored pencils, and oil paints, but he has now grown to love acrylic paints and working with palette knives.

Island Street Studios Group Show & MHL Makerspace — June, 2018

Island Street Studios Group Show & MHL Makerspace






Island Street Studios Group Show

 

Island Street Studios at Union Crossing is a vibrant and diverse creative community of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Lawrence's historic downtown. Housed within one of the eco-conscious, redeveloped mill buildings, ISS is on the second floor with views overlooking the former Everett Mills on one side and the mighty Merrimack River on the other.

The artists featured this month include Leslie Cottrell, bestselling author, transition coach, speaker and founder of The Visionary Passage. Issa Van Dyk's work (monotype prints) explores themes of spirituality from different traditions as well as relationships to our ancestors, other sentient beings, and our place within the overall web of life.

Display Case, Level 1, Reference Area

Memorial Hall Library has a new Makerspace, Make @ MHL. On display are some of the equipment and samples of what it can do. The Makerspace is equipped with a poster printer, vinyl cutter, 3D printer, sewing machine and all sorts of other cool stuff for creative projects. Stay tuned for program announcements.

John Mulcahy & Alexander Schwartz — May, 2018

John Mulcahy & Alexander Schwartz






“The language of painting speaks for itself in a way that words cannot fully grasp.”

John Mulcahy was born in Wollaston, Massachusetts. John’s early inclination for drawing and making pictures caught the eyes of his grade school teachers, and at age eight his work began to be selected for exhibitions. He pursued picture making throughout his education, majoring in art and attending classes at the Museum School in Boston and Massachusetts College of Art. Formal studies continued at the Art Students League in New York City, where he studied under Hilary Holmes and Harvey Dinnerstein. In Litchfield, Connecticut, he worked closely with acclaimed landscape artist, Curtis Hanson. He has participated in local and national shows and has sold work privately and in galleries throughout New England and New York State. Currently a selection of small works are available at Helen Thomas, Simply Smashing. Many of his landscape oils are often painted entirely on the scene, in all seasons and in just about any type of weather. There is a distinct challenge to working this way. Constant variation in weather conditions and often wildly contrasting change of light can prove a trial for the ‘plein air’ painter. Still, he often employs this method of “direct observation,” choosing to work directly and at length with the best information possible. This encourages an understanding of the the essence of the scene he is attempting to translate onto the canvas. Scarcely anything is more important than this. In Mulcahy’s own words, “Direct observation develops the painting and, even more importantly, the painter.”

Education
- University of Massachusetts; BA - Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts College of Art - Boston, Massachusetts
- The School of the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston Massachusetts
- Art Students League - New York, New York

Exhibitions/Galleries
South Shore Art Association - Cohasset, Massachusetts
Art Students League - New York, New York
Federal Reserve Bank - Boston, Massachusetts
Sundance Gallery - Bridgehampton, New York
The County Seat - Litchfield, Connecticut
Woodbury Library - Woodbury, Connecticut
The Birches - New Preston, Connecticut
Oliver Wolcott Library - Litchfield, Connecticut
Academics Artist Association, National Exhibition - Springfield, Massachusetts
Connecticut Landscapes - University of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Newburyport Art Exhibition - Newburyport, Massachusetts
Great Plains National Exhibition - Hays, Kansas
Pentucket Arts Association - Haverhill Massachusetts
Norfolk Library - Norfolk, Connecticut
Bethlehem Art Gallery - New Windsor, New York
Mingo Gallery - Beverly, Massachusetts
Potter and Slack - Washington, Connecticut
Powers Gallery - Acton, Massachusetts
The Gunnery - Washington, Connecticut
Cavalier Gallery - Greenwich, Connecticut, Nantucket, Massachusetts
James Cox Gallery - Willow, New York
Pierce Gallery - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Wenham Museum - Wenham, Massachusetts
A.R.A Gallery - Wenham, Massachusetts
Stamford Museum - Stamford, Connecticut
Weir Farm Tenth Anniversary Exhibition - Wilton, Connecticut
Weir Farm - Fete Champetre II - Wilton, Connecticut
Crescent Dragon - Haverhill, Massachusetts
Danvers Art Association - Watershed Art - Danvers, Massachusetts
T. Benjamin Fiske - Painting in the moment - Milton, Massachusetts
The Salisbury Association Land Trust - Salisbury, Connecticut
The Essex Art Center - Lawrence, Massachusetts
Paintings from the Sidewalk - Amesbury, Massachusetts
Lobby for the Arts - Amesbury, Massachusetts

Display Case - Reference Area - Alexander Schwartz
The display case contains works by multi-media artist, Alexander Schwartz. alexanderschwartzart.weebly.com

The Art of the Stitch Quilt Exhibit — April, 2018

The Art of the Stitch Quilt Exhibit






This month's exhibit features works by a fabric art critique group known as “Joined by Stitch.” The artists include Betsy Abbott of Andover, Tarja Cockell of North Andover, Sue Colozzi of Reading, Janis Doucette of North Reading, Anne Kimball of Lexington, Madalene Axford Murphy of Amesbury, and Alanna Nelson of Melrose. They are all members of SAQA, Studio Art Quilt Associates, a major national organization of quilt artists, as well as several other regional fiber arts groups. They first came together nearly two years ago to support their individual journeys as artists.  Every member uses fiber in creating her work but each has also developed a unique voice ranging from the abstract to the representational. While all value color, line, and texture, they achieve those goals through a variety of techniques, some beginning with hand-dyeing, printing or painting, even weaving the fabric, others using the evocative commercial fabrics available today. All use machine stitching in their work but some add hand stitching as a design element. Once a month the members bring work to a meeting, seeking either feedback from the rest of the group for a finished piece or advice on a particular aspect of a work in progress. Their exhibition is available for viewing during regular library hours. The public is also invited to a special evening gathering, “Meet the Artists,” on Tuesday, April 17 from 7:00 to 8:00pm.

Group member Betsy Abbott has said, “We represent a rapidly growing number of diverse, fiber artists in our country and around the world, and we are delighted to have this local opportunity to share some of our work.”

For information about the work on display visit this page.

Jack McKelliget — March, 2018

Jack McKelliget






This month's exhibit features works by Andover resident, Jack McKelliget. He graduated from Andover High School in 2008, and has been drawing and painting for most of his life. He was often commissioned to paint and draw landscapes by family and friends, and this work continues to the present day. Since graduation he has been taking classes at the Essex Art Center, Rockport Art Center and Northern Essex Community College. He enjoys studying history through art and spends a lot of time at the Addison Gallery. You can find more of his work on Flickr.

Island Street Studios Group Show — February, 2018

Island Street Studios Group Show






Island Street Studios at Union Crossing is a vibrant and diverse creative community of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Lawrence's historic downtown. Housed within one of the eco-conscious, redeveloped mill buildings, ISS is on the second floor with views overlooking the former Everett Mills on one side and the mighty Merrimack River on the other.

The group show features work by several artists, including Cornia Corneyjo, Cassie Doyon, Deycloud, Lynne B. Mehlman, Emily O'Hara, Elizabeth Peck, Jose Rodriguez, Jean Schwerdt Stewart, Whitney Stewart and Andrea Stoehr. Their work is installed in the Level 1 hanging exhibit area and in the display case in the Reference Room.

About the artists:

Corina Cornejo is an artist and fashion designer born and raised in Lawrence, MA. Graduating with a BFA in Fashion Design from MassArt in 2014 she would move to New York City and work as a designer for various brands such as G.H. Bass & Co. and Karl Lagerfeld Paris. After several years in NYC she decided to come back to Lawrence, MA and start her own indie brand known as Bag Lady Goods. Mostly creating one of a kind canvas totes and pouches but also experimenting with hand embroidery. While Bag Lady Goods is still in its very beginning stages she has managed to open up a small studio space in Lawrence, MA and continues to work on building her brand while still working as a freelance designer in the mass market industry.

Cassie Doyon is a local Merrimack Valley artist and art teacher who works with mixed media mosaic sculpture. Her art reflects a life long interest in primitive/tribal arts around the world along with the beauty of the natural world and is particularly focused in surface design, color and pushing the boundaries of sculpture with unconventional and repurposed materials.

Deycloud is a 25-year-old artist from Lawrence, MA. She studies Graphic Design at Northern Vermont University and loves her community of Lawrence, MA. When she’s not doing her homework, or expressing her anxieties and struggles on canvas, Deycloud spends much of her time mentoring Lawrence youth as an art instructor in addition to serving customers as a barista at El Taller Café in downtown Lawrence. She has been drawing since she was in the third grade and later, started painting in high school. Deycloud’s art is heavily influenced by surrealist Salvador Dalí. Her inspiration flows mainly from her love of psychology and astronomy, ie: how dreams interact with the human mind and its subconscious; the idea of a multiverse, portals, galaxies, alternate dimensions, and magical places. Deycloud believes that her art invites her to dig deeper into her own mind and come to terms with the reality of the world we live in. You can find Dey and her art on Instagram @deycloudart.

Drawn to the beauty of nature, Lynne Mehlman has been painting her whole life. Throughout her school years she took as many different kinds of art classes as she could, from ceramics to calligraphy to lithography. However, she never found the intensive and thorough training that she desired until she met Robert Cormier, the instructor of the R.H. Ives Gammell Studios in Boston, MA and a former Gammell student himself.  Lynne subsequently studied with him for 4 years. Lynne then furthered her studies with Paul Ingbretson, another Gammell student, in Manchester, NH, for more than 5 years. Lynne’s training comprised as much focus on learning to see as on the craft of drawing and painting. Robert Cormier called it an impressionistic approach, based on what hits the eye first.  Paul Ingbretson calls it painting in the visual order.  She found truth in Gammell’s words, “A student’s progress seems to him like the falling of successive scales from his eyes… It is, in fact, only after his eyes have acquired a fairly high degree of sensitivity, which is to say, when he can paint fairly well, that a student realizes the overwhelming difficulty of painting.” Her studies began with charcoal cast drawing, as taught in the 19th century European atelier system. From cast drawing Lynne progressed to still life drawing and oil painting, figure drawing, and, finally, portraiture and figure painting.  To complement her intensive studio work, she studied plein air landscape painting with David Curtis, yet another Gammell student.

Emily O’Hara of Silver Labyrinth Design is a self-taught metalsmith and fiber artist.  She maintains a metals studio at Island Street Studios in Lawrence, MA and a weaving studio in her home in Andover, MA. In 1990, she took her first weaving class at East Lansing Community Education in East Lansing, MI.  After returning east, she took classes in color theory and design and tapestry weaving at Harrisville Design in Harrisville, NH.  She was a member of Hudson-Mohawk Weavers Guild in upstate NY and The Weavers Guild of Boston in MA.  Upon reading a brief article about weaving with metal in Handwoven magazine, she became increasingly curious about metal weaving and found her first course in metalsmithing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she has taken classes for the past fifteen years.  Additionally, she has taken courses at Metalwerx in Waltham, MA and MassArt in Boston, MA.

Elizabeth Peck
I believe that art is essential to our quality of life.  Painting is my escape to an amazing place.  It enriches me, soothes my soul, balances me, and gives me peace.  I am passionate about painting, and hope my audience feels my excitement. I grew up on a farm in Poland, where life was both hard and simple.  My art education began in the US, with classes and workshops taught by local New England artists.   Eventually, I earned my Certificate in Fine Art from the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Then continued with several semesters at the School of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.  Today, I continue my educational journey by taking a little bit of something from many, different, well known artists, including David Leffel, Jeffrey Watts, Rose Frantzen, Robert Liberace, and Michelle Dunaway. My painting experience centers mostly in New England.  However, I also travel extensively to paint in the American Southwest, Alaska, France, Netherlands, Norway,  Italy and Scotland.  I paint landscapes (mostly en plein air), trying to capture not only the light and color, but also the mood and energy of the scene.  I like to paint portraits (from life), trying to convey the character, personality and spirit of the subject.  With my still life paintings I try to evoke emotion in the viewer.
My abstracts give me the freedom to express my imagination and the emotions that I feel at the moment. 

Jean Schwerdt Stewart invested most of her years in creating one-of-a-kind pieces of silver, gold & platinum jewelry,while still studying and working in the fine arts of watercolors and oils. After retiring from 45 years of jewelry design, Jean has been working exclusively in oils, and has invited other artists into her home studio to simply share the joy of painting together. They call their group, "Artists in Action." Jean lived overseas with her husband, and educator with the Department of Defense, and she continued her art studies in many places, including Okinawa, Germany and Yugoslavia. Find her on Facebook.

Jean Stewart, accomplished fine artist, goldsmith, jewelry designer and co-owner of Whitney's Custom Jewelry, has been creating one-of-a-kind silver, gold and gem creations both nationally and Internationally. Today, Jean continues this tradition of excellence along with her daughter Whitney Stewart, after whom Whitney's Custom Jewelry was named. Whitney's philosophy is simple - to create one-of-a-kind jewelry creations that are not only intriguing and beautiful in design but also are of the highest quality. Each piece designed by Whitney's features only the best materials such as fine silver, sterling silver, gold, precious and semi-precious stones.

Andrea Stoehr is a self-taught fused glass artist who discovered the beauty of fused glass several years ago during a trip to New Mexico and a visit to a glass gallery. Fascinated by the changes of light and color, she vowed that this was something she just had to do. After taking a one-night workshop on how to make a fused glass tile, she was off and running. Over the following 10 years, and through various experiments, failures and happy accidents, Andrea came to understand the medium more and more. Most pieces are fired in a kiln to 1440-1500 degrees Fahrenheit, with a hold varying per piece being fired. Andrea works out of a studio at the Island Street Art Studios in Lawrence, MA. She has her creations for sale at Positive Images Gallery in Haverhill, MA, and at Pick’n Cousins home décor store in Hampton, NH. She also participates as a vendor in the Coastal Christmas craft fair in Salisbury, MA during the Blue Ocean Festival of Trees every November. Find Andrea Stoehr Designs on Facebook.

Leah Arnold & Kathryn Quirk — January, 2018

Leah Arnold & Kathryn Quirk






Leah Arnold - Hanging Exhibit, Level 1
Leah Arnold is a resident of Andover and a freshman at Presentation of Mary Academy in Methuen. Since the age of 9 she has been taking art lessons with Andover artist Janet Hamlin, who has helped her develop skills across different media. Most of her art focuses on nature or animals, but as someone who loves to travel she also paints or draws places she has visited (one of the paintings shown is a clochán, a kind of monastic stone hut, from Ireland). Her art is done in many media, including acrylics, watercolor, oil, pastels, and even paper (collages). She also likes painting and drawing in different styles, whether more realistic and detailed or more impressionistic. The most recent of these pieces are the paired still-life paintings and the roosters, which she painted to celebrate the current year of the Chinese zodiac.

None of the exhibited items are for sale, but anyone interested in inquiring about her art please contact her at sketchartistla@gmail.com.

Level 1 Display Case - Paintings by Kathryn Quirk
Artist Statement

I have been painting and doing art since I was very young. In 2012, I graduated with a B.A. from Emmanuel College. I find inspiration though books, for example Memoirs of a Geisha, as well as beach scenes and still lives. I grew up in Chelmsford, around nature and beaches, and while studying in Boston, enjoyed many visits to the Museum of Fine Arts.

Maria Cusumano & Mark Towner — December, 2017

Maria Cusumano & Mark Towner





My Ganga Wakes, Varanasi, Cusumano

Maria Cusumano

Maria Cusumano has been teaching at Endicott College since 2001, following academic appointments at St. Ambrose University and Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame.  In addition, she held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Craft Museum, Davenport Museum of Art, Johnson County Mental Health Center, and the International Center of Photography. Her artwork is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Chicago Art Institute.  She has participated in exhibitions at institutions including Indiana University, Pratt Institute Center, Minneapolis College of Art, and the University of Michigan. Her continued interests include writing poetry and songs, Vedanta, scholarly research, and photography. Professor Cusumano received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Mark Towner

Appointed Dean of the Endicott College School of Visual and Performing Arts in 2000, Mark Towner held previous academic appointments at institutions including the University of Iowa, St. Ambrose University, Saint Mary’s College at Notre Dame, Ohio University, and Wayne State University. In addition, he served in managerial positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Northeast Document Conservation Center, American Craft Museum, and the Davenport Museum of Art.  As a practicing artist, his works have been included in solo and group exhibitions at Rocky Neck Arts Center in Gloucester, MA, the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a variety of galleries in New York City. His publications include Printed Pleasure: Published Pain and The Arts in Healing. Dean Towner received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art where his studies included aesthetics, photography, and printmaking.

Level 1 Display Case

The display case features travel photographs by Memorial Hall Library staff member, Pam DiPesa.

Bill Gotha & Pam DiPesa — November, 2017

Bill Gotha & Pam DiPesa





William Gotha

Bill Gotha has been painting all his life, but began painting professionally in 2014. He specializes in New England landscapes and seascapes; his favorite medium is oil paint. He paints en plein air and in his studio in Andover.

He minored in Fine Art at Holy Cross College in Worcester and has studied painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum in Springfield. He is a former naval officer, was art director for several publishers in the Boston area, and managed an international marketing company before launching his painting career.

Bill had his first one-man show at Greenwald Gallery in Lowell in May 2016. In reviewing the show, Artscope Magazine remarked, "His work conveys the atmospheric feelings of the locations he paints, be it grass blades close by or threatening storm clouds hovering over distant mountains." In February, 2017, Bill had a two-man show with interpretive artist, Joe Flaherty, at Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH.

Bill exhibits at Studio 8 Gallery in Newburyport, Nantucket Carving and Folk Art Gallery in Nantucket, Barrett Gallery in Portsmouth, NH, and Village Gallery in York, ME. He also participates in numerous juried and non-juried shows at regional art associations and museums, including the Missoula Art Museum in Montana, and the Whistler House Museum of Art in Lowell. In 2017, Bill's painting "Cliffs at Sand Beach" was part of an Oil Painters of America juried National Exhibit in Cincinnati, OH. He has been a juried participant in the past two National Exhibits at Cape Cod Art Association, and was recently selected for their juried All New England Exhibit, in which his painting "Forest Drumlin" won first prize for oils/acrylics. His painting "McWain Hill Birches I" was selected for the 2017 regional juried exhibit at The Guild of Boston Artists.

View his work at www.williamgotha.com and contact him at bill@williamgotha.com.

Level 1 Display Case

The display case features travel photographs by Memorial Hall Library staff member, Pam DiPesa.

Mark Chester & Emily O'Hara — October, 2017

Mark Chester & Emily O'Hara






Artist Statement

In youth my penchant to discover places and people began, National Geographic, my guide; for forty years with wanderlust and curiosity I covered the continents photographing cultural landscapes. I’ve come full circle—traveling the world not leaving the state. The Bay State: A Multicultural Landscape, supporting MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Coalition), is a collection of informal, environmental portraits of ethnic diversity in Massachusetts. 400-plus photographs that represent over 180 countries are touring the state; a companion book for donation to schools and libraries will bring awareness to our cultural diversity: subjects of various stations, foreign-born, naturalized U.S. citizens residing in the Commonwealth. Prompted by the 2010 Census, the seed was planted earlier on assignment at Ellis Island for a 1978 essay by mentor, Charles Kuralt. Unlike my candid street photography, this is a straightforward approach: individuals looking into the camera, telling stories through expression, place and pose.

Mark Chester has been a professional photographer since 1972. He was director of photography and staff photographer at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, in New York City. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the museums in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Cape Cod, Denver, Portland (Maine), San Francisco and Washington, DC, among other communities across the country.

Emily O'Hara - Level 1 Display Case

Emily O’Hara of Silver Labyrinth Design is a self-taught metalsmith and fiber artist. She maintains a metals studio at Island Street Studios at 50 Island St in Lawrence, MA and a weaving studio at home in Andover. Her interest in weaving was sparked in childhood after seeing a floor loom in the home of a family friend. At age 25, she took her first weaving class at East Lansing Community Education in East Lansing, MI. After returning east, she took classes in color theory and design and tapestry weaving at Harrisville Design in Harrisville, NH. She was a member of the Hudson-Mohawk Weavers Guild in upstate NY and Weavers Guild of Boston. Upon reading a brief article about weaving with metal in Handwoven magazine, she became increasingly curious about metal weaving and found her first course in metalsmithing at Cambridge Center for Adult Education where she has taken classes for the past fifteen years. Additionally, she has studied at Metalwerx in Waltham. There, her Fold-forming course with Charles Lewton-Brain and Micro fold-forming course with Cynthia Eid truly informed her creativity. Emily has been featured in Bliss Boston, on-line publication, in Daring Spirits blog, The Andover Townsman, collectively with Island Street Studios in The Lawrence Eagle Tribune and Rumbo. She has participated in The Weavers Guild of Boston annual show and sale, The Holly Fair in Cambridge, Crafts in the Park and various local craft shows and fairs. She had a piece in the Celebrating Women Gallery Show at Island Street Studios in May of 2017.

Linda Bourassa & Janet Porter & Kristina Trott — September, 2017

Linda Bourassa & Janet Porter & Kristina Trott





Misty Morning Linda Bourasa

Linda E. Bourassa - Artist Statement

Spending my life in New England has given me a deep appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us everyday. We are lucky enough to live in an area that has it all, from the beauty of the White Mountains and the Green Mountains, to the crashing of waves on a deserted island beach, to the peaceful solitude of the marshes and inlets, lakes and streams. My intention is to convey that pride of place and connection to nature to anyone who views my work. An ongoing challenge, which I truly enjoy. Thank you for taking the time to pause and to see.

Linda Bourassa is a life-long resident of New England. Her early years were spent on the North Shore of Massachusetts, with summers on the island of Martha's Vineyard. She now lives in Atkinson, New Hampshire with her husband of 37 years. While raising their son, Linda enrolled at Northern Essex Community College and earned an Associates of Arts Degree in graphic design. She then worked at the Kimball Library in Atkinson for 15 years before recently retiring to spend time enjoying her garden, her family and friends, and devoting more time to her painting. She has been taking weekly art lessons with a local artist, Jacqueline Cunningham, for close to a dozen years. She uses water-based oil paints and tends to specialize in landscapes and seascapes.

Janet Porter - Artist Statement

I am a New England native from Georgetown, Massachusetts, and I spent my young summers on Little Neck island in Ipswich.  My warmest memories were of the natural beauty of nature and the ocean. Fully intrigued with the beauty in life, which has always captivated me, I unsurprisingly perused a career in the creative business of Cosmetology. I have enjoyed a very successful business, that seems more like fun than work and have met many very interesting people. One of these is Jackie Cunningham, a client and art teacher, who learned about my maternal grandmother’s skill as a painter and sculptor. Thankfully, Jackie encouraged me to consider joining her classes in oil painting, where I have found an unrealized gift of true creative passion. I have enjoyed each and everything I have painted and I hope to continue to get better and better in the future.

Display Case, Level 1 - Kristina Trott - Artist Statement   

I've lived in central Andover most of my life, and carried a camera much of the time since childhood, documenting everything from the '54 hurricanes to blizzards to the many Shawsheen floods. It was only when I acquired a 35 mm Canon in the 60's, though, that I could begin to do justice to the local birds, butterflies and wildflowers I've always loved and studied. Even better, since my switch to digital, all financial restraints are off, and I can and do shoot everything I find interesting! And I think there's very little in the natural world that is not. (Most notably fungi, which I belatedly discovered around 5 years ago and have added to my compulsive ID searches, list-making, and photo documentation.)
    Andover is not the town I grew up in, most conspicuously the area above the Center where too many newer homeowners have leveled the original residents' lovingly tended flower gardens/pollinator sanctuaries in favor of chemically treated and commercially (and loudly) maintained turf deserts.(Not to mention one long-time resident's home that was seized and demolished and their extensive gardens leveled for playing fields). In town butterfly species that used to number close to two dozen are down to 5 or 6, and those not at all numerous. Finding subjects for my lens these days requires ranging farther afield, although my own yard (a very conspicuous outlier) and that of one like-minded neighbor still offer welcome finds.
   Fortunately, central Andover still offers much for the nature loving photographer, (mainly thanks to Phillips Academy's benignly neglected bird sanctuary, and nearby conservation land) so I don't need to range too far afield. In fact, everything in this exhibit, except the Holt Hill image, was taken within a half-hour walk of my house. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be living where I do.
   In addition to my nature photography (which I offer for sale in the form of notecards and matted enlargements), I do a limited number of commissioned  horse portraits in graphite, solicited mainly at Springfield Arabian shows in the spring and summer. Horses have been another lifelong passion, although I've never owned one; I've been drawing them from childhood. I have had pieces accepted twice for exhibit at the American Academy of Equine Art annual shows in Lexington, Kentucky.

Kristina Trott & Vicki Murphy — August, 2017

Kristina Trott & Vicki Murphy

Kristina Trott - Artist Statement   

  I've lived in central Andover most of my life, and carried a camera much of the time since childhood, documenting everything from the '54 hurricanes to blizzards to the many Shawsheen floods. It was only when I acquired a 35 mm Canon in the 60's, though, that I could begin to do justice to the local birds, butterflies and wildflowers I've always loved and studied. Even better, since my switch to digital, all financial restraints are off, and I can and do shoot everything I find interesting! And I think there's very little in the natural world that is not. (Most notably fungi, which I belatedly discovered around 5 years ago and have added to my compulsive ID searches, list-making, and photo documentation.)
    Andover is not the town I grew up in, most conspicuously the area above the Center where too many newer homeowners have leveled the original residents' lovingly tended flower gardens/pollinator sanctuaries in favor of chemically treated and commercially (and loudly) maintained turf deserts.(Not to mention one long-time resident's home that was seized and demolished and their extensive gardens leveled for playing fields). In town butterfly species that used to number close to two dozen are down to 5 or 6, and those not at all numerous. Finding subjects for my lens these days requires ranging farther afield, although my own yard (a very conspicuous outlier) and that of one like-minded neighbor still offer welcome finds.
   Fortunately, central Andover still offers much for the nature loving photographer, (mainly thanks to Phillips Academy's benignly neglected bird sanctuary, and nearby conservation land) so I don't need to range too far afield. In fact, everything in this exhibit, except the Holt Hill image, was taken within a half-hour walk of my house. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be living where I do.
   In addition to my nature photography (which I offer for sale in the form of notecards and matted enlargements), I do a limited number of commissioned  horse portraits in graphite, solicited mainly at Springfield Arabian shows in the spring and summer. Horses have been another lifelong passion, although I've never owned one; I've been drawing them from childhood. I have had pieces accepted twice for exhibit at the American Academy of Equine Art annual shows in Lexington, Kentucky.

Vicki Murphy - Original Ewe Wool Works

Avan Shah & Kristina Trott — June, 2017

Avan Shah & Kristina Trott





Night Sky - Avan Shah

About the Artist

Avan Shah is a 7th grader at Doherty Middle School and has always had a passion for drawing since early in his childhood. He loves being outdoors whether it is spending time hiking various mountains, skiing in the trees or swimming in the ocean. His experiences from the outdoors have been the inspiration for much of his art work. This collection includes his favorite landscape drawings and sunset scenes.

Avan has many other interests and hobbies, including playing soccer, skiing and squash, participating in his school math and academic bowl teams, and traveling with his family. Last year, he authored a children’s book of short stories with his grandfather titled “Walks with my Dada” for which he also provided the illustrations for each story. The proceeds from the sales of this book are donated to North South Foundation, which is a charity that provides academic scholarships to deserving, underprivileged students in India.

Artist Statement

These drawings reflect my vision of how I see the world around me. I try to show the wonders of nature which will hopefully encourage others to help stop pollution in an effort to preserve nature and its beauty.     -- Avan Shah

Display Case in Reference Room - Kristina Trott      

Kristina Brainerd Trott's exhibit chronicles the Hurley's house, located at 56 Bartlet Street (see Andover Historic Preservation website, Spaulding House, for a full history) which was taken by eminent domain, and demolished, in 1970. The Town planned future Schools' use of the property. Nothing was done with the land for 11 years, and during the summers of 1973 and '74, Kristina took it upon herself to document the flourishing little ecosystem just down the street, knowing it was doomed (but not when).

  • Wildflower species (58)
  • Tree species (10)
  • Butterfly species (19)
  • A brief essay on the value of “vacant” land
  • Natural history  photographs, taken on  Ektachrome  transparency film with a Rolleicord Vb twin-lens camera
  • Historical and 2017 photographs of 56 Bartlet

Garima Parakh — May, 2017

Garima Parakh





Garima Parakh

Garima Parakh is an Andover based artist. She was born in India and has a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering. She worked in the Information Technology industry for 15 years. She has been drawing and painting since childhood. In 2012, she started painting full time. Her paintings have been accepted in several juried shows and are held in private collections all over the country. www.garimaparakh.com.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My landscapes are emotional glimpses that show my deep connection with nature. I am alive when I breathe the air and feel the textures. I like to maintain a loose but exciting quality in my artwork by use of dynamic color and composition. Often times, I let my imagination and memory run free.  The result is an amalgam of exciting visual images.

Dominique Lecomte & Connie Taylor — April, 2017

Dominique Lecomte & Connie Taylor





The Illiterate Seagull

Biography

Dominique Lecomte spent his early years in Rambervillers, a small town in Les Vosges, France. He studied visual art at Ecole de l'Images in Epinal. After receiving masters' degrees in French as a foreign language and Philosophy, he came to the United States, by way of Cambodia, to teach at the International School of Boston. He decided to specialize in linocuts and woodcuts, mainly due to lack of proper studio space. Photography, which he had always used as a visual travel log, became the base of his work. His work is held in private collections in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United States.

Artist Statement

I like the little things of life, the spectacle of nature, the lines and shapes of the world. I use them to create images, to map voyages, to share impressions. It is as simple as that.

Technique used for these prints

Linocuts and woodcuts are original prints in limited and numbered edition, made from a previously cut wood or linoleum block. Once the block is ready, the relief is inked and a thick paper is pressed on it with a hand-pulled press or a wooden spoon. Colors, when present, are watercolors applied later with a brush (details and history of the technique at www.lecomtedominique.com).

Reference Display Case - Taylor'd Eggs
Designs by Connie Taylor

Although egg art includes many forms, from Ukrainian, a dye resist art, to beautifully carved eggs, cutting away the outer shell to expose the membrane, Connie's passion is Faberge-inspired egg designs. She's been egging for over thirty years. She travels to PA, OH, and WA, preparing “egg kits” and teaching the design.  In America, there is a guild for just about every hobby.  She's now become the President of the New England Egg Art Guild (NEEAG). Their members are from both MA and NH. Their Guild is part of the International Egg Art Guild, with members throughout Europe, Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand.  Seven years ago, Connie started holding classes in her basement in Andover.  She named her business, Taylor’d Eggs, which is a perfect moniker as her name is Constance (Connie) Taylor. Eggers purchase their infertile eggs blown out and cleaned. She purchases her eggs from farms in South Carolina and Indiana. She uses ostrich, rhea, emu, quail, and goose eggs. She uses both a Dremel for heavy cutting and an air-powered tool for fine work. The air-powered tool rotates so rapidly, it allows the designer to create fancy cut work without breaking the egg. Remember, eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore.

Pearl White Artist and Photographer — March, 2017

Pearl White Artist and Photographer






PEARL WHITE

"You won't find just families, babies, bellies, pets and corporate headshots in my portfolio. You'll also find the elusive Fae people. I don't just push the button on the camera; I am inspired to create the scenes that come to life when your child walks into my studio. Every detail is meticulously thought out and it takes months to curate all the pieces that bring the scene to life."

Pearl has been part of the photography and art worlds since childhood. Her artwork can be found in private and public collections around the world. The heirloom images she creates for families, at her studio in Andover, will be treasured for generations.

Blending art with photography with art is what Pearl loves to do the most. Visit http://www.pearlwhitestudio.com/

Suzanne Robert & Sarah Nourse — February, 2017

Suzanne Robert & Sarah Nourse






Artist Statement

My works on display reflect my artistic journey through many media. I started in black and white, using pencil, pen, charcoal and scratchboard. Introducing color with colored pencils and chalk pastel into my work was my next step. Eventually I started to experiment with collaging and creating works from mixed media. Although not represented in this exhibit, I also enjoy creating pieces from found and recycled materials.

Having grown up at the foot of the Mount Holyoke Range, I developed an early love of nature, and my convocation as an environmentalist. I often try to bring attention to endangered species or landscapes through my art. The subject of my works is almost always depicting some aspect of nature.

About the Artist

Suzanne Robert recently retired as a hydrogeologist from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Having trained as a scientist, she started taking art lessons through adult education classes after completing her formal education. She has also taken continuing education classes at the Mass College of Art and the Essex Art Center to explore different media, refine techniques and develop her own personal style. She has had her art exhibited at several DEP exhibitions, a juried Mass College of Art show, and received a First Place in 2006 for a mixed media piece from  an AIGMV show.

Suzanne is an avid organic gardener. Having received a Certificate in Invasive Plant Management, she volunteers with the Andover Conservation Commission for invasive plant removal and issues involving the Shawsheen River. In addition to creating art, she enjoys expressing her creative side through singing and dancing.

Reference Display Case - Watercolors by Sarah Nourse  

Memorial Hall Library staff member, Sarah Nourse, has worked at the library since 2008, first in the Teen Room and now in the Children's Room. She started painting at a young age with simple finger paints, but eventually took her first art class at the Musuem of Fine Arts in Boston. Art has always been a special part of her life, and she enjoyed all of her art classes through middle school, high school, and college. She likes painting with watercolors because she finds them very easy to use.

Lisa Hertel Drawings & Vicki Murphy Wool Works — January, 2017

Lisa Hertel Drawings & Vicki Murphy Wool Works





Lion Mouse

Artist Statement

Fairy tales, folk tales and myths have always fascinated me. I believe they speak to our Jungian collective unconscious. I have always particularly adored animal tales, which bring out human foibles in anthropomorphized format. In my watercolors, I seek to illustrate those animal tales in as realistic a way as possible, as if it really were possible to keep boots on a cat, or for a grasshopper and an ant to converse. I actually do quite a bit of research to choose as authentic an environment as possible, whether it is what our collective unconscious believes a troll should look like, or what sort of spider would live in Jamaica, which is the American source of many of the Anansi tales.

To produce each painting, I start with a detailed pencil drawing based on photographs. I then ink it using technical pens of varying thicknesses. After the ink has set, I erase the pencil and paint it, then I write the accompanying story, based on as many sources as possible. Some, like Aesop's fables, are merely a paragraph or two; others can be quite long. I write more for adults than children, because I believe we all can still learn from these tales.

                                                                                                                                               --Lisa Hertel

About the Artist

Lisa Hertel is an artist from a long line of artists. Lisa's art is mixed, both 2D and 3D, in a variety of media. She is willing to learn and try anything new. A potter since the age of seven, she makes a variety of ceramics, including wheel work and sculptural items. She loves to draw, and does both pencil work and intensely detailed pen-and inks; she also paints, mostly in watercolors, and does wire sculpture. She often combines media, such as adding watercolors to the pen-and inks, or using glass in her pottery. Recently, she has begun doing encaustics. She has also learned blacksmithing, glass blowing, paper-making, stained glass, and glass fusing. She offers classes in her studio at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, which is the largest art colony on the East Coast. After 25 years as a pharmacist, she quit her day job to pursue a career in art. Her other passions include speculative fiction and volunteering; she helps run literary science fiction conventions and curates an exhibition of art at the Essex County Probate Court. She has been an Andover resident for 25 years. Visit her website.

Reference Display Case - Wool Works by Vicki Murphy

Vicki Murphy's love of working with wool was a graduated process.  It began with knitting, felting and rug hooking but her preference these days, and where she gets most creative, is with wool applique.  After years of pursuing her hobby, she has a huge stash of wool and yarn and finds that working with wool is the best kind of therapy, especially during long cold winter months in New England.

 

George Thorlin Maps & Clare Curran PEANUTS Memorabilia — December, 2016

George Thorlin Maps & Clare Curran PEANUTS Memorabilia





George Thorlin Andover Village Map

Historic Maps of New England - George Thorlin, Cartographer

Living in New England, it’s difficult not to notice the local history that is all around us.  In many cases our history can be can be told by the buildings… homes, businesses, places of worship, public offices and many other structures that were constructed over the centuries.  People continue to visit many of these historic places to get a sense of what it was like to live in New England years ago. At Historic Maps of New England, we attempt to make that historic experience a little easier by providing high quality reproduction prints of historical neighborhood maps.  Typically, these oversized maps were published in limited quantities between 1880 and 1920. They were used in the real estate and insurance business. Each map was produced as a black and white lithograph and then hand colored and labeled to indicate land usage and individual ownership. Maps reproduced by Historic Maps of New England are in the public domain. Historic Maps of New England has a large inventory of original maps and lithographs from prominent publishers of the time, including L. J. Richards & Co. and Walker Lithograph & Publishing Co.  Our newest additions focus on the Merrimack Valley, Essex County and Barnstable County and include:

  • 1884 - Atlas of the towns of Topsfield, Ipswich, Essex, Hamilton and Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts, published by Walker Lithograph & Publishing Co. (80 maps & 51 Lithographs, 17.5 x 27” full and half page)
  • 1906 - Atlas of the city of Lawrence and the towns of Methuen, Andover and North Andover, Massachusetts, published by L.J. Richards & Co. (29 maps, 22x32” (North Andover 22 x 42”) full page size)
  • 1910 - Atlas of Barnstable County, Massachusetts: towns of Bourne, Mashpee, Falmouth, Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro & Provincetown, published by Walker Lithograph & Pub. Co., (50 hand colored maps showing the towns and villages of Cape Cod, 14x22” full and half page size)
     

Reference Display Case - Clare Curran PEANUTS Collection

Clare Curran is a librarian at Memorial Hall Library and has been collecting PEANUTS memorabilia since the early 1970s.

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photography — November, 2016

Howard Hoople - Butterfly Photography





Monarch Butterfly

After receiving an MBA from Harvard University and having a rewarding career in health care management, in 1999, Howard Hoople began renewing his childhood interest in butterflies. Howard is now an accomplished butterfly photographer and President of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. He has had butterfly photos published in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Butterflies, American Butterflies, and Butterfly Gardener magazines. He also produces an annual butterfly calendar and note cards featuring his photos, and is very pleased to talk with anyone interested in learning about butterflies.

 

Skip Montello — October, 2016

Skip Montello





Macchu Picchu

Trekking Peru in 2015

The Inca road system was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in pre-Columbian South America. The best known portion is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We journeyed through varied terrain both challenging, awe-inspiring and literally breathtaking as we climbed altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet. As we descended down the trail, the sights only became more enhanced by spectacular topography, lush vegetation, and intriguing archaeological areas.

Infrared, or 'IR' photography, offers photographers a method to explore a new world because our eyes literally cannot see IR light, as it lies just beyond what is classified as the 'visible' spectrum - that which human eyesight can detect. When we take photographs using infrared-equipped cameras, we are exposed to the world that can often look very different from that we are accustomed to seeing. Colors, textures, leaves and plants, human skin, and all other manner of objects can reflect IR light in unique and interesting ways. My camera was converted to record 'near infrared' light just beyond the range that humans can detect with their eyesight. This light range is between 700 - 1200 nanometers. Reflected IR light produces a fascinating array of surreal effects. Vegetation appears white or near white as they reflect IR. Water and sky take on a much more dramatic dark appearance as they absorb IR. Since just one wave length of light is recorded, most images will appear sharper than full spectrum images. All of my infrared images were converted monochrome B&W.

Skip Montello is a photographer working and living in Rockport Massachusetts. He is an exhibiting member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Rocky Neck Gallery, Rockport Art Association, Newburyport Art Association and the Griffin Museum of Photography. His passion for photography developed during his career at the Polaroid Corporation, where he spent more than 30 years as a photographic scientist, engineer and technology leader.

Over the years he has moved from film based media to digital. He has a deep love for the area in which he lives and is constantly inspired by the ocean. When not photographing, he is a sport fishing charter captain, sailing instructor and outdoor writer. He also arranges the programs for Fish On! Andover, which is going into its 18th year.

Skip's photography is frequently displayed in many juried exhibits around the country. His photography has earned numerous awards at the art associations in Rockport and Newburyport and the worldwide Nikon Small Wonders Competition. He has exhibited in several solo exhibits including art associations and public libraries. His work is held in private collections in the USA and Europe. Skip is a graduate of Northeastern University, Engineering and Science and a US Navy Submarine Veteran.

Cliff Hauptman & Susie Hauptman — September, 2016

Cliff Hauptman & Susie Hauptman





Cliff Hauptman image

Artist Statements

Cliff Hauptman
During my professional career, I have been a corporate writer, photographer, graphic designer, motion picture editor, outdoor writer, author, fishing columnist, and communications director, often concurrently. Many of the digital drawings in this exhibit are inspired by my photographs, but they contain no photographic elements and are drawn line by line from scratch, using the computer's mouse as a pen and brush. Once printed, I further enhance each archival pigment print with pastels so that each becomes a unique, mixed-media original. I create these digital drawings using Adobe Illustrator. They are vector graphics, which are based on mathematical equations and can be resized to any dimension without pixilating. My digital drawings have a highly graphical quality, which becomes transformed, in varying degrees, by the application of additional details and textures in chalk pastels. The result is a colorfully saturated melding of graphic design and fine art, a changing edge where precision and impression interface. Visit www.cliffhauptman.com.

Susie Hauptman
My necklace designs are inspired by my travels in the Southwest and reflect the desert colors and Native American cultures. While hiking in the high desert, I collect many of the stones I use in my work. One of my favorite places to collect the luminous agates is the area around Abiquiu where Georgia O'Keeffe lived and worked. After polishing and drilling holes, I incorporate these beautiful stones into my work. I also include fossils and petrified wood in some of my pieces. I purchase other stones from Native Americans selling their beads at roadside stands and in small shops in New Mexico. I combine my passion for crochet into my longer necklaces by crocheting with silk thread and waxed cotton. Some of my crochet shawls, market bags, a shell box, and purses are also on display.

Michael Lenihan & Laura Minning — August, 2016

Michael Lenihan & Laura Minning





Path to the Lake

Artist Profile - Michael Lenihan

Michael Lenihan took up oil painting as a pastime at the age of 48 and has been painting landscapes steadily since he began studying in the Newburyport studio of Robert Scott Jackson, a Copley master painter.  Michael is a native of Nova Scotia and moved with his family as a child to the village of Garden City, a suburb of  New York City on Long Island.  He lived and worked in the  New York area until moving his own family to North Andover in the mid 1990’s. Michael and his wife Barbara have three grown children and three  grandchildren.

Michael paints in the academic method and his paintings frequently depict landscapes and seascapes where you experience a sense of relaxation, depth and light. He has painted scenes from the Grand Tetons and the Maroon Bells to the Wolman Rink in Central Park to Peggy's Cove lighthouse in Nova Scotia, to the Grand Canal in Venice. Many of his paintings are of scenes on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, the Maine coast, the Pocono Mountains as well as the shoreline of Long Island. He recruits his friends to send him their favorite photos from which he finds frequent inspiration. He will gladly entertain doing commissioned work and can be reached at mlenihan@comcast.net  

In addition to numerous private collections, his paintings are held in several corporate collections throughout the northeast United States.  Michael frequently donates his paintings to favorite causes of his family including North Andover’s Hermann Youth Center, the Essex Art Center in Lawrence, Swim Across America/Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Brain Tumor Foundation at Newton Wellesley Hospital, Andover Chamber Music, the North Shore Artist League, and the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, among others. 

He has found that painting has provided him with an enhanced awareness and appreciation of the ever changing physical world around us all and which he admits he took for granted prior to his putting brush to canvas.

WEBSITE: Michael Lenihan Fine Art, at  www.mlenihan.faso.com

Artist Profile - Laura Minning

Laura Minning began writing creatively at the age of nine. She’s become an award winning published poet and author since that time. All in all, she’s written one-hundred and seven individual poems, six articles, two books and one short one-act play, published in both hard copy and online. Her work has been featured in the publications, Literature Today, Amulet Magazine and Slate & Style. Laura received her first Editor’s Choice Award in 1993 for “bronx zoo” and her first international poetry award in 1995 for “introspection” by the National Library of Poetry. Poetry.com recognized her work a decade later by granting her the title of International Poet of the Year. Laura’s artistic accomplishments are equally impressive. She’s had eighty-two original pieces exhibited and eleven published. Her work has been displayed in venues like the VMFA Studio School, Haverhill Public Library and Barcode. The Barcode exhibit, sponsored by Bacardi, featured thirty-six pieces of Laura’s artwork during the month of February in 2016. Additional information about Laura and her work can be found at http://bluerosecreations.wix.com/bluerose. As a person with low vision and blindness, Laura hopes to inspire other creative people to never allow anything to hinder them from reaching for the stars and accomplishing their dreams If you were to ask her about her creative successes, she would tell you that the difficult is but the work of the moment, and the impossible takes a little longer.

Heather Barker Photography & Gayle C. Heney Raku Potter — July, 2016

Heather Barker Photography & Gayle C. Heney Raku Potter





Heather Barker Photography

Heather Barker Artist Statement

Heather Barker comes from a creative family, many of them pursuing careers in the arts. Heather has worked in human services for over 25 years, including working at a women's shelter answering domestic abuse hotline calls and performing case management. She has also worked with teens at the Department of Youth Services and with adults of various abilities and barriers, finding vocational training through the Mass Rehab Commission. Heather broke state records in Massachusetts with the number of people she assisted in regaining employment. She also worked in the Welfare to Work grant program through the Department of Transitional Assistance.

Over the years, Heather has implemented and organized Expressive Arts groups with the populations she has worked with. About this, she says, "I had a strong desire to help them heal through the arts and learn healthy ways to express themselves. I found it a window at the very least for them to come together as a group and begin to build bonds and support for each other. I feel fortunate to have had the chance to watch street kids give me attitude about doing an art project and then begin working with clay and paints at the same table as their rival gangs.  Art does amazing things to everyone it touches!”

Raising her daughter as a single mother has made her realize that she needs something for herself, some form of creative expression. “After hearing so much of the darkness and struggles in the world through my human service jobs over the last 25 years, I began to snap away. I found photography more valuable than ever to help me focus and to remember the beauty in the world all around me everywhere, people, family, nature, my daughter, events…whatever, I began to snap away."

Current Work

Won Best Color Award at The Whistler House of Lowell, show in 2014. http://www.whistlerhouse.org/

She plans on doing more shows in the future.  You can follow her photography journey on her Facebook page, Heather Barker’s Photography.


Gayle C. Heney Artist Statement

The process of Raku includes placing glazed pieces of pottery in a kiln, usually powered by gas burners. The glazes respond to the low-fire temperature, which rarely exceeds 2000 degrees F., by melting, bubbling and developing a “shiny look.”  When the glazes are mature, the pot is removed with tongs and placed in a container filled with combustibles such as shredded paper, magazines, straw or sawdust.  In this reducing environment, the combustibles ignite, creating a smoke-filled atmosphere.  Those areas of the pot left unglazed become black as a result.  In addition, metallic luster, crackle patterns and iridescence are possible in this exciting process.  Raku, as a firing method, provides an opportunity for serendipity and immediacy, which enhances its appeal for me. 

Historically, Raku bowls were thought to have been made first by a Korean immigrant to Japan.  His son, Chagiro, (1515-1592) and his family became known as the Japanese “Raku family.”  Chagiro made tea bowls for the famous tea master Sen-no-Rikyu. This genetic line of potters continued until 1944. Raku tea bowls exemplify the Zen emphasis on “simple living,” and were originally associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. Classical Japanese tea bowls are small, irregular, made by hand and without detail.  Their simple form, unadorned rim, lack of detail and understated glazes require handling in order to be fully appreciated. 

Raku in America is very different from its Asian ancestor.  Here, Raku is known for flamboyant color, metallic luster and free form.  Emphasis is placed on the exciting process of firing with glazes that can amaze our senses and challenge our notion of what pottery can be. 

Francois Gossieaux — June, 2016

Francois Gossieaux





Boat Parade in Magnolia, MA

About the Artist
My goal is to capture what happens around me, nature, cities, people…poverty and misery, injustice and victory, beauty and decay, glitz and glamour”—Francois

Francois Gossieaux has captured life through a lens for most of his adult life but he has only recently started sharing his images and perfecting his craft. In 2011, Francois went through a difficult personal journey and his escape became his camera. He picked one weekend day during his journey to travel throughout New England observing, discovering and capturing the beauty in everyday life.

Francois has emerged into a passionate photographer who strongly believes that if we pay attention to what happens around us, we can all become observers and visual storytellers about our environment—the diverse (and sometimes disappearing) cultures that we interact with, the injustices that we witness every day, the beauty that surrounds us, and the daily awe-inspiring experiences that we get when (and if) we open our eyes and pay attention. Francois uses a Canon 5D Mark III and a Canon 7D with various Canon lenses. His work can be seen at humanobservations.com & @fgossieaux.

Traditional “About the Artist”
…a dedicated son, supportive brother, and a very proud Dad
…enjoying his days with the love of his life
…an enthusiastic global and local traveler (observer)
…a passionate photographer, visual story teller, and entrepreneur
…tri-lingual (Dutch, French, English)
…a resident alien here in the U.S. and Belgian by birth
…permanent student of life

Boats: Dreams Made and Broken
The Andover Reads 2016 book, The Boys in the Boat is a story of an epic Olympic journey. This team, of working class boys from foggy coastal villages, dairy farms and smoky lumber towns, reminds you of what can be done through determination, transformation and hope. Although the boat is not the star of this story, the bond between the boys and boat can only be imagined as they row their way to fulfilling their Olympic dream. Francois Gossieaux captures the escape, inspiration and sometimes defeat in his series Boats: Dreams Made and Broken.

Rob Franco — May, 2016

Rob Franco





Sailing

Artist Statement

My passion for art began at an early age during visits to a neighborhood artist in Newport, Rhode Island. This led to training as an illustrator in the US Air Force and continued as a graphic artist in the Boston area.

After studying with renowned pastelist and teacher, Albert Handell at drawing and pastel workshops in Woodstock, New York, the focus of my work was portraits of children and animals. I continued in this genre for many years.

While a student of the late David Ratner and John Evans, both renowned artists, my passion turned to oil painting. This medium allows me to build paintings with texture, using palette knives, brayers and various size brushes.

My fascination with the ocean continues to inspire my work. I enjoy searching the New England and Eastern Shore coastlines to find subjects that display a mood that will transform into a painting.

Looking into a tidal pool or the reflection of a small boat on the water gives me an emotional feeling of calm. The colors produced by the boat, sky, or water and sand enrich the scene. Shadows on the sand or reflections and shadows on the water are ever changing, and finding these painting opportunities is exciting and priceless for me.

Visit www.robfranco.com for more information.

Karen Van Welden-Herman — April, 2016

Karen Van Welden-Herman





Flannel Jack by Karen VanWelden-Herman

“For now, we see in a mirror dimly”

What separates reality from memory – emotion, vision, desire, prayers? What moves us beyond a place of certainty to a place where dreams are held? Drawing on an exploration of memory, these images are reflections from my past using places, events and people that have continuing resonance for me. I consider my relationship with family, friends and animals as a starting point to create work in a narrative style that is also influenced by a strong interest in history and material culture. I have studied with Israeli artist, Eli Shamir, and continued my art education with courses at the Museum of Fine Arts/Boston, the DeCordova Museum School, The Haystack Mountain School and the Essex Art Center. I hold a BA/history from the University of Colorado and MA/bilingual-ESL studies from UMASS/Boston. My paintings have been shown in Massachusetts in the Merrimack Valley, Boston and Newton, and in Deer Isle, Maine. Actively working for my community, I serve as Chair of the Andover Preservation Commission, President of the Memorial Hall Library Board of Trustees, and as a board member of the Essex Art Center and the Lawrence History Center in Lawrence, MA. For eleven years I organized the artists participating in “Hair of the Dog “, a wine and art event to benefit the MSPCA Nevins Farm in Methuen, MA, held at the Essex Art Center. Four years ago I became the event coordinator for Crafts in the Park Andover, a high end juried crafts show, now in its 41st year. The event benefits the mission of Christ Church, Andover. I happily share studio space at OH Studios, located on Island Street in Lawrence, with three other artists. I am very pleased to have been asked to show my work at Memorial Hall Library.

karenvanweldenherman.com

Matthew Pearsall & Essex Art Center — March, 2016

Matthew Pearsall & Essex Art Center





Cows

Matt is currently an Andover resident who grew up a few towns to the north in West Newbury. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Engineering and is working within the field in Chelmsford, MA.  Painting is mostly a hobby which he has been lucky enough to pursue thanks to the many hours spent in hotel rooms when travelling for work. When not travelling to job sites in New England, he likes to vacation abroad and is inspired by the unique countries and their trademark landmarks to create many of the art deco travel posters on display here. Inspiration for the oil-based animal paintings comes from enthusiastic friends and family and their all too willing subjects. If you have any questions or like what you see he can be reached at matthewrp91@gmail.com.


Essex Art Center Clay Pieces

Essex Art Center Adult Clay Pieces in Reference Area Display Case

Works in clay created by adult classes at the Essex Art Center are on display. The exhibitors include students in Clay Works with Larry Elardo: Gale Batsimm, Christianne Tardif-Kellerd, and Amy Ferguson, and students in Hand-building with Peter Wood:  Virginia Dalis, and Kristen Donegan. Gayle Heney, who has taken classes at EAC, also has two pieces on display.

Kevin Porter and Randy Tustison — February, 2016

Kevin Porter and Randy Tustison






New England Landscapes: A Departure From Realism

Kevin Porter Artist Statement

A ten year absence from pursuing any serious photography has freed my thinking, and along with the digital revolution, given me new insight and inspiration.  Renewed with fresh ideas and a new vision, I have moved from the literal (true to life) renderings of my early work, to creating images that are more expressive of the scenes in nature that inspire me. The prints in this exhibit are an exploration of the shapes, colors, and textures found in the national forests and national parks of New England. All have been printed with archival pigment inks on archival papers.

About Kevin

Kevin Porter has pursued photography as both a hobby and professionally since the late 1970s. He has worked extensively with small, medium and large format film cameras, digital SLRs, film and print processing (both B&W and color), alternative techniques such as Polaroid transfers, macro-photography, the Zone System, digital image editing with third party effects and filters, commercial photography, and studio photography.

Currently, Kevin divides his time between his freelance design and communications business, and his fine-art photography. Over his career he has worked in academia, the non-profit sector, the photo industry, conducted research in the life sciences, and founded creative service businesses. Active in the community, he volunteers time to local conservation issues and serves on the Andover Conservation Commission.

Kevin can be reached at: kevin@kporterdesign.com.


Fishing Lure Display in Reference Area Display Case

Boxes of luresA display in the new case in the Reference Area features examples of vintage fishing lures, including lures from the early days of fishing lure manufacturing in America.  In addition, lures from the five major lure manufacturers are on display, as well as vintage lures manufactured in Massachusetts.   The display also highlights saltwater plugs made by craftsman Mike Shah of Workhorse Lures, the featured speaker on Tuesday, February 9 in the Fish On! Andover series.

Fishing lureRandy Tustison was born and raised in Garrett, Indiana - the home of Creek Chub Bait Company (CCBC).   CCBC was one of the five largest manufacturers of fishing lures in America from 1916 until it was sold in 1978.  He acquired a love of fishing from his Grandfather, fishing many of the small lakes in northeastern Indiana as well as Pipestone Lake in Ontario, Canada.  Randy became interested in collecting fishing lures while delving into his family history, learning that his Grandfather manufactured and sold fly rod lures for a short time in the 1930’s.  He is a member of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (NFLCC) and has written for the NFLCC Gazette.  He is currently retired and lives in Andover with his wife, Kay. 

Stephanie Mobbs Deady — January, 2016

Stephanie Mobbs Deady





Stephanie Mobbs Deady paintings

Stephanie Mobbs Deady is an artist with a zest for life and all things whimsical. Family, laughter and love fuel her and inspire her creative process. Stephanie paints at her home studio in Andover and is available for commissioned works. Visit www.stephaniemobbsdeady.com.

Textile Creations by MHL Staff — December, 2015

Textile Creations by MHL Staff





Textiles by MHL staff

Gerry Deyermond, Assistant Head of Circulation

I began hooking rugs about four years ago from a suggestion from co-worker Vicki Murphy. I resisted for a while, but finally gave in and love every minute of it! I like to collect projects from places I have visited. Currently I have two-- the sheep hanging is from Texas, and I have a rug from California of California Poppies that is still in the works.  I have been sewing since I was big enough to push the foot pedal of my mother’s sewing machine, and enjoy quilting and other home decorating projects. I also enjoy wool appliqué and have been doing more of this recently.                                

Kim Lynn, Local History & Reference Librarian

I’ve been a librarian at Memorial Hall Library since 2004.  I’ve always been interested in art and began rug hooking in 2009.  I like the challenge of designing my own rugs.  I’m working on my largest one yet at approximately 7 X 4 feet.  The hobby is even more enjoyable because I share the interest with my co-workers, Vicki and Gerry.                                                         

Vicki Murphy, Assistant to the Director

I have been rug hooking for about 4 or 5 years now.  I transitioned into it after lots of knitting, quilting, beading, and hand appliqué.  I cut most of my strips by hand as I don't own a cutter (yet...) and enjoy the evolution of color as I try out plaids, tweeds, hand-dyed wool, etc. for effect.  I'm drawn to sheep and crows and all things primitive.  I hope to begin designing my own patterns now that I have the technique down.  It's a lot of fun sharing this hobby with my co-workers, Kim and Gerry, and comparing pieces we've made, and giving each other advice and suggestions.  The craft is especially enjoyable on long, cold, winter nights and days, when a lap full of heavy wool is cozy.  I would love to share ideas with interested people in town and welcome their questions about rug hooking any time.   

Paintings by Debalina Sarkar — November, 2015

Paintings by Debalina Sarkar





Debalina Sarkar landscape

Debalina Sarkar is a new artist and a resident of North Reading. As a small girl, she was interested in art, but soon discontinued it for academics. Her parents were called to school in second grade because her teacher thought that her parents had helped her with her art homework. Her teacher made her paint in front of her because she couldn't believe a second grade girl could paint that well. Since then, Debalina has painted many paintings during festivals in India. Although she is a research scientist by profession, she rediscovered her art after almost 25 years, after her son was born. She started painting early this year, and was so excited that she painted over 100 paintings in 5 months, mostly with her newborn in her arms. She paints mostly landscapes, flowers and small animals. She uses traditional oil painting on canvas, but has also worked with acrylics and watercolors.

Her influences include American, European and Indian painters. She has also been inspired by various art forms such as contemporary, wet-on-wet, Madhubani, and Renaissance techniques. A lot of her ideas come from within, but many are influenced by modern day painters such as Bob Ross, Wilson Bickford, Ginger Cook, Kevin Hill, and Gary Jenkins.

Andover Century Project — October, 2015

Andover Century Project

Andover High School students in Mary Robb's 20th Century History class worked in teams and researched a decade in Andover's history from 1900-2000. They collected photographs and information and created posters to reflect what the community looked like by decade.

Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families — September, 2015

Of Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families





Ross Walcott Family

Of Many Colors, created by the Family Diversity Projects, includes photographs and interviews with 20 families (children, teens, and adults) who have bridged the racial divide through interracial relationships and/or adoption. In a world where race is considered by many to be a formidable barrier between people, the families in this traveling exhibit have discovered richness and value in diversity. This exhibit of multiracial families has a great deal to teach about racial identity and racism. The same exhibit will be displayed in all five Andover elementary schools during September. Of Many Colors is also available in a beautiful companion book (featuring over 40 families) published by the University of Massachusetts Press. Major funding is provided by the Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) and elementary school PTO's.

Andover Coalition for Education (ACE) partners with the Andover Public Schools to support innovative system-wide, curricula-enhancing initiatives that will inspire our students to succeed in facing today's global challenges. Since 2005, ACE has granted more than $500,000 to support public education in Andover and is continuing its work to broaden support and community involvement in our schools.  To learn more about ACE, visit www.aceandover.org or contact Jennifer Srivastava at jsrivastava@aceandover.org.

Shahrzad Shadbash — August, 2015

Shahrzad Shadbash





Shahrzad Shadbash

Shahrzad Shadbash started painting when she was four years old, and studied with some of the most famous master painters in Iran. She studied Traditional Architecture and Architectural Technology Engineering at Azad Tehran University, and began painting with oils professionally in 2000. She began sketching and working with ink in 2009, and has held several private and public exhibitions to showcase these works. She has worked within Cubism, Impressionism and Surrealism, and has also tried a one-stroke technique in some of her work. Most of her work falls within the realm of Realism and a combination of Realism and Impressionistic techniques.

Donna Howard — July, 2015

Donna Howard





Donna Howard

Prismatic and electric, painter Donna Howard cleverly weaves subtle narrative into each one of her bright paintings. Textured and nuanced with an ambient, lyrical sense of space, Howard’s paintings are emblems of a prolifically curious mind, and speak to diverse experiences and moments of human life. Strict, precise brushwork betrays the artist’s ardently playful and whimsical fancies, speaking to the duality inherent in all of our psyches. With every shift and movement of the eye as it engages with Howard’s works, we see refreshingly differently, as if we were looking through a kaleidoscope. An emerging artist, Donna Howard has already exhibited her works throughout the Northeast.

Joseph Gemellaro & World War I Artifacts Display — June, 2015

Joseph Gemellaro & World War I Artifacts Display





Elizabeth Taylor

Joseph Gemellaro is a natural-born talent greatly influenced by the drawing styles of the great Italian masters, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, after having travelled to Italy as a young boy.
 
He brings this appreciation of European art into the sketches he creates of 20th Century American pop icons, from Charlie Chaplin, Louis Armstrong, Elizabeth Taylor, and Janis Joplin to Superman, Steve Jobs, and Barack Obama.
 
 "I start with the eyes," Mr. Gemallaro says when describing his method for drawing portraits. And it's the eyes that immediately attract the viewer, drawing them in to the heart and soul of a familiar face.   Nowhere is this more evident than in his portrait of Mohammed Ali. Although this portrait features only Ali's eye and eyebrow, viewers instantly recognize it as the portrait of the flamboyant boxer who floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.
 
 Similar to Ali's gift for showmanship, Mr. Gemellaro sketches with unabashed force, apologizing to no one as he lays it all on the line.

The Level 2 display cases feature a special display of artifacts which offer a fascinating glimpse into the life of an American soldier during WWI.

Susan Schön & Tom Vartabedian — May, 2015

Susan Schön & Tom Vartabedian





photo of one of the artist's paintings

Level 1

Andover resident, Susan Schön has worked as a textile designer for over twenty-five years, designing products ranging from original one-of-a-kind hand-painted silk clothing, her own line of hand-painted children's clothing, wall coverings, upholstery, apparel, and numerous graphic design applications. Her work as a designer has allowed her to develop many different styles, and her passion for art and design continues to grow, often inspired by observing and exploring the natural world.

Level 2

The Level 2 display cases feature a photo exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, on display until May 10. The collection by photographer, Tom Vartabedian, is entitled “Armenian Village People --- A Country Kaleidoscope” and depicts life in modern-day Armenia, a century following a devastating massacre by the Ottoman Turkish Government that killed 1.5 million people and left another million displaced from their homeland.

A showing of color images represent part of a collection taken by Vartabedian during two trips to Armenia over the past decade, covering scenes of people living and toiling in the mountains and valleys. The images depict life in this historic land whose history dates back more than 3,000 years. The Andover library is among others throughout Merrimack Valley and the North Shore which will feature the exhibit during this centennial year.

Vartabedian, a Haverhill Gazette columnist, worked as a photographer for 40 years before retiring a decade ago.  Much of his photography these days is dedicated to travel and pleasure.

Ron Wybranowski Nature Photography — April, 2015

Ron Wybranowski Nature Photography





Aspen in Fog - Crested Butte Ron Wybranowski

Trees are living, breathing entities very much like people: born from seeds, growing through infant and teen years into large, mature beings.  They have personalities of their own with distinctive shapes, sizes, spring-colored buds and unique shaped leaves which change color in the fall. They drop when the snows come, only to start the same cycle over again in several short months when the ground thaws.  Trees and forests are some of the touchstones of our lives, as we return to them year after year to see how they've changed and grown and perhaps to think about how we've also changed and grown. These images in The Beauty of Trees exhibit capture the unique beauty of different  trees, in different parts of the country, in different times of the year.  Full of gold aspen leaves in Colorado, red and orange maples in New England, in black and white in the high desert country, in snow storms in our own Harold Parker State Park, some sharp, some diffused, they bring us joy and pleasure and ease our mind. 

Ron Wybranowski is a member of the Massachusetts Camera Naturalists, a by-invitation-only organization dedicated to the appreciation of nature and the natural environment.  He is a juried member of the New Hampshire Art Association and a long-standing member of the Merrimack Valley Camera Club (MVCC) in North Andover. He resides in North Andover. For more information and to view his photographs, visit his website www.ronwybranowski.com.

Skip Montello: Simply Reflections — March, 2015

Skip Montello: Simply Reflections





Skip Montello

Skip is a photographer working and living in Rockport Massachusetts. He is an exhibiting member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Rocky Neck Gallery, Rockport Art Association, Newburyport Art Association and the Griffin Museum of Photography. His passion for photography developed during his career at the Polaroid Corporation, where he spent more than 30 years as a photographic scientist, engineer and technology leader.

Over the years he has moved from film based media to digital. He has a deep love for the area in which he lives and is constantly inspired by the ocean. When not photographing, he is a sport fishing charter captain, sailing instructor and outdoor writer.

Skip's photography is frequently displayed in many juried photography exhibits around the country. His photography has earned numerous awards at the art associations in Rockport and Newburyport and the worldwide Nikon Small Wonders Competition. He has exhibited in several solo exhibits including art associations and public libraries. His work is held in private collections in the USA and Europe.

Skip is a graduate of Northeastern University, Engineering and Science and a US Navy Submarine Veteran.

Visit his website www.skipmontellophotos.com.

 

Ruth T. Naylor and Cornelia van den Broeke — February, 2015

Ruth T. Naylor and Cornelia van den Broeke

The first floor exhibit features pieces created by two Andover residents, Ruth T. Naylor and Cornelia van den Broeke. The Level 2 display cases feature photographs of past Academy Award winning actors and actresses.

Ruth Tiffany Naylor studied at The Slade Summer School in London, England in 1992 and 1998, locally at The Museum of Fine Arts, the DeCordova Museum School and the Cambridge Center, and at Montgomery College in Maryland, where she earned an Honours Associates in Studio Arts degree in 1993. Currently, Ruth is working with the Board of Trustees of West Parish Garden Cemetery, Andover MA to put on a juried 2-D and 3-D exhibition to show at the Andover Historical Society and the cemetery grounds in October 2015. Local colleges, high schools and artists are participating in this project which is partially funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Cornelia van den Broeke moved to Andover in 1978. After completing high school she moved to Boston and studied at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, graduating in 1990. She lived in New York City for 4 years, returning to Andover in 2000. She is most inspired by Dadaist artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia, as well as contemporary artists Julian Schnabel and Anselm Kiefer. She has worked in various media over the years, and has exhibited in cafes and in group shows in Boston and NYC. 

Sanjeev Nandan — January, 2015

Sanjeev Nandan

Andover resident, Sanjeev Nandan is a self-taught artist driven purely by the passion to create something new and interesting every time he has a blank canvas in front of him. Every painting is an experiment and a learning experience. Over the years, he has been influenced by various artists and their styles. His creations are original concepts designed by infusing real life subjects with a bit of imagination. His style has evolved over time, but one thing has not changed - the paintings are bright and colorful. He uses acrylic paints to give them an almost oil-like effect. To see more of his artwork go to http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sanjeev-nandan.html.

The Level 2 display cases contain photographs taken by students at Andover High School's Photography Club as part of their Humans of Andover Project. Inspired by the Humans of New York project, the students set out to capture various personalities within Andover. The artwork shown is a combination of film and digital photography and showcases what stood out to these photographers around our town.

Diane Maroun & the Andover High School Photography Club — December, 2014

Diane Maroun & the Andover High School Photography Club

The Level 1 hanging exhibit features artist Diane Maroun.

The Level 2 display cases contain photographs taken by students at Andover High School's Photography Club as part of their Humans of Andover Project. Inspired by the Humans of New York project, the students set out to capture various personalities within Andover. The artwork shown is a combination of film and digital photography and showcases what stood out to these photographers around our town.

Susan Siegel and Rob Franco — November, 2014

Susan Siegel and Rob Franco

1st Floor Exhibit

Andover artist, Susan Siegel has been painting with pastels and acrylics for almost 20 years. The paintings in her exhibit, “Landscapes I Have Known and Loved," focus primarily on color, light, mood, and atmosphere, and are based on her emotional responses to the landscapes of her travels and to her connection with the ocean in Cape Cod. Along with her husband, Susan is both an artist and seasonal gallery owner of the Front Porch Gallery in Wellfleet, MA. She is also a member of several local arts organizations, including the Andover Artists’ Guild, the Newburyport Art Association, the Wellfleet Art Galleries Association, and the Pastel Painters of Cape Cod. Her work has been exhibited primarily in New England and sold throughout the U.S. to collectors from New Hampshire to California.

Level 2 Display Cases

Rob Franco's passion for art began at an early age during visits to a neighborhood artist in Newport, Rhode Island. He trained as an illustrator in the US Air Force, and worked as a graphic artist in the Boston area. A fascination with the ocean and other bodies of water continues to inspire his work. Visit his website at www.robfranco.com.

Steven Noroian — October, 2014

Steven Noroian

First Floor Exhibit Area

Steven Noroian, a fine art photographer from North Andover, combines the latest digital techniques with traditional photography to create bold and evocative prints. With an eye towards abstraction, he works to capture the beauty of his surroundings through strong composition and brilliant color. His work reveals his passion for landscapes, architecture, and still life photography – capturing the essential elements of New England and Europe. Steven has been an Artist at the Brush Art Gallery in Lowell for ten years. At the Brush, he has a studio to display his work, and he participates in an annual collective show. Visit the Brush Art Gallery in Lowell or visit his flickr website.