Two solo shows open at Seacoast Artist Association
EXETER — As Virginia Woolf wrote in A Room of One's Own, "A good dinner is of great importance to good talk. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Seacoast Artist Association gallery artist and Board member Debra Woodward shares this quote when speaking about her new solo show “Dine” that opened on Nov. 29 at the SAA in downtown Exeter. “We dine out not because we are necessarily hungry for food. We are hungry for the experience, whether that means sharing the experience with friends and family or enjoying a rewarding and meditative time alone not having to engage in anything but enjoying every bite!”
In her show of oil paintings, you will see diners enjoying eateries in Seacoast N.H. and one from the legendary Taos Diner which she told us she was sad to hear closed last year. “I have special memories from all of these places. I gravitate toward making art with stories, like the Dad having lunch with his daughters at one of my favorite cafés in Kittery, and another in Paris where I was watching from the street and it appeared that even though this fellow had apparently been stood up, he moved to a table and allowed the waiter serve him his meal alone.“ A N.H. native, Woodward is also a member of the NH Art Association and Kittery Art Association. She has taken painting classes with Tom Glover, Amy Brnger, and Bob Richardson and now studies drawing and painting with Adeline Golminc-Tronzo of Eliot, Maine.
Watercolorist Gwen Morgan is a New England native and has studied with many artists, most recently Elinore Vaughan, Doris Rice, Jan Kilburn, and Danielle Genovese. She has painted with Rice at local venues such as her Thursday night classes at the SAA gallery and Strawbery Banke and Sandy Point Discovery Center, as well as Monhegan Island in Maine, Provence and Brittany, France; Tuscany, Italy; Ireland; and Spain.
“Flowers and Nature are my inspirations, but I will paint anything that touches my emotions.“ Her show “Wonders of Watercolor” explores color and the way the paint and water move on the paper, as well as the joy of how negative painting brings life to delicate flowers, rusty old vehicles, special locations and whimsical ideas. “Recently I have found a new enjoyment and challenge in creating collages. I never know the direction a piece might take. I usually start with pieces from my gelli prints and arrange them into colorful pieces of art. I hope that the joy I find in creating shines through in these pieces and those who view them find joy.”
Meet these artists as well as many other SAA members and enjoy food at wine at the “Second Friday” artist reception on Dec. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., where there is all new artwork on display. They will welcome back two of their favorite musicians, violinists Dacha and Sava Thurber. “These two brothers from Exeter, both now attending Harvard, are thrilling to hear, and we feel lucky we can pull them away from their studies to provide some holiday cheer,” they tell us. “This is a show not to be missed. A great way to celebrate the holidays.” The gallery will also be accepting donations of cat and dog food for the Heath & Wellness Animal Hospital’s holiday drive for the Rockingham community.
These solo shows close at the end of the day on Dec. 24. All artwork is available for purchase. Beginning Dec. 6 the gallery will be open every day until Christmas. Woodward will be at the gallery 1 to 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve day for last minute gift purchases. The Seacoast Artist Association gallery is located at 130 Water St., Exeter. Parking is free. Email gallery@seacoastartist.org with questions.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Two solo shows open at Seacoast Artist Association
