Well...the post this week had to wait a bit today...Summer has descended on the Island!
Even Mother Nature has cooperated with the woods fully green and the flowers coming out to boot...so, I was outside...straightening up, discovering what made it through the Winter...rearranging. It felt great...
I digress...another sign that Summer is here is that there is activity at the Art & Nature Center. The Nature Room is up and running as Cathy Meader's photo's shows.
Artists are dropping off their work. The opening is coming up on Friday. This year the First Show features the work of Island resident, Martha Wagner.
Martha's paintings reflect her vision as a Modernist and the subsequent pull of Realism v Design...
Island views yes, however Martha says, "Design has been drilled into me."
Influenced by the Bauhaus Movement, Martha graduated from Cardinal Stritch University and in due course earned a MFA from George Washington University.
However, it is her work with Chicago Art Institute's, Paul Weighardt at the Evanston Art Center she enjoys discussing. Husband Bob was a grad student then and Martha's fulltime job was being in charge of their young family.
Saturdays became a significant time to maintain her "perspective". Bob would take over at home and Martha would lose herself in painting, developing her technique. In the years to come, Martha served as an art teacher in Virginia and continues to work with children, spending time at the Island School with Tom Hokkannen's classes.
Come have a look at the ANC!
Have a great week!