The Critter Show
Featuring six artists who were selected for their compelling artistic portrayals of various creatures of the animal kingdom, including Joan Barrows, Jane Simpson, Rosemary Conroy, John Kenyon, David Bulger, and Mary Iselin.
Opening Reception: Friday, May 9 from 5pm-7pm
Exhibit available for viewing and purchase during open hours and by appointment May 9 through June 4.
About the Artists:
Joan Barrows paints native N.H. species, sketched in acrylic paint on resurrected drop cloth and then stretched on own homemade frames. She strives, through the entire process to create art that conveys the unique character and beauty of the individual creature.
Jane E. Simpson creates her art from found paper and other items such as vintage photographs, sewing notions, old books, paint and pencil. She is a Keene State College graduate, League of New Hampshire Craftsmen state-juried member, three time I-Park Foundation fellow, and a self-employed picture framer since 1989.
Rosemary Conroy creates mostly large-scale paintings of birds, bears, whales, octopuses, and other creatures. The connection she feels with her subjects is parlayed to the viewer by detailing a knowing eye, adding bright patterns of color, and laying down loose strokes to render their form. She says, “I looked these animals in the eye before I painted them and I want the viewer to care about them too. We need to realize we all share the same planet.” She has traveled to Manitoba to study polar bears, Minnesota to study black bears, out West to study bison, and she even swam with massive humpback whales in the Dominican Republic. Rosemary shows in several galleries in the region and also shows her work out of her home studio in Francestown, NH. Her artwork is owned by people from around the world and is part of several non-profit and corporate collections.
John Kenyon is a native New Englander and spends most of his time in West Lebanon NH. Whether the subject of his painting is a person who has made an indelible mark on history, an ostrich, an elephant, or a goldfish, all have a spirit that shines through, displaying a unique energy. The majority of his work is created by commissions, but he also has exhibited at galleries including the New Hampshire Art Association in Portsmouth NH, the NH Chamber of Commerce in Concord NH, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon NH, and the AVA Gallery in Lebanon NH. He paints almost entirely with oils on canvas, loves to use bold colors, and creates multi-dimensional paintings that ride the edge of both naturalism and realism.
David Bulger resides in Keene NH and works out of his Harrisville NH studio. Current works are in paint and pencil.
Mary Iselin’s paintings are luminous and filled with light. She paints draft horses, sheep, cattle and landscapes the way some artists would paint a bowl of fruit: to explore light, color, and atmosphere—especially spiritual atmosphere. A professional painter in oil, Iselin is represented by several fine art galleries, including 3 Pears in Dorset, VT; Vermont Artisans in Brattleboro, VT; and Hannah Grimes in Keene, NH.