BRATTLEBORO-Watercolors and oil paintings by Art Among Friends - Connie Evans, Alice Freeman, Kathy Greve, Laurie Klenkel, Louise Zak, and Lynn Zimmerman - will return to the Brooks Memorial Library in June.
Unlike past Art Among Friends shows, this one does not have a theme, with more than 40 pieces of the local artists' recent work reflecting a variety of styles.
"We have buildings, fruit, vegetables, animals, shells, boats, skies - just a really nice mix. And our styles are all very different," Zimmerman said.
"We really are featuring the work of each one of us. […] This is really a show where we really try to bring our best work forward," Zimmerman said.
Art Among Friends previously had a show at the Crowell Gallery in 2022 and two at Brooks Memorial Library: "Bloom!" in 2023 and "Yum!" in March and April of this year.
From Zoom to in-person
The group began meeting on Zoom, and then made their way to meeting in person, "getting a little deeper than just being together on Zoom," Zimmerman said. "There's a whole 'nother level, and the friendship is wonderful."
The group made way more than just paintings - they were able to meet new people and form strong friendships beyond the paintbrush.
"I appreciate that our interest in painting has brought together people from very different backgrounds," Zimmerman said.
She notes that all the group members have a similar artistic vibe but the six still reflect a diversity of interests, knowledge, or skill.
At the most basic level, one thing they have in common is that "we just love beauty," Zimmerman says.
She acknowledges that art, especially in 2024, does not have to be beautiful.
But as a group, the six artists "are still kind of holding on to this notion that it's beautiful."
"We call ourselves Art Among Friends. And that really fits," Greve said.
Greve explained how much the group has steered her with critiques toward her art pieces as well.
"We can say what we like, we can say that 'I think it needs this,'" she says. "I get a lot of help from other members of the group."
Brushing the surface of art inspiration
When it comes to figuring out what to paint, the six artists all have their own inspirations and ideas.
"I'm very inspired by things in the natural world. And I think that's true of several of us: We just have this admiration for things that are really beautiful," Zimmerman says.
"I don't always know what I want to paint from week to week. But you know, I always dig up something." Greve said.
Zimmerman expresses that her favorite form of art is painting in oils and watercolor.
"In terms of style, I kind of waver back and forth between being fairly precise and hard-edged and realistic and also wanting to be looser," she says.
She also acknowledges the importance of the support from the group, including encouragement and accountability.
Greve encourages people to take classes not only to get good instruction, but also to meet new people and see how they do their art.
"Join classes to find people, but mostly just start doing it," she says. "And do it with kind of a growth mindset that you're just open, you're open to learning... You just be an artist, you become an artist," Zimmerman said.
* * *
A reception for this show will take place at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., Brattleboro, on Friday, June 8 at 1 p.m. The paintings in the exhibit, as well as original paintings, prints, and cards will be available for purchase. Contact the Art Among Friends artists at ArtAmongFriends6@gmail.com.
This Arts item by Alyssa Grosso was written for The Commons.