Local artists gather to celebrate arts homecoming
Linda Linham and Vera Shaffer stand next to the portrait of Shaffer’s granddaughter that Linham painted. It was displayed at the arts homecoming held at the Pomerene Center for the Arts on Aug. 10-11. Jen Jones | Beacon
COSHOCTON – On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 10-11, the Pomerene Center for the Arts held an arts homecoming. The public was invited to view the work of local artists and to hear Christopher Graves as part of the Jazz on the Lawn series.
Several artists were on hand to meet attendees and talk about their work. Melissa Maxwell has been painting with oil paints about five years. She used watercolors before that and has been painting for about 30 years. Her display for the homecoming was a pink dahlia.
“Florals are my favorite subject to paint. I just love the way sunlight comes through the petals and I want to catch that,” said Maxwell.
Linda Linham uses oil paints as she believes they are more of a challenge. “I was a graphic artist for Shaw Barton for years and worked with airbrushes and acrylics. I waited 40 years to try oils and about seven years ago, I did.” She specializes in figure subjects and many of her pieces are commissioned work. “I think people love the idea of passing it down from generation to generation.”
Friday evening was special to Linham as she painted a portrait of a former Ridgewood High School classmate’s granddaughter and this was the night for Vera Shaffer to view the painting for the first time. “I just love it. The likeness is unreal. It’s just gorgeous – you can see the sunset on her face.”
Photographer Lois Stubbs has been taking pictures since high school. She enjoys taking pictures of old things, such as barns and houses, the most. “I like black and white and color both. It depends on the texture of what I’m taking a picture of as to what would look the best.”
Her featured work was called “Forgotten in Time” and featured an old house near Clark. “Houses have stories to tell. We just have to listen to them.”
Another artist, Jean Norris, enjoys painting about anything. “I just paint whatever grabs my imagination at the time.” She uses a wide variety of paints and also creates paper mache items and sculptures. “When I see something I like, I try to figure it out.”
Category: Arts & Entertainment
