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WHEELING – The Wheeling Artisan Center is hosting an exhibit of work by The Bello Studio artists now through Dec. 31.
The exhibit is in the third floor Loft Gallery of the Wheeling Artisan Center and is free and open to the public. Cecy Rose of The Bello Artists is the illustrator of Marc Harshman’s new book, “Mountain Christmas.” Some of her original paintings from the book are in the exhibit.
The Artisan Center’s 3rd Floor Loft Gallery is open 10-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The center is closed on Sunday.
The Bello Studio, located just outside of Wheeling, is where art is created by students of all ages and backgrounds.
Rose, an instructor, has been working with children and adults for the past 40 years at various colleges and fine arts studios, and recently opened a new studio on April 1, which provides private instruction in acrylic and oil painting, printmaking, drawing, watercolor and pastel.
Several of her young students have won awards at the Children’s Show of Excellence at Artworks Around Town for the past couple of years and have even received commissions and sold their work to buyers as far away as Baltimore. While this has been a pleasant surprise and honor for them, it is not the main focus. All of the students are achieving something far beyond that – the ability to observe, discover and translate their creativity to many forms of artistic expression.
They are exploring everything from the printmaking medium of monoprinting, using an etching press, to plein air painting to mixed media and collage and having fun doing it. There are even mother/daughter students who are finding a common ground of expression – and the young artists are not shy about giving a critique to mom.
This exhibit will include the works of Azlyn Kurtz and mother Lexy Frangos, Dara and daughter, Rose Pond, Frank Olszeski, Lauren Brannan, Dean Lehew, Lilly Wood, Susan Board, Suzanne Escott, Lucia Perri.
Rose Pond, who is 9 years old, said, “I’ve always liked art. My favorite subject to paint is animals. My favorite technique is monoprinting.”
Her mother, Dara, works in pastels and started lessons with Rose to have some creative time with her daughter. Since starting lessons a couple of years ago, she has created studies in pastel on black paper. Lauren Brannan, who is 11 years old, has also been a Bello Studio student for almost three years and says she enjoys working in acrylic, watercolor, monoprinting and other unique techniques which “hold her interest.”
Her cousin, Dean Lehew, age 10, recently signed up for lessons with Cecy and has been creating his first ever paintings on canvas – eager and creative, he puts a lot of energy into his delightful compositions. 12 year old Azlyn Kurtz has been studying art with Cecy for a couple of years, also, and loves all animals, especially horses, a subject that she depicts beautifully in her paintings and monoprints.
“I have loved to draw and paint for as long as I can remember,” she said.
Nine-year-old Lilly Wood, has been painting with Cecy since she was seven and, along with Azlyn, Lilly and Lauren, has sold several pieces and done commission work as well. Lilly has quite a sense of humor, which is often portrayed in her art – no shortage of whimsy in her subject matter. But she takes inspiration from nature and prefers loose landscape themed works and abstracts, using mostly pastels and acrylics.
Rose, Lilly, Azlyn and Lauren have all won Merit and/or Best of Show awards at the Annual Children’s Art of Excellence Show at Artworks Around Town Gallery in Wheeling.
Susan Board, who began lessons almost three years ago, is a lady of many talents – among them being an aviator, Grow Ohio Valley financial/bookkeeping advisor and last but not least, a pastel and watercolor artist. Her landscapes in both media are simply enchanting.
Frank Olszeski, a member of the Independent Artist Group, is an Ohio native who has been a sketch artist most of his life. Now that he has incorporated that gift into his paintings, the blend of color, abstraction and the figurative are woven together into a lively and interesting composition you can almost hear the jazz playing in the background.
Suzanne and Millie came to Bello Studio just a few months ago, along with Lucia, a 7th grader, and are all oil painters. It’s been exciting for them and me to do life studies in oil. Lucia has a natural sense for color and composition and is experiencing gesture drawing for the first time something that all the students enjoy. Her art shows an accomplished hand and eye for life drawing and painting, as well. Suzanne, who graduated from Wheeling Jesuit University, studied at the Corcoran Art Museum in Washington, D.C. and is retired U.S. Navy, has a particularly endearing and accomplished style of painting in the primitive genre, and her scenes often depict her native Ohio landscapes of which she is so familiar.
Millie, a great-grandmother and lifelong resident of Neffs graduated from Belmont Tech and has been a professional cake decorator for 47 years. Her paintings are as delightful as her cakes.
Rose, received her master of Fine Arts in painting from Rhode Island School of Design in 1976 and has been teaching and exhibiting her work ever since. She has also been co-ordinator of the Independent Artist Group in Wheeling for the past ten years. That group meets each Monday at the Stifel Fine Arts Center where artists of all levels of experience can do life drawing or painting from the model.
“Just working in the same space with other artists is incredibly inspiring and motivating. We lift one another up. It’s not just about the art anymore we have developed close friendships and are very supportive of one another.” But as Rose points out, “Teaching has always been my first love. It brings real joy to my heart to witness the ‘Aha!’ moment when a student experiences the creative spirit taking over and the right brain being fully charged. It’s really something special.”
Several of her students, past and present, have attended the group sessions which encourage self-confidence, a very important factor, Rose believes, in artistic expression.
“Art creates confidence, confidence creates art somewhat like a perpetual motion machine,” commented Rose.
The Bello Studio artists are excited to present this public exhibition celebrating the emergence of new artists and new works.
For more information on this or upcoming exhibits, call the Artisan center at 304-232-1810.