what meets the eye and touches the heart
Cooperative Gallery 213 Welcomes New Artist Eileen Seeley Schlag
On First Friday, July 7th 3- 9 pm the Cooperative Gallery 213 will open an exhibit by new member Eileen Seeley Schlag entitled What meets the eye and touches the heart. Also on display are New Works by Karen Fedczuk, a long time gallery member known for her fine print making.
Eileen writes of her paintings and encaustics, “
My paintings using acrylics and oils (often both in the same painting) depict my journey both to places in the world and in my imagination. I look for images that are dramatic, colorful, amusing or intriguing and have some emotional connection for me. Although my work is representational I attempt to create an atmospheric quality with my handling of light and shadow."
Eileen also creates art using the ancient method of encaustic painting which involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The liquid or paste is then applied to a surface; she uses prepared wood. The oldest surviving encaustic panel paintings are the Romano-Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits from the 1st Century BC. She says, "I have used the method to create a design oriented series based on jewelry pieces (I was a jeweler for a period at one time) and called Medallions and a non-representational series called Light and Shadow."
Karen Fedczuk speaks about her work: "Hawaiian mythology and legends tell the stories of the ancient Hawaiian indigenous culture. Their deep connection with nature is evident in their stories and folklore. This is what has inspired my depictions and renditions of the beauty of the land and people of Hawaii."
The Cooperative Gallery, a popular stop on the First Friday Art Walk, located on Artists Row –State of the Art, at 213 State Street in Binghamton, is open on First Friday 3- 9 pm and regularly Fridays from 3-6 and Saturdays from 12- 4 pm and by appointment with the artist. They are on Facebook at Cooperative Gallery 213 where the public can sign up for a weekly e-newsletter or at the website at www.cooperativegallery.com.
Image: "East Beach" by Eileen Seeley Schlag