Opening Reception: Friday, May 10, 6 to 8 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, May 18, 1 pm
On View: May 10 through June 15
James Library & Center for the Arts, 24 West Street, Norwell
Admission is free, donations are gratefully accepted
On a sparkling summer day, Artist Marcia Ballou was sitting on a bench in her field enjoying the bright light and beautiful summer flowers, when a dance of nature appeared before her eyes. A swarm of dragonflies, diving, circling, and chasing each other, displayed wings sparkling in the sunlight. Monarch butterflies appeared, many of them, floating into the scene and joining the dance. It was enchanting. “This scene is held in my memory as a treasure. It is a scene I paint, always trying to portray the feeling I had of joy,” shares Ballou.
Collage is Ballou’s medium. She incorporates a palette of painted papers, cloth, paints, and threads. The process is slow, while she employs deliberate and spontaneous application. Her colorful gestures and intuitive patterns are accented by paint for atmosphere. She then assembles papers, cloth, and threads with acrylic mediums or by hand stitching, assembled like a jigsaw puzzle, enlivened by unexpected material and shape combinations. Occasionally a realistic painting of a favorite creature appears against the abstract dance of color. Ballou’s patterns always seem to create blossoms of texture on the surface of each finished piece, with a goal to evoke joy. Sponsored by Marshfield Cultural Council, a local cultural council supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
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