The exhibit was made possible by the generous support of property manager EDENS and features the paintings of Julia Blake, Julia Greenway, Dottie Laughlin, and Carolyn Mackin Watson - - and the sculpture and watercolors of Merrilyn Delano Marsh.
Merrilyn D. Marsh
Marsh’s primary
medium is sculpture but she’s also a painter. Walking around her sculptures is
an encounter with beloved animals and all manner of flora and fauna, sights and
sounds, of the natural world. She is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston and studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris. Her works
have been exhibited throughout New England and New York, and her work is
included in many private collections.Marsh taught at the Choate School of Brookline, Brookline
Community Center, DeCordova Museum of Lincoln, and also private classes. She achieved
Copley Master status as a member of the Copley Society of Art and is a member
of the New England Sculptors Association (NESA), Cambridge Art Association, and
Wellesley Society of Artists.
Two of her commissioned bronze sculptures are within short
walking distance of this exhibit: Girl
with the Butterfly is in Central Park between the Post
Office and the Wellesley Congregational Church, and Animal
Lover is in the Cloister Garden at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. Marsh’s commissioned works also include multiple bronze
reliefs on the Duke University and Tufts University campuses.
Carolyn Mackin Watson
Utilizing a mix of
photography, digital imaging, painting, collage and intuition, Carolyn creates fine
artwork inspired by her myriad passions. Her influences include the glowing
illumination of a city at night, peeled layers of paint on old buildings or
furniture, traveling and adventures both internal and external, and artists
Jill Ricci and Flora Bowley. In 1996 she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from
Syracuse University, and in 2003 a Master of Fine Arts from California College
of the Arts. She's lived in Wellesley with her husband and two
young sons since 2009. Their boys attend Hardy Elementary and P.A.W.S. and she's an active member of the Wellesley Mother’s Forum as well as Wellesley Women
Artisans.
Dottie Laughlin
Born and raised in
Chicago, Dottie Laughlin lived in several countries and cities before moving to
Boston 12 years ago. She had always enjoyed painting and studied Art in College
but it was not until she was struggling with three young sons and a Minnesota
winter that she found her way back to Oil painting. In Boston, she continued
her studies at the Danforth Museum School with Robert Collins and Ruth Scotch. She
currently studies with Boston Guild Artist, William Bartlett. These large abstract water
paintings were done following a trip to the Caribbean where she had made many
plein air sketches of the water and rocks. The sun was so warm and inviting
during the day while the late afternoon provided the many soft colors and
shadows. To Dottie it is both an incredible opportunity and challenge to
communicate with color. It is this experience of watching the painting unfold
that is so amazing and exciting to her.
Julia Greenway
These oil paintings and charcoal drawing are
inspired by uninhabited and off-the-beaten-track spaces in nature that the
artist seeks. Whether it be a sunlit moment on a trail off the main path, or an
unexpected morning mist, Greenway paints to find a passage that may feel
familiar in some way; a moment of unexpected grace in the natural world.
Julia Blake
Award-winning artist Julia Blake recently started painting again after
several years away from the easel. She has an impressive ability to work across
many styles from abstract to figure. She tends to use vivid colors, high
contrast and bold strokes to create aesthetic and meaningful works. As an
artist she was a peer-and client-nominated finalist for 40 Women to Watch Over
Forty - a list of “women in the world who are innovators, role-models and
makers, creating momentum and changing the world”. Her art is in private
collections in several states from Hawaii to Massachusetts. She lives in the
Boston area with her husband and their six children in a charming cape she
renovated.
