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Late Wellesley artist abstract expresses herself at library exhibit

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The Wellesley Free Library through July exhibits the late Abstract Expressionist artist Lois Gross Smiley, and the ink sketches of Rob Dunlavey.

Abstract Expressionism, Lois Gross Smiley

Lois Gross Smiley specialized in landscape, still life and figural painting in oils and pastels. Born and raised in New York City, Smiley’s artistic training coincided with the emergence of the New York abstract expressionist and gestural abstraction painting movement. The late artist’s work can be described as combining Cubist-inspired spatial concerns with an expressionistic approach to line and color. Smiley maintained a studio in Wellesley.
Wellesley Library, Lois Gross Smiley
Framed pastel abstract, Lois Gross Smiley. Many of her paintings are in private and corporate collections.

 

Wellesley Library, Lois Gross Smiley
Lois Gross Smiley worked in oils, pastels, and watercolors, and said of her work, “Although my paintings seem abstract, each has a subject that derives from nature, felt and observed. I hope to arrive at an essence strong enough to evoke a shared recognition with the viewer.”

 

Wellesley Library, Lois Gross Smiley
In 1988, after Smiley’s husband passed away, she moved to Wellesley where she became a part of the art community. She taught drawing at the Cambridge Art Association and the Concord Art Association, where she also exhibited.

The public is invited to a reception on Tuesday July 23 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

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Drawings of landscapes and birds, Rob Dunlavey

Dunlavey’s large ink sketches of ducks and herons at the South Natick Dam and Lake Waban are the result of intense and diligent working “en plein air.” Dunlavey lives in South Natick and is a habitué of the Charles River and Wellesley. He is also a published children’s book illustrator. Find out more at www.robd.com.

Wellesley Free Library, Rob Dunlavy
Dunlavy says, “Drawing in nature is a peaceful activity that satisfies my curiosity about my immediate natural environment. I value getting to know the habits and unique of a place and the animals that live there. It’s always interesting, and I’m never bored. I draw in all types of weather, rain and snow included.”

MORE:

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Michelle Jung’s seascapes, Page Waterman Gallery

Wellesley High School students win awards for art with positive themes

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  1. I’ve recently acquired a Lois Gross Smiley pastel from 1980 in its original frame from Bark Frameworks in New York. What a fantastic artist. What a once in a lifetime find. I’m so thankful I have learned of this artist and her work.

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