An opening reception will be held on Thursday,
March 14 from 5 to 8 pm at the Lincoln Art Institute, 112 S. Mclean
St., Lincoln. The show will include artworks from throughout Lee’s
career, representing the artistic journey of this established and
talented artist. While several pieces are from private collections,
some paintings will be for sale.
Lee earned her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in art, as well as an
honorary Doctorate from MacMurray College, her alma mater. In
addition to showing in regional galleries, she gave private lessons
and taught art courses for many years at Lincoln College. After
retiring, she relocated to Naples, Florida, where she continued to
paint and was an active member of the local art community. One of
her largest commissions during that time was to complete a set of
100 paintings to decorate a new hotel in Naples. She now lives in
Lincoln and is still painting.
Though Lee is accomplished in oils, pastel, acrylic and watercolor,
she currently considers acrylics to be her preferred medium. Her
favorite subject to paint is faces, but other recurring themes
include flowers, tropical birds, and waterside scenes.
Especially in works done in Florida, her treatment of light is
reminiscent of the Impressionists, but at one point she decided to
study hyperrealism, just to see how she liked the style.
She mastered the technique but wasn’t satisfied with the
meticulous method and feels that the experience affected her painting approach
for a while.
However, she notes, “I feel that lately I am becoming freer with
my colors. It’s hard to explain, but somehow the colors are more spontaneous.”
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The artist is not afraid of large canvases, and some of her most
striking and colorful works are large statement pieces. Nevertheless, each is
unique and quite unforgettable, a strong contrast to the boring and repetitive
images of so-called “sofa art.”
After the opening reception, the Dowling exhibit will be available for viewing
until April 10 by chance or appointment. If interested, call gallery owner Moses
Pinkerton at 217-651-8355. Also available at the March 14 opening will be
information on the April, 2019 exhibit, in which LCA members will show works on
the theme “Green Inspirations”. Non-members can also show artworks in this
exhibit by paying a small display fee. Anyone interested in doing so should
contact Pinkerton for more information.
[Pamela Moriearty] |