LYNNFIELD — It’s full speed ahead for the Lynnfield Art Guild (LAG). Its 57th season begins Thursday, Sept. 17 with a online pastel demonstration by local award-winning artist Cynthia Crimmin. The demonstration is open to all LAG members via Zoom. The event will run from 7-8 p.m.
“Cynthia was supposed to have done our March demonstration, but, of course, that got canceled. We are delighted that she agreed to do this one coming up,” said LAG President Beth Aaronson, adding that LAG has three demonstrators lined up for the fall.
Watercolorist Michael Solovyev will be featured in October via Zoom, while Jill Pottle will demonstrate acrylics in November.
Aaronson said LAG is committed to providing events and opportunities for its members as well as the public, even in the face of the pandemic.The Guild is continuing to work on several community-based initiatives.
“We have no choice but to move forward because we have to give good value to our membership,” she said. “We are looking into offering a chance for our members to have mini-websites through our website, where they can have their own gallery of sorts. Some of our members already have links to their sites on our website, but we have many, many members who are not web-savvy so that will be another added value.”
The Guild typically shows many of its members’ artwork in libraries, but with most of them still closed to the public, many members are unable to show their work.
“We are not sure when they will be opening, so we are down to only a couple of bank displays,” Aronson said.
Crimmin is a signature member of many art organizations including the Pastel Society of America, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, and the Copley Society. She has received the prestigious Master Circle designation bestowed by the International Association of Pastel Societies. Her work is displayed at many galleries, among them being the Copley Society of Art in Boston, the Left Bank Gallery in Wellfleet and the Massachusetts Francesca Anderson Gallery in Lexington. She has exhibited at the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) show in Albuquerque in June of 2013, and shows sponsored by the Connecticut Pastel Society (2013) and the Concord Art Association (2012, 2013).
Crimmin said that while she “started drawing before (she) could write… it was not until adulthood that (she) found my own inspiration.
“I realized that the act of painting has helped me to see and to appreciate the world around me more than I ever realized. I now specialize in portraits, landscapes and still life. The light, texture and forms that draw me to landscapes and still life are enhanced in my portrait work by the gesture and sparkle that light the human face.”
Crimmin’s has been recognized by several art associations. Her “Diana’s Bath” won a prize at the Connecticut Renaissance show, “Lady in Waiting” was honored in a portrait show at the Copley Society in Boston. “After the Storm,” which is shown in the online Uart Spring Show, also won a 2017 Award of Excellence at the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod Signature Show.
To join the guild, go to www.lynnfieldarts.org. Membership is open to artisans, photographers and artists, with student, supporting and family memberships available. Members enjoy free attendance at all demonstrations as well as the ability to network and share their work shows. For further information, visit LAG’s website or its Lynnfield Arts Facebook page.
