Island artist Mary Bassell, who paints vibrant island scenes with pastels, will show her new works of Ocracoke’s famous lighthouse Wednesday, Sept. 23, beginning 5 p.m. in Down Creek Gallery’s “Expose Yourself to Art” series of artists’ receptions.
All receptions are open to the public and feature refreshments and live music.
While many of her works depict the colorful hues of the beach, the marshes or the sandy lanes, this year she has been focusing on the Ocracoke Lighthouse and capturing it from different vantage points.
It wasn’t until Bassell was well into adulthood that she discovered her passion for this art medium—one in which the artist must layer her colors to achieve the desired effect.
Hailing from Long Island, NY, in her early twenties, Bassell worked in colored and stained glass and took classes from nationally known artists.
When she turned 50, she decided to follow her dream to draw and paint.
She spent an entire winter driving her old blue truck to the island creeks where she sketched day after day, capturing the nuances of shadow and light, the movement of the creeks and marshes.
In February of that year, she visited some pastel classes in Sonoma, Calif., and found her passion in pastels.
From realistic scenes, she evolved to softer, more flowing strokes resulting in the vibrant, impressionistic colors that mark her work today.
Musical guest for Bassell’s show will be Rob King.
Down Creek Gallery is located in the village near the Community Square, 260 Irvin Garrish Highway.
