'It's a Local Thing'— artwork by L.E (Lori) Ashley Oct 1 through Oct 29

Image: "Sippican Buoy" © L.E. Ashley

    On Saturday, October 1st, from 6-8pm, True Grit Art Gallery will host an opening reception for ‘It's A Local Thing’— a solo exhibit of artworks created by Middleboro artist L.E. (Lori) Ashley. This event is free and open to the public. Complimentary adult refreshments will be served.
   L.E. Ashley (Lori) grew up in Middleborough, MA, drawing and writing stories since she was a toddler. In the early 1980s, she traded linework for oil paint when she studied under Leland B. Smith in his studio on the third floor of Middleborough's historic Pierce Building. When going through an inspirational "dry-spell", she'd sit at one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and watch summer storms roll in, or study art books —especially the Hudson River School painters. Later, she graduated with a degree in Illustration from UMass Dartmouth. Her work concentrates on landscapes, abandoned properties, and animal portraits. Passionate about history since exploring her grandfather's Acushnet, MA homestead as a child looking for treasure, Lori found a deep affinity for old wooden objects, rusty metal, and antique paper, which she gradually incorporated into her art. Today she crafts "vintage" assemblages, using her oil paintings as a focal point. Most are in miniature, designed to lure the passer-by in for a private glimpse of nostalgia or hometown feel. She draws upon a tactile love for the antique elements in her work and from carefully chosen, painted views to get the observer to smile and say "Yes. I have been here once before, in a simpler time."
  “The pieces I have chosen for this showing are the culmination of a year's work concentrating on local scenes that have touched my heart.” says Lori. “It's been a very long year of changes and difficulties, love and sadness. I watched as my little, happy-go-lucky dog Ollie struggled with congestive heart failure, and finally took his last breath. Often I would paint through tears and deep introspection on the presence and absence of loved ones, searching for meaning, and a sense of grounding. In the process of completing these works, I found a glimpse of that grounding, that balance, coming to the conclusion that what matters most in life is with who and what you closely surround yourself—the people, animals, landscapes, and memories you hold very close to your soul. The small things, the familiar. The ‘Local Things’. “
   ‘It's A Local Thing’ runs from its opening night through October 29th. True Grit Art Gallery is located at 38 Center St in Middleboro, MA. Regular gallery hours are Tues 11-4, Wed thru Fri 10-5, and Sat 10-3.

Go to Show Page