DeWitt

A New Place to Discover Local Art

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Natur-Tyme Transforms Community Corner Into An Art Gallery

Natur-Tyme, 3160 Erie Blvd. East, DeWitt, NY 13214 - 315.488.6300 - Store Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 am to 8 pm Saturday: 9 am to 6 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm

Sculptures by Tom Huff and prints and small paintings by Maria Rizzo.

Sculptures by Tom Huff and prints and small paintings by Maria Rizzo.

Natur-Tyme is much more than your average health food store, carrying more than 10,000 grocery products (including over 1,000 gluten-free products), over 220 brands of supplements, a wide array of health and beauty products, high-quality pet food and pet supplements, and now providing an art gallery in their Community Corner to promote the talents of local professional artists as well as to bring cultural enhancement to the local community frequenting the store.

I have been selected as Natur-Tyme’s Artist-In-Residence and my goal is to create a thriving local art section in the store. I will be educating the community about the importance of the fine arts through talks and workshops. My responsibilities are:

  1. to help the local community find high-quality works of art with different price ranges,
  2. to expose the community to our local artists and their art services,
  3. to recruit excellent artworks and wares by professionals and trusted local artists and crafters.

I will showcase my original paintings, fine art prints and much more at the store for the entire time I fulfill the role of Artist-in-Residence at Natur-Tyme.


Along with my art, the store will showcase and promote the work of other artists over three-month periods. From July 1 to September 25, 2015 Natur-Tyme is proud to exhibit my acrylic paintings, the mixed media paintings by Karen Tashkovski, and the sculptures of Tom Huff. Everyone is invited to check out the original works of these local artists during normal store hours. Learn more about the new art gallery at Natur-Tyme by visiting  www.natur-tyme.com.


The Story Behind the 'Trees Along The Canal'

MaryMollicaDeWittCanal.jpg
MaryMollica.jpg

This week I highlight the story of Mary Mollica and her photo of trees along the DeWitt canal in New York. She is one of the eight winners of the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge, an interactive art project that asked Onondaga County residents to go into nature, find the most beautiful trees in our county, and send their suggestions to me with a photo.

Describe yourself: name, age, location, what do you do for a living and what are some of your hobbies? Mary Mollica, 47, Liverpool, NY  Artist & Owner of The Decorative Paintbrush, It's funny that you ask about "hobbies" because I really don't have any I don't think? lol! My profession and my hobbies all sort of intertwine. I love to paint, hunt for antiques and refurbish them into art.  I also love photography & writing my blog-you name it!  If it's creative I'm trying it!

Why did you choose to photograph this particular tree/ trees? I loved the way the colors of this particular tree and its surroundings all worked together.  It just looked so peaceful and serene.

What time of the year was it?  I took this at the beginning of Fall

What is the exact location of this tree? This tree was at one of the stops/entrances along the Erie Canal in DeWitt

Do you know the type of tree you have captured? Does this tree have a particular meaning to you? I believe it's an Oak Tree.  Like I said, I was drawn to it because of its vibrant colors, as if it were ablaze against the cool back drop of the sky & water.  I love the way the Oak tree develops from a tiny acorn into a mighty, intricate tree-old and wise. 


How did you find out about this challenge? I found about this challenge via Face Book

The making of the 'Trees Along The Canal'     

The reason why I chose to paint this tree is very simple: I LOVE FALL COLORS and this photo truly capture the hues of this beautiful season. Below you will see the development of this painting.

The finished piece is a 30x24" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas and was completed during the month of March of 2015.

Trees Along The Canal, 30x24" acrylic on canvas by Maria Rizzo.

Trees Along The Canal, 30x24" acrylic on canvas by Maria Rizzo.