The Ashtabula Arts Center’s gallery will be displaying the works of local artist Diane Cooper entitled “Figurative, Floral & Decorative Art” beginning September 1. The exhibit will run throughout the month of September.

Diane Cooper recently moved “back home” to Ashtabula County after living in Los Angeles for 17 years. She brings her latest collection of paintings and a select collection of her favorite works to the Ashtabula Arts Center.“I’m thrilled to have a venue for my art in my hometown,” Cooper says.

She uses a unique combination of watercolor and color pencil on Arches paper, a technique she helped pioneer. Subject matters will include her Children at Play Series, landscapes and florals. “I’m showing my new stuff for the first time. It’s lighter, and a bit more fun, florals and decorative works that I love.”

Cooper brings an impressive track record. She worked for several years as a digital animator in Los Angeles. She helped create games such as Final Fantasy VII, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, which won best adventure game of the year. She also worked on the movie Stuart Little. Upon being voted in as “Special Events Coordinator” for her LA Art group, Cooper began exhibiting her traditional art in earnest. Her first year of fulltime painting resulted in numerous regional awards for her figurative and floral paintings. Rinehart Fine Arts published four of her floral paintings as posters for international distribution.

Word of mouth and online publications have culminated in a consistent influx of portrait commissions. She placed first in the Fine Arts Institute of San Bernardino County Museum’s 37th National Exhibition. By request of well know color pencil artist, Ann Kullberg, Diane has published lesson packs detailing her cutting edge technique available online. Her work can be seen in public and private collections nationwide.

Publications featuring Diane’s work include the SAKS Fifth Avenue Folio that featured hand-signed giclee reproductions of one of her water lily paintings. Cooper makes regular donations of her portrait service to help raise funds for organizations such as the American Heart Association, the International Bird Rescue and Research Center of San Pedro, CA and more recently the Geauga County Humane Society.

An exhibit opening reception will be held at the Arts Center, 2928 West 13th Street, Ashtabula, on Friday, September 16 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend this free event, partake of light refreshments and meet the artist. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The exhibit can also be viewed before all G.B. Community Theatre performances and during intermissions.

“Paintings and Drawings by John Carlson” will be on display in the Arts Center’s main gallery from August 3rd through the 30th. Joining him will be Beverly Gipson O’Reilly with an exhibit entitled “Three Dimensional Art.”

Carlson studied graphics at Cooper School of Art in Cleveland. He has won numerous Best of Show and Honorable Mentions and presently has a piece on display at Baycrafter’s Gallery Floral Juried Show. During the month of July, his work will be on display at the Pentagon Gallery in Cleveland Heights. Carlson resides in Bay Village where he is currently working on a series called “The Black & White Paintings.”

O’Reilly graduated from Edinboro University with a BFA in drawing. This led to work as an illustrator, graphic designer and art director in advertising. Living in rural Ashtabula County has inspired the use of varied materials in her art. Sticks, cattail reeds and feathers along with woven and wrapped colored threads are layered over a strong graphic background to create 3-D pieces.

A special art exhibit will be held from August 4th - 29th in the Arts Center’s upper gallery. This exhibit, by AAC art student, Nicie Reynolds, will feature many of Nicie’s recent works. Thirty year old Nicie was born with Cerebral Palsy and she has very limited use of her hands and arms however this has never stopped her from enjoying her passion for art.

Nicie works most often in pen. She also draws with pencil and has done some painting.

“Ever since I was a little girl,” says her sister Lametrea, “I’ve known Nicie to love art. Most recently, she made T-shirts for all of the girls in our family by first carving a stamp and then printing the designs onto the shirts.”

Nicie began taking private art instruction from visual arts coordinator Meeghan Humphrey last summer. Last month, Meeghan obtained a head stick for Nicie which tightens around her forehead. The device holds a pencil or whatever tool Nicie wishes to use and allows her to manipulate the tool with her head.