An Artist in the House

Today I had the pleasure of hosting Library Clerk Amy Gagnon for lunch -- but the focus of our conversation was not on the library, much as I love libraries.  We talked mostly about Amy's drawings, paintings, and films, her background as an artist and a horticulturist, and her plans for the new Drawing Club on campus.

The Drawing Club -- for students, faculty, and staff -- held its first informational meeting on February 2nd. Regular drawing sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays between 1:00 and 2:00 pm.  Contact Amy at agagnon@unity.edu for information about the meeting's location.

 

Clearly, we're lucky that Amy is willing to share her artistic skills and experience with us, and I imagine many of us didn't know about her talent and training until now. I found out last semester during an informal chat in the library, when Amy mentioned her artwork.  Curious (is there ANOTHER person at Unity College with a sort-of-secret talent?), I visited her portfolio website, which documents her astonishingly beautiful drawings, including botanical illustrations like this one. . . . .



. . . . . . and her paintings . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . and her photographs.

Amy earned a double degree from University of Maine at Orono in Horticulture and Fine Arts.  Her work has been shown at the Folger Library at University of Maine, and has won a Judge's Award at the Common Grounds Fair.  In addition to assisting students, staff and faculty at the Quimby Library (which she loves), she also creates commissioned art like this painting, one of four that grace barn doors at Beaver Dam Farm Resort in Pomquet, Nova Scotia.

During our lunch, Amy asked me if I had ever done any drawing, and I confessed that yes, I did love to draw when I was a kid.  "Everyone says that!' she exclaimed.  I know what she means -- I often hear the same thing about poetry.  We all have an impulse of some sort to create beauty and meaning in our lives.  My thanks go out to Amy for providing Unity community members with one more opportunity to express themselves creatively.