VISUAL ARTS

 At the Loading Dock Gallery this November, painter Nita Leger Casey takes you down the streets and along the byways of her adopted city of Lowell. Casey’s paintings focus on the play of light and a sense of place. A rich quiet infuses her work. Lowell through My Eyes celebrates the beauty of the New England mill town.

Comfortable with oil, watercolor, and pastel, Casey paints daily in her studio at 122 Western Avenue, Lowell. She works from life, painting outside when weather permits. She is also an avid photographer, who uses her camera to collect inspiration. She shoots countless photos for reference. Often she finds inspiration on the back roads from her home in Pepperell to her studio in Lowell. She has been known to make a U-turn to record a particular chair, classic porch, or stunning landscape.

Casey has always been an artist. She remembers drawing houses “in every book and paper I could find when I was a young child.” Streetscapes and houses remain her favorite subjects. Her influences include Hopper, Sargent, and Manet.

Born and raised in France, Casey attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Orleans and the Ecole de Dessin in Paris. She has lived around the world -Paris, Panama, Germany, Italy- but she considers herself lucky to live in New England now. “The beauty is all around me, from mountains to the seashore, and a little bit of Old World feeling. I love everything about New England.”

Casey paints daily and is also a daily blogger. She has been represented by the New England Card Company, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Brick Mill Studio. She has won the annual Christmas card contest at the Presidential Retreat at Camp David, Maryland. Her work has been published and is included in private collections all over the world. Her memberships include New Hampshire Art Association, Pastel Painters of Maine, Pastel Society of New Hampshire, Upcountry Artists in Maine, associate member of the New England Watercolor Society, and associate member of Oil Painters of America.

Lowell through My Eyes shows in theLoading Dock Gallery at Western Avenue Studios, 122 Western Avenue, second floor of the A-Mill, from October 31 to November 25, 2012. There will be a reception for the artist on Friday, November 2, from 6 to 9 pm. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 4:30 pm. For further information about the exhibit or the gallery, visit theloadingdockgallery.com or call 978-710-8605.