Merrimack River Painters

Ann Lynch

 

Letter to the Group

From Dustan Knight

What a fabulous art year for the Merrimack River Painters. Once again we have managed to pursue our artistic journeys and be moms, sisters, wives, aunts and grandmothers. We know that we need balance in our lives, time for others, as well as for ourselves.

Ann Lynch

Claudette Gammon

So we continue our regular monthly meetings where we can talk about the ups and downs in our creative journeys, our artistic goals and how we celebrate our lives.

Claudette Gammon

As time goes by, (we have been together for more than 15 years) I appreciate our group more and more.

Betsy Janeway

There are not many folks around to talk about art with. Not just the exhibition-marketing stuff, but the feelings we encounter when we are actually making art.

Dustan Knight

Mary Ruedig

We talk about new materials, share workshop tips, travel experiences and the reasons we paint, what we paint and how we feel about it. We trust each other to understand, and that is pretty darn special.

Betsy Janeway

Mary Ruedig

This past year we have gotten together at the July New Castle workshop. Marilyn’s painting day in Ogunquit, Susan had her clothesline sale and we are currently having a HUGE show at Kimball Jenkins in Concord, NH.

Annie finally had a show at the NHAA gallery in Portsmouth, NH, and Ann has been showing really interesting pieces that combine architecture and exuberant foliage.

Ann Lynch

Betsy Janeway

Mary’s artwork has blossomed and her travel journals are lovely. Betsy is drawn to wild and inaccessible places, and has been painting the Arctic tundra wildflowers in Northern Alaska. We are encouraging her to pursue the book projects she has mentioned.

Kathy Tangney

Claudette almost has her lake house sold, and continues to explore her painting materials.

Marilyn is having tremendous success with her new book “Ogunquit Etc.” and Susan’s collages are tapping into her powerful younger artistic self.

I am peddling my book at various art groups and painting a series of acrylic birches.

Mary Ruedig

Terry is always such a delight when she is able to join us, her no nonsense perceptive conversation is invaluable.

Jan radiates such happiness that we all bask in her glow, and Bonnie’s works, especially the pieces she is showing at Kimball Jenkins, are so strong and personal it just gives us a deeper insight into the remarkable person she is.

Janice Wittmer

Dustan Knight

Dustan Knight

Kathy’s self-portraits get stronger and she seems to be embracing them with more love and less confusion. I wonder what that means. She continues to be our front man, and along with Claudette, our social/techno genius, I don’t know what we would do as a group without them.

Thank you all for being the Merrimack River Painters.

Dustan Knight

PS Just for fun, we are adding images of our handmade Christmas and Holiday cards.