PITTSTON — Art E Fekts Gallery, 71 S. Main St., will host an opening reception for artist Leigh Pawling on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. for an exhibit entitled “Create-Maintain-Destroy” and showcases this artist’s latest works. All of the pieces will be for sale and on display for the remainder of the month of September.
Pawling began art lessons with Dallas artist and teacher Sue Hand, who encouraged her to continue in art and served as her mentor. Pawling attended a small liberal arts college, Wittenberg University, receiving a BFA before going to New York City, where she stayed for the next four and a half years studying drawing and oil painting at the Art Students League. Her primary teacher at the league was Peter Cox, who also encouraged her to go on in art.
Since 1997, Pawling has been a full-time working artist with her own studio and business. She does commission work, private teaching, and works for galleries and shows, as well as indoor and outdoor murals.
Locally, her outdoor murals are in Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, and Tunkhannock. Indoor murals are at Geisinger in Danville, The School of Practical Nursing in Wilkes-Barre and the Beaumont Inn in Beaumont. She teaches all ages in her studio in Dallas, concentrating on the creative process and drawing.
As a registered Artist of Pa, she has the privilege of going into schools and working with the art teacher to do special art projects with the students. The past nine summers she has been the painting instructor for the esteemed Arts Alive program in Scranton.
The Art e Fekts Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Mary Kroptavich, gallery director, at 570-299-5954.
