White Bear Community Counseling Center
1280 N. Birch Lake Blvd
White Bear Lake, MN 55110 FEATURED ARTIST: Jill Bezecny
After completing my degree in art, I drifted from one art form to another including quilting, drawing, knitting, photography, and printmaking. Through it all, I have tried to reflect the passage of time and its complex effects on surfaces. I’ve always had a fascination with old buildings, crumbling ruins, rusting iron, and cracked concrete. So I suppose it’s natural for me to include these textures in my work.
My most recent work mixes Venetian plaster, acrylic paint, and "discarded” paper – old text book pages or magazine pages or pieces I find on the ground during my daily walk -- to increase the feeling of age. I often cut these papers into squares, to provide structure to the work. Above all, I want the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions about what each painting suggests. Hopefully some of my own thoughts and feeling come through, but there is no wrong or right meaning – we each bring our own experience to the table.
Dunn Brothers Coffee
2751 E County Rd. E
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Phone: 651-653-1405
FEATURED ARTIST: Jill O'Connor
Jill
O’Connor was born in
Minneapolis and grew up in a large family
that liked to
hunt and fish in
Northern Minnesota where she
developed a love for nature. Jill
discovered she had an interest in the creative arts with her first full
time
job
in an advertising agency.
While
living
in
Belgium in the
1980s, her love of art grew through many visits to the art museums of
Western Europe.The
realism in the paintings by the old masters particularly intrigued
her and sparked in her an interest in learning how to paint portraits,
still-life subjects, and landscapes in a similar style.
Upon
returning
home, Jill started her journey as an artist with watercolor classes
and then enrolled in oil painting classes. Subsequently, she became a
part-time
student at The Atelier in
Minneapolis
in order to develop her drawing skills and perfect her art.Jill’s
love of brilliant color can be seen in
all of her paintings which include portraits, landscapes and florals.
She
strives to infuse her paintings with elements of classical realism along
with
the beautiful colors of the
FrenchImpressionistsSchool.
In
the past couple of years her work has been purchased by a number of
private collectors in
Minnesota and
Wisconsin and she is always
open to
commission requests.
PURCHASING ARTWORK
If you are interested in purchasing any of the featured artwork on display, contact the WBCA at 651.407.0597, or visit us in the old Armory building, 2228 Fourth Street, downtown White Bear Lake. WBCA has brought art to the White Bear area for more than 35 years by providing community art classes, exhibits and events. We have an exciting schedule of classes and events offered year-round. Our class listings, events, online gallery, resources for artists and so much more can be found here in this website.
Become a WBCA member today and receive discounts on art classes and workshops, reduced fees on exhibit entries, invitations to our special events and exhibits, and receive our quarterly newsletter and class catalog. Your tax-deductible contribution helps support our many programs and ensures accessible, community arts for everyone.
