If anyone can lure children away from the din of the electronic world, it’s Elaine Smith and the local artist has been doing just that for years.
CLARE MARIE CELANO Art instructor Elaine Smith congratulates two of her students whose work was honored at a recent art show held at the Freehold Public Library, Freehold Borough. Joining Smith are Andrew Gabriele, 12, and Maggie Witham, 8. Once a week the school-age children who take lessons from Smith put down their favorite gaming system to pick up a pencil, a piece of charcoal or a paint brush and enter a new world, one where Smith helps them to create their own brand of magic through art.
Smith, of Freehold Township, teaches children at the Around the Corner Art Center, Freehold Township, in her “Come DrawWith Elaine” classes, and every year she hosts an art show that features the work of her pupils. The show takes place at the Carnegie Library in Freehold Borough.
Inside the historic library, among the books, newspapers and videos, Smith’s students get to see their creations hanging on walls and displayed on the shelves.
Smith recently held her 10th annual art show. Art work in watercolors, acrylics, pencil and colored pencils from 39 artists was on display. The works featured cartoon characters, beautifully drawn flowers, whimsical animal characters, elegant ladies, seascapes and still lifes.
The winner of the Best in Show award was Andrew Gabriele, 12, of Freehold Township. Andrew won for his mixed medium, whimsical detailed and extremely colorful portrayal of “Fat Cat.” With his purple and pink stripes, shifty blue eyes and red tie, the “Fat Cat,” smoking a cigar, was sea of color.
Maggie Witham, 8, of the New Egypt section of Plumsted, won the Judges Award Best in Show for her watercolor painting of an elegant yet mysterious looking lady in a soft yellow dress, standing next to a piano. Her work was titled “The Piano Lady.”
Other winners in the show chose to work on more personal projects, such as Matthew Fountain, 12, of Freehold Township, who has been taking lessons with Smith for about 18 months.
Matthew decided to draw from a photo of his grandfather who was wounded in combat during the KoreanWar. The photo of his grandfather, E. Larry St. Laurent, dressed in his U.S. Army uniform, inspired Matthew to draw his grandfather’s portrait.Matthew won a JudgesAward for his piece.
Although every artist cannot win a top prize, each child went home with an award. With her usual grace and style, Smith laid out red, purple, green and blue ribbons on the old wooden library table and each child went home with a first-, second- or third-place ribbon in recognition of his or her artwork.
Art supplies donated by theAround the Corner Art Center went to the top prize winners.
The show is held in honor of Smith’s mother, Mary Murphy Smith, who took Smith to the library when she (Smith) was a child. This year’s art show was also dedicated to Smith’s dear friend, Peter Jones, “the man who used to bring me here every year.”
Jones died last year. Most of Smith’s students knew Jones because he was a familiar presence at the annual show. Smith said this year it took several people to take care of details for the art show that Jones had handled by himself.
Smith’s skills span many mediums and techniques, including caricatures, portraits, personalized cards, acrylics, watercolors, pastels and even Web site drawings. She also works as an art therapist.