It was drizzling, damp afternoon the Saturday of June 23rd. The sky was composed of shifting gradients of gray, and dew drops lay on every object in sight. Miserable conditions for an outing by all accounts. And yet, next to a little gallery on old Drift Road, the sounds of laughter, of stimulating conversation, and of jazz could be heard on the air. The ground may have been damp, but the same could not be said for the spirits of the Belle Maison's Open Gallery attendees!
Guests included community members and neighbors as well as family and friends hailing from all over the country and world. The theme of the show was "Celtic Coasts," many of the paintings featured being inspired by Heidi's travels through Scotland and Ireland. After she and her husband complete their walking tour of Ireland in the near future, more inspired pieces are sure to follow.
Amidst the depictions of the Westport coast, Donegal, and France, guests helped themselves to some homemade refreshments and engaged in jovial discussions of the work they were perusing. With the melodious tones of live jazz band Major 4th (which was formed by Heidi's former students) as a backdrop and with the food and conversation flowing, a perfect atmosphere for the admiration and preponderance of art was created.
Multiple paintings were sold thanks to the event, a boon to the art scene of Westport and New England as a whole. As curious neighbors stopped by for a spell, the festivities and discussion continued on well past the designated time slot of 1-3 PM, and left everyone's souls a little lighter for having taken a moment to stop and admire the world through another's eyes. Hopefully, such a success will mark many more similar occasions for the Belle Maison, and bring together even more people with a love of art.
Watch the video below to see more of the event in a short montage!