Mermaid Exhibit Makes a Splash at Autumn Light Studio & Gallery

Under the sea, under the sea. Darling it's better down where it's wetter, take it from me.

If life above water is becoming a drag, add some whimsy and fun to your day with Eve Olitski's latest collection of 30 mermaid paintings at Autumn Light Studio & Gallery.

The gallery will kick off Olitski's exhibit with a reception on July 23, giving guests the opportunity to meet the artist.

"[Olitski's] metamorphosizing herself ... doing other [types of art] and right now she's just enchanted with mermaids," Christopher Hayes, co-owner of Autumn Light, told Patch.

Olitski's mermaid collection started with a special request from Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition (CARC). The nonprofit organization asked 100 artists, including Olitski, for three 12" x 12" paintings for their Art for AIDS benefit.

After producing three mermaid paintings for CARC, she couldn't stop painting the glamorous sea dwellers and eventually created an entire collection.

"I fell in love with painting the mermaids. ... It became all I wanted to do," Olitski said.

Olitski was introduced to the art world by her father Jules Olitski, a prominent American abstract painter, printmaker and sculptor.

"He never stopped painting, ever. He lived to paint and painted to live," Olitski said.

She recalled her father saying, "Expect nothing, do the work, celebrate." 

And that's exactly what she's been doing throughout her journey as an artist: working hard and celebrating her success.

Olitski began her artist career as an illustrator, creating images for publications like the New Yorker, The New York Times, Boston Globe and Seventeen Magazine. She describes her work during the time as "simplistic" and "stylistic." 

It wasn't until she took a monotype workshop that her style began to evolve.

"The monotype workshop transformed me completely with the kind of work I was doing. ... Monotype allowed me to translate my thoughts into concepts and I began doing a lot of conceptual work. ... I could create images that told a story, " Olitski said.

Monotyping is a form of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth surface like plexiglass.

Although it's unusual to use a monotype for illustration purposes, Olitski started getting a number of job offers requesting monotype illustration, including an offer to design an entire psychology textbook.

"When I did [monotyping] ... the work spoke a whole new vocabulary for me," Olitski said.

Henri Matisse, an artist Olitski greatly admires, once said, "One must observe a lot. One only has one life and one is never finished."

Olitski's work is far from finished. She's always searching for more, looking and feeling from within and observing the world around her.

With her latest collection, Olitski hopes people "see the whimsy in it and enjoy the spontaneity the pieces have to offer."

The reception will take place on Saturday, July 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m at Autumn Light Studio & Gallery on 304 W. Main St. in Avon. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Olitski's collection will be on display from Saturday, July 23 through Saturday, Aug. 5. For more information, visit www.autumnlightstudio.com.