Artists Corner: Polly Boston

Stop by the Carrollwood Cultural Center, and one thing is clear: local artists are making their mark in Tampa Bay.

One of those artists is Pauline Boston, known by many as "Polly," who received honorable mention in a recent show at the Center and has had work displayed there, too.

We talked to her about how she got her start and how the public can see her work.

Patch: How did you get your start as an artist?

Boston: As long as I can remember, I have loved to draw and to play the piano.  I decided to study music rather than art in college. I taught music in public school for 22 years. During those years, I did commissioned artwork on the side, including a commissioned charcoal portrait of a librarian and children for the Columbiana, Ohio Public Library.  

I had a charcoal portrait of my great grandmother accepted in the Area Artist Annual exhibit at the Butler Institute of American Art. 

Patch: Who or what influences you?  

Boston: My friend, Dorothy Armbrust, suggested that I try watercolor, and it has become the medium that I love the most.  Since I retired and moved to Florida, I have taken several watercolor classes at Art Center Manatee.  Teachers Anne Abgott and Judy Morris have influenced my watercolor style and color palette.  My husband, Frank, is my best ally and critic, so I always have him look at my paintings before I declare them "finished."

Patch: What are misconceptions you think people have about artists?  

Boston: One misconception people have is that painting is quick and easy. Not for me, it isn't! So many people ask me, "How long did it take you to paint that?" and I always say, "Too long, because I am a very slow painter ... but I love every minute of it!" Painting and piano playing are both a labor of love for me.  

Patch: What does your work say about you as a person?

Boston: I hope that my work says that I enjoy life. God's world is beautiful, and I am trying to portray it that way.  I paint many different subjects because what I see is so varied and so interesting. How can I not paint it?  

Patch: How can members of the community see your work?

Boston: I have the painting, "Lionfish" at the Carrollwood Cultural Center and "Seatcovers" is at Art Center Manatee in Bradenton. Beginning today, I will have five other paintings at the Windsor of Lakewood Ranch, and for the weekend of March 30, I will have five more paintings at the Clubhouse in River Wilderness.

Many of my paintings are already on the walls of private homes and not on exhibit, since I still do commissioned portraits of pets, people and places ... and an occasional "thing."