Inside the Artists' Studios

On Dec. 4 and 5 the Artists' Group of Charlestown opened their working studios at the to the public. People were invited to drop-in for a visit and chat with the artists. There were walls were covered with stimulating and diverse art and a steady flow of visitors coming to admire the work.

Tony Abate's studio, on the far right of the first floor in the StoveFactory, was a great place to begin. His works — one of a fishing trawler and another of Eastern Point, both Gloucester scenes — are part of a bank of gorgeous watercolors. There are more watercolors and acrylics on the opposite wall, including two exceptional works: paintings of clocks that are so dimensional it was surprising to hear him say they were not mixed media but also watercolors.

Margaret Furlong, Karla Quattrocchi, Dara Pannebaker and other artists working in mixed media, acrylic and  egg tempera were all on hand to discuss what they do and answer questions. The next time the studio is open, be sure to check out Evelina Brozgul's wall of tempera plaques.

The second and third floors of StoveFactory were also open over the weekend. One of the most interesting finds upstairs was the Boston Paper Collective. Melinda Cross offered tours around the studio and the "inner sanctum," where there's a machine that makes paper out of old rags. 

Cross is a graduate of the Museum of Fine Arts School and has been with the Paper Collective for a few years. She spoke of experimenting with creating her own paper and has been making "marbled" paper since she was 5-years-old. It's a skill she learned from her mother. 

For more information on the work featuered at the StoveFactory, visit www.artistsgroupofcharlestown.com.