Local Artists Contribute Artwork to Show at Solehi Library

The art of two local artists, Diana Young and Jill Stanley, is now on display at the Summer Art Show, Travel.

Diana Young of Center Valley has practiced photography as a hobby for the past 40 years, taking photos on family vacations and filling more than 30 albums with her work.  She tries to incorporate the “unusual” in her artwork, maybe the back end of a horse edging its way into her landscape, the way close branches frame a subject or a sign she finds funny.

“I kind of feel like I have an eye for humor,” said Young.  Although not all of her work is for a laugh. “I love taking sunsets and have quite a few, including a double rainbow over the Grand Canyon that won First Prize at the Allentown Fair a few years ago.”

The photo in the show, entitled #7 Bryce Canyon, depicts a sign on the edge of a cliff that reads, “DANGEROUS CLIFFS, STAY ON THE TRAIL, WATCH YOUR CHILDREN.”  Young found a great degree of humor in the idea that a sign was necessary to warn visitors of the obvious danger.  The photo may be enjoyed at the show but it is not for sale as it is part of the collection of memories from Young’s family vacation to Bryce National Park in 1983.

Another contributor to the show, Jill Stanley, tries to capture the serenity of the natural environment in her vacation landscapes. As a drafter by profession, Stanley paints in the style of classic realism in both acrylic and watercolor, which is evident in the house portraits she exhibits. Her true love, though, is the ocean.

“Like many other Americans, I enjoy being near the water, and wish I could afford a house by the ocean,” said Stanley. “As it is, we make our yearly trek to some shore point.  I spend a lot of time anticipating the trip to the beach.”

One of her favorite destinations, the Jersey shore, is the subject of her watercolor submission #8 To the Beach ($355). Her devotion to color, nature and detail are evident in her work, from the fine brush strokes of the tall grass to the foam on the breaking waves.

To view all the paintings on display, visit Southern Lehigh Public Library at 3200 Preston Lane, Center Valley. To purchase one of the paintings, contact Lynnette Seager, library director, at 610-282-8825.