Photography, new paintings featured in show

NEW PRESTON >> The Loft Gallery at the Smithy Store will host an opening reception for Connecticut artists, Ecka Blaire Faulds and Peter Wnek, on Saturday, Nov. 19 , 4-6 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. This exhibit of oil pastels by Faulds and photography by Wnek will be on view through Sunday, Dec. 31.

Photographer Peter Wnek began his interest in photography early in his youth, and continues to perfect his craft, which encompasses a blend of commercial and industrial assignments, portraiture and skillful portrayals of the areas finest nature, sea and landscape images. His style of photography span from the altered and image composite photos of the digital realms for his commercial assignments to a more ethereal, romantic feel of his small format camera captures, while also striving for the purists perspective when creating an image with a large format view camera. Learn more at http://peterwnekphoto.com

Faulds’ interest lies in exploring the fractured, and at times nostalgic, relationship of humankind to nature through painting, drawing, and printmaking.

She received her BFA in Painting from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford and her work has been selected for a number of awards and exhibitions including the Washington Art Association’s “Young Talent Exhibition” in 2012, designed to showcase promising artists under the age of 30; and for award by curators of the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

She participated in the first residency of Artspace: Torrington, in Connecticut (now known as Five Points Gallery), which served to foster an open dialogue between the general public and working artists – encouraging exploration, opinion, and interest. She currently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and works for the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Ecka welcomes conversation about art and life, and can be reached at eckablaire@gmail.com, or through her website: eckablaire.com

The Loft at the Smithy is located at 10 Main Street in New Preston, off Route 202. Call 860-868-9003 or visit www.thesmithystore.com

Morning clouds are bathed in a warm glow at Watch Rock Preserve in Old Lyme, in a photograph by Peter Wnek.