The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
CHH features artist Marilyn Davis this month
TORRINGTON — The Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Auxiliary is featuring the artwork of Marilyn Davis now through early January in the hospital’s main lobby hallway, 540 Litchfield St., Torrington. The public is invited to view and buy the works during regular visiting hours as part of the Auxiliary’s ongoing “Artist of the Month” program. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the artwork support the CHH Auxiliary and Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
Davis has shown her paintings and etchings in more than 50 one-woman shows in Connecticut, Illinois, California and Florida. A graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, she received a Ford Foundation grant to study painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
After a New York show, she and her husband, artist Gerald Hardy, returned to Chicago via the Northwest corner of Connecticut. Enchanted with the area, Marilyn and Gerald bought a house and spent many years doing sculpture, paintings and color etchings while raising their two sons.
Inspired by her love of early Christian and Byzantine illuminated manuscripts, Davis incorporates symbolism into her art works, often in surprising ways. She uses oil on heavy rag paper with airbrush and pencil to complete the piece, sometimes adding collage.
“Favorite Places” is a body of work celebrating the beauty of Connecticut as well as the Hudson River Valley, Rhode Island, Cape Cod and Maine. Street scenes, churches, beaches and lighthouses all delight the eye and inspire the artist.
“To paint is to love something too much to leave it alone,” Davis said.
The Auxiliary’s “Artist of the Month” program has been featuring paintings, photographs, and artwork each month from local artists for over 25 years. Their over 200 member supporters assist in raising money for the hospital through dues, donations, volunteering at the gift shop, and a variety of events including an annual fashion show. Visit www.charlottehungerford.org for information.