Natasha Dikareva

From Whispering to Screaming

During the pandemic, I walked the forest every day, bathing in the sounds and smells, observing wild creatures. A steady rustle and chatter hinted at an unseen universe. I knew the forest secrets were inaccessible to me in my human form.

Returning to my studio, I created figures who could reveal those secrets; wise sages living in trees, ready to pass on their knowledge, sirens singing songs of untold legends, nests ready to hatch new messengers between the forest and the ocean.

I create these figures as an ambassador of the natural world. I want to pass on the strength and revelations I find within the wild places around us through my sculptures. One has all they need to thrive within themselves, like the tiny seed that sprouts into a huge tree, or the still, smooth egg that hatches into a vibrant, lively bird.

Everything changed on the 24th of February when Russia brutally invaded Ukraine. My motherland. My sculptures became punctured with holes, as if they got shelled by bombs and propaganda. I am glued to the news and speak to my family in Kiev every day.

We still have more to go through before approaching the age of peace. I believe in the goodness of people. We are the Earth’s consciousness. It is up to us to steer the future in the proper direction!

Originally from Ukraine, Natasha now lives and works in Newmarket, NH. She has won numerous awards for her art and exhibits locally and internationally.

Janet Labrecque

Summer at the Seacoast

Janet has been a watercolor artist for over 20 years. Her work is full of color and displays a love of the medium. Her paintings have surprising detail when viewed up close, but will visually attract her audience from a distance.

A graduate of Lowell State College and Salem State College with a Master’s degree in Education., she has melted her education efforts from the classroom to teaching others her passion for painting.

Having taken many watercolor painting workshops with Doris Rice, Janet has painted on location on Monhegan Island, Cape Cod, Tuscany, and Brittany. She also enjoys painting around the New England coast and Seabrook Beach where she resides during the summer months.

Her winter home in Naples, Florida provides opportunity to paint with the plein air painters of the Naples Art Association. She exhibited her art in Naples during the past winter and at the Lane House last summer..

Painting is a way to be learning and exploring. Paper, brushes and paint – add water and the excitement begins!

“ART IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU BREATHE A DIFFERENT KIND OF HAPPINESS.”
(Anne Albers)