Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo by Kristen Ralph

Gwinnett residents looking for an inexpensive art experience don't have to look far.

The Buford Artists Group has assembled a collection of artwork displayed in a free exhibit at George Pierce Park Community Center in Suwanee.

"What I've Seen" features watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, as well as works in pencil and watercolor crayon.

"The public can expect to see paintings by artists that could be their next-door neighbor," said Judith Surowiec, a Gwinnett artist who facilitates weekly meetings of the Buford Artists Group. "We have given the public a sampler of the media and subject matter of what we do."

Artist Lois Colborn has captured the Suwanee River in a watercolor painting set among other landscapes on canvas by various local artists, from desert foothills to a Mississippi wildlife refuge to the English countryside.

Other pieces depict colorful flowers and a few are abstracts, all providing an opportunity for conversation, especially for families with children. Questions such as "What do you see when you look at this painting?" or "How does this piece make you feel?" can foster a personal art experience a family can share together.

Those same conversation starters can be asked about the work on display at the Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center in Norcross in a free exhibit of work by artists Elizabeth Bame and Carlos Almaguer.

"Quiet Impressions" features Bame's paintings inspired by her travels to Europe as well as around the United States.

"With each painting, my ultimate goal is not merely the composition of an attractive scene, but the creation of a moment," Bame said. "That moment should linger and breathe deeply. If I can take that moment and make it last forever, if I can somehow recreate that perfect experience of peace, then I believe I've been successful."

Almaguer's works of clay are presented in "Force of Nature."

"Most of my work is experimental by nature," he said. "I like to try new techniques and enjoy the versatility of a three dimensional surface."

The exhibit at Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center will be open through Feb. 4. Gwinnett residents can see the work of the Buford Artists Group at George Pierce Park Community Center through Feb. 18.