thePULSEArt, Social Conscience, and the Warmth of Summer
By James J. O’Neill
In the dead of winter there is a warm oasis, a place where the sun can set anytime of the day, where an old wooden boat seems to lie on the sand as if exhausted from a long day in the heat. This place is not Ogunquit Beach, Nantucket, or Cape Cod in the so-out-of-our-reach summer. No, this is the Post Road Art Center in Marlborough on a mid December night, where upon entering you will be greeted by the beautiful Mona Lisa, welcoming you inside this cozy little gallery/store. There, one can not help but smile as the warm colors of the paintings showcased on the walls call to mind memories of carefree summers past. And the person behind this wonderfully warm and welcoming store/gallery is artist Randi Isaacson.
Randi has been an artist ever since she was a kid, when the greats like Van Gogh and Dali caught her attention; however, it wasn’t until she was in college taking an art class for fun that she truly fell in love with painting. Breaking down her own and fellow students’ creations and critiquing the ideas and emotions exposed through their work is what really made Randi fall head over heels. While majoring in engineering at Boston University, the nascent artist worked in an art gallery. It was during this period she realized her passion for what was once just a fun class out weighed her major course of study. “I thought why not do something I love. I really enjoyed working in the gallery, however you can only do so well as an employee. So I decided to open my own”.
Randi’s passion is evident in her work, where her visions of the beach gently splash against the canvas. “The ability to capture a moment…to create emotion and energy draws me to painting the ocean. The fact that it is ever changing with the clouds and the waves constantly in motion is beautiful,” she explains. And although inspired by the works of master painters throughout history, she is careful not to be too influenced by others as she wants to maintain her own unique style and feel.
Encouraging others to share their passion and work, Randi often has a Call to Artists (details can be found at www.thepostroadartcenter.com) where she invites others to submit work for exhibitions with different themes like “Water” or “Politics and Art.” She is also asking artists to donate work for A Show of Hearts, a silent auction to support breast cancer research.
The dedication she shows in giving other artists an outlet to display their work and in helping out worthwhile causes is inspiring, as is the understated tone she uses when describing her involvement. It is Randi’s combination of artistic talent, drive, and personal grace that will no doubt lead to having her entire body of work showcased in prominent galleries across the country, as is her goal.
But we are lucky to be able to enjoy Randi’s art right here and right now, as it reminisces about the sunbathed days of summer and transports us to those long, lazy months that are gone all too soon.
