Put Cooley Gallery's 'Dear Santa' Show on Your Christmas List

Even though it's titled "Dear Santa," you can't wrap up the holiday exhibit at the Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme with a tidy red bow.

That's because this very eclectic and varied show and sale includes paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and fine furniture; spans three centuries; features miniature to large-scale works; and showcases artists from down the street and across the country.

"We tried to do something different this year," says gallery owner Jeffrey Cooley. "The spirit of the show, as in the title 'Dear Santa,' are paintings, objects, and crafts of a fairly broad time span, which I'd put on my list to Santa of things I'd want to get or give for the holidays. It's a somewhat personal view of what I think is especially good and interesting and varied artwork."

Among new three-dimensional works in the show are marvelous little object studies by Marshall Hyde, a New York mixed media artist, hand sculpted of ivory colored glass and fashioned after classic Greek sculptures.

In an entirely different medium is "The Cleansing," a stunning female figure carved from Puerto Rican mahogany by James M. Tripp of Old Lyme.

Michael J. McLaughlin of Torrington's whimsical bronze animal sculptures are full of surprises-in one, for example, a cat's tail turns into the branch of a tree where several birds are perched.

In the abstract realm are Patricia Kelley-Borchert of Uncasville's satin smooth, touchable Italian alabaster sculptures that are inspired by roses.

Fine jewelry includes necklaces, rings, and earrings by Alicia Winalski of Old Saybrook, who creates her lovely pieces in 14K gold and sterling silver from recycled vintage metals and jewels; contemporary hand blown glass bead necklaces by Caitlin Hyde (married to Marshall Hyde) of New York; and a stunning four-strand pearl necklace with a detachable 14K gold brooch of a fish by Linda Kindler Priest of Bedford, Mass.

Paintings run the gamut from a wall of oils capturing the raw beauty of Monhegan Island by Ralf Feyl of Maine; charming local waterscapes in miniature by Nancy Pinney of Old Lyme; subtle, beautifully detailed silverpoint prints by Laurel B. Friedmann of Old Saybrook; vibrant New York City scenes in richly layered oils by Walter Rane of Portland, Oregon; and a captivating dreamlike winter scene, "Berkshire Nightscape" by Scott Kahn of Old Lyme.

Among the many works by non-living artists is a recent acquisition of an exquisite oil painting by Old Lyme impressionist Wilson H. Irvine (1869-1936) titled "Midwinter Sun."

New works in all mediums by Lyme's Judy Friday are represented in the show including gorgeous hand-stitched and hand-beaded evening bags, with roses formed by satin ribbon; mixed media sculpture; and large abstract collage pieces in both rusted metal and colorful, imaginatively layered oil and paper on canvas

Plus, the upstairs gallery features a rare exhibit of floral portraits by renowned and prolific 20th-century pastel artist Laura Coombs Hills of Newburyport, Mass.

"You don't often find a group of her works together in one place," Cooley notes. "People love them and don't part with them. We were able to buy this collection of 11 pastels [acquired] between 1932 and 1939 by a collector in Boston."

In addition to giving the gift of art this season, if you purchase artwork by Dec. 20, The Cooley Gallery will donate five percent of sales to the Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut.

"We're proud to be doing something for Child & Family," Cooley says, "and support the children and families who find themselves faced with physical, emotional, and economic challenges this holiday season."

"Dear Santa" and "Laura Coombs Hills: Portraits From My Garden" continues through early January at The Cooley Gallery, 25 Lyme St, Old Lyme. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 860-434-8807 or visit www.cooleygallery.com.