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Northampton Herald Top Stories
Elizabeth Scuilli displays her work
this month
Elizabeth Scuilli is Artist of the Month at Northampton
Library
by Laura Fezzuoglio
They say lightning never strikes the same
place twice. But when it comes to creative artistic surges, artist Elizabeth
Scuilli has been hit over and over again. Elizabeth is the Artist of the
Month for June at the Northampton Library. She has 14 total works on display
there, a combination of oils, watercolors, pastels, and drawings. Elizabeth
says that she never knows what she'll create next, preferring instead
to wait for the creative surge to hit. She paints in a variety of styles
because she says that each subject warrants its own unique expression.
"I could pass by and see something that just hits me, whether it's
the light or the people. It's a creative surge, just like writing,"
she adds. For example, one of her paintings at the library titled "The
Pickers," depicts a beautiful farm field on a spring/fall day with
several figures bent over into the fields picking the harvest. She happened
to be driving by that farm and inspiration struck. Elizabeth made a brief
sketch of the scene and later translated it into a full-fledged painting
at home. "When it hits me, sometimes there's very little reworking
to do - like in writing - and sometimes it's harder to translate what
I've seen [into a painting]," says the artist. Elizabeth paints solely
for expression - to put her feelings and thoughts into something tangible.
She writes poetry as well, something she did frequently when younger and
returned to several years ago after creative surges hit there too. In
fact, she has a poem named "Butterfly Milk" in the form of an
illustrated booklet. It was written for her grandson and details a walk
in the park, watching butterflies sip nectar from a flower. When Elizabeth
explained that nectar was food, her grandson exclaimed that it was like
milk. "Time stood still! The sweetness of the moment triggered emotions
and the poem was born," she explains. The book can be printed and
personalized with a photo of your child or grandchild incorporated into
the artwork for a lasting gift, she adds. Recently the poem received Honorable
Mention in the Children's Picture Book category at the 2008 San Francisco
Writer's Conference. Though she has displayed her work in various exhibits
like the Reading Art Museum, Pine Run, Doylestown Art League, Newtown
Arts, and various banks, restaurants and shops, most of her work remains
for her own enjoyment. Many of her works haven't been exhibited because
they remain to personal too Elizabeth. She says that art has always been
a part of her life, starting back when she was a child taking classes
at Fleisher Art Memorial. As an adult, she also took art classes at the
Philadelphia Institute of Art, Moore College of Art, and The Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts. In addition, Elizabeth taught third grade at
Our Lady of Fatima for several years and taught an oil painting class
at Neshaminy Adult Education. But the bulk of her years were spent as
a secretary to the principal in the Centennial School District, a position
she retired from only a year ago to spend more time with her family and
pursue her interests. "I never left art. It's always been a part
of me. Art has been a quiet sort of thing that just rolls along, and I
like it like that," she says. Most of her subjects are seascapes
and landscapes. One of her favorites is 'Nockamixon,' which recalls fond
memories of she and her husband sailing on Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown.
Another favorite is the figures of her daughter and grandson in 'Frenchman's
Bay.' Elizabeth has most of her originals, instead selling giclee prints
of her works. She also offers printed note cards and the "Butterfly
Milk" booklet. The 33-year Richboro resident says that it's great
to be able to share her works within her own community. And for budding
artists and writers, Elizabeth hopes to leave them with the following:
"May your imagination take you to places of wonder and delight."
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