Local Art Seen: Esther Piszczek's "Illusion" at Pizza Luce

Thursday evening was the opening reception for Esther Piszczek's largest show to date, to be on display at Pizza Luce for the month of August. A relative newcomer to the Twin Ports art scene, Esther has from the start been quite active in getting her work out into the public beginning with her first show at Amazing Grace in September 2013. Her Zentangle (R)-inspired designs have been applied to nearly every kind of surface imaginable, including her current piano project which is a work in progress. (You can see the current iteration this coming Friday at Pierce & Piszczek Pianos during the Art Crawl.)

This current show includes a relatively new collaboration combining her designs with the calligraphy of Brenna Jordan of Master Framing Gallery. Esther's designs on mirrors are an interesting addition to her repertoire, and may have contributed to the title of this show, "Illusion." Certainly mirrors have long fascinated us as people, and her layering of designs adds complexity to the visual effects she creates.

Pizza Luce is a premium location to showcase one's work because of the central downtown location and the amount of traffic it receives. On the other hand, because it is a busy restaurant it is difficult to get up close to most of the pieces because of the patrons enjoying their pizza and other delights in the booths between viewer and wall.

The show features 35 works, but the designs have also been used to decorate note cards and playing cards. Let's see what happens next.

Friendly service from the Luce staff is always a plus.

A friend's birthday added to the occasion. (Esther in center of photo)

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Celebrate it.