Local Art Seen: Linda Naughton at Lakeside Gallery and the Nice Girls of the North

"Omigosh, it's beautiful," a woman exclaimed. The enthusiasm and chatter struck me as something akin to a baby shower. I'm referring too the oohs and ahhs I heard from the friends and fans of Linda Naughton at her show opening this past Saturday afternoon. The weather could not have been kinder, pouring generous sunshine in through the South-facing windows into her wall of poppies paintings at Lakeside Gallery at 45th Avenue East and Superior Street.

Linda Naughton worked 25 years in the print shop at UMD before shucking it for the pleasures of retirement. A member of the Watercolor Society, she now has the time to pursue her passion with greater ease.

When she shares the "how" of painting poppies, you can feel her excitement about the process as she shares how she creates the various effects using water colors, india ink and alcohol ink. The subject matter is the same but the outcome in each is different, which makes it especially thrilling.

Watercolor paper varies by finish and weight. Her paintings are done on Arches watercolor 300 lb Hot Press and 140 lb. Cold Press paper. The show will be on display through the month of July. There's a welcoming coffee shop next door if you need one more excuse to pull over while passing through the Lakeside neighborhood.

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A few blocks further East, just a tad before the Lester River and Seven Bridges Road, I located the building where Nice Girls of the North share a space and sell arts, crafts and other creative goods. I've been mentioning this group for quite some time in my monthly round-up but never made it over before. Saturday I had the opportunity to check out this second Saturday marketplace.

The sign out front is bright pink, so you shan't miss it. The building is on 54th Avenue East just a few blocks up from Superior Street. If you are committed to buying local, it's a good place to find certain kinds of original gifts, including jewelry, cards, pottery, clothing, decorative embellishments and lots of warm hearts. For more information on this women's arts collective, visit www.nicegirlsofthenorth.com.

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DID YOU KNOW that the total economic impact by artists and arts organizations 

in the Arrowhead is more than 83 million dollars? (Source: CreativeMN.org) 

It's impressive.

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