Title & Artist:  "July Lights" – by Lily Dolin

Medium & Size:  Acrylic paint on wood.  21 7/8" L x 8 5/8" H x 3/4" D.  For indoor display only.

Artist Statement:  My art focuses on emotion. I am fascinated by human expression and the way humans can convey and experience so many emotions through the smallest gestures. I love to paint portraits of people from around the world, and focus on the expressions of the subjects and their stories through the simplicity of a portrait, rather than a political message in a scene. The rest of my artwork, including landscapes and still-lifes, focuses on color and the importance of color in showing emotion. I choose my color palettes for my paintings regardless of the subject matter, hoping the viewer connects with them on an emotional level.

I have been participating in the Marblehead Festival of Arts for as long as I remember, and it remains one of my favorite times of the year. I love the concerts, the art, the fireworks, and most important (after the winter we’ve had), the nice weather. My cod replicates the feeling of contentedness I feel at the Festival. It features a silhouetted family enjoying the fireworks above Marblehead Harbor. The choice to not show the family’s faces was a conscious one, as I hope that the people viewing my cod can imagine themselves as part of that family. The bright colors of the fireworks draw upon the feeling of excitement and wonder that the Festival brings with it every year.

Artist Biography:  Born in Silver Spring, MD, Lily Dolin moved to Marblehead with her family when she was five, to be closer to her New England relatives, and has been invested in the Marblehead art community for most of the 12 years since. Her whole life has been influenced by the artists in her family—namely her great-grandmother, Anne Kemelman, and grandmother, Ruth Rooks.

From 7th grade to sophomore year, Lily attended art classes at Acorn Gallery in Marblehead, the same gallery her great-grandmother painted at. They shared a love of art and of Acorn, and often spoke of their mutual admiration for everyone at the school. At the beginning of her sophomore year, Lily began attending art classes in Boston with her grandmother on Saturday every month. These classes soon became the highlight of her month. There, her grandmother taught Lily and challenged her to push the boundaries of her art in terms of color and form. Both her great-grandmother and grandmother serve as huge inspirations to Lily, and she still draws upon the lessons they taught her.

Lily has exhibited at many galleries in Marblehead. This past year, she had pieces exhibited at the Marblehead Arts Association, both in its Emerging Artist Gallery for the National Art Honor Society and in a joint show with her grandmother called "Generations". This spring, her artwork was displayed in the high school’s Senior Art Show at Abbot Public Library. Lily has also won a Gold Key, two Silver Keys, and two honorable mentions in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Competition over the past two years.

Lily will be attending New York University in the fall, and hopes to double-major in Studio Art and Media, Culture, and Communications. Enjoy the Festival!

Hosting Business:  "July Lights" is on display at The Crazy Candy Lady, 123 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA.