Meet the Artists: Regina Piantedosi, Ann Schlecht, and Sally Seamans

October 02, 2018 / Good to Know, Things to Do & See

Gloucester’s art community is one of the many reasons that brings visitors from all over to the area.  Art has played an integral role in Gloucester’s history, especially the Rock Neck Art Colony – the oldest operating art colony since 1850. Depending on the season and artist, they are typically in their studios working or their art is on display at one of the local galleries.

We asked three local artists what inspires them to create their art and here’s what they had to say.

Regina Piantedosi | PAINTER – PROGRESSIVE ART (featured in the photo above)

An isolationist theme runs through my work. It’s not something I do deliberately, it is in my core – my essence. Recently, my singular boat adrift in an ambiguous background was chosen by the Massachusetts Poetry Society’s cover artwork for the publication “Born to be Lonely”. Its stunning simplicity is a bold statement about our life’s journey and the human condition. My process is a continuum combining Expressionism, Surrealism and Minimalism. Using self-discovered methods I work in encaustic, glass on canvas, mixed media, collage, metal, and metal leaf. See more of my work at www.reginapiantedosi.com.

Ann Schlecht | SEA GLASS JEWELRY

Being a metalsmith and working with fine metals, I quite often incorporate local sea glass and beach stones in my minimalist designs intended for everyday wear. I feel a deep connection with nature and history and like to recycle and repurpose items as well as create from scratch. So many items from long ago have such beauty –I love to use them in my designs. When I was 14 years old my parents gave me a silver napkin ring for Christmas and a few days later my Mom asked, “where did you get that bracelet?” I had cut the napkin ring with kitchen shears and the end result was a beautiful sterling silver cuff. That’s when they signed me up for silversmithing classes! Another love of mine is to collect antique wax seal stamps and make silver and bronze charms with the actual stamps. My jewelry can be found year round at Local Colors and late spring to early fall at my studio/store on Madfish Wharf in Rocky Neck and online at www.thegildedlilystore.com.

Sally Seamans | T I N C A N S A L L Y

I use recycled printed tin cans to create whimsical, colorful birds, fish, jewelry, mobiles, collages and more. I often work in multiples, creating installations of flocks of birds, schools of fish and rabbles of butterflies. My favorite installation was a year-long exhibit ‘Trash Menagerie’ at the Peabody Essex Museum that incorporated 386 tin birds. The sources of my tins are second-hand shops, flea markets, yard sales, dumpsters and generous donations. A few examples of the tin containers that I use are biscuit, olive oil, cookie, candy, spice, tea, anchovy, curry, ethnic food and sewing tins. Tin Can Sally is my pseudonym. I am also known as Sally Seamans. My work can be seen at www.tincansally.net.