Cloister Gallery hosts new art show in February

“Lavender at St Remy” by Linda Lea Photo by The Cloister Gallery at St Andrews Church

The Cloister Gallery at St Andrews Church, Marblehead is presenting Pochades from Provence. According to the gallery’s press release, it is the first art exhibit since the recent relaxation of Covid restrictions. The artist Linda Lea who presents the art work will welcome visitors on Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. at the start of the exhibit, and the exhibit will last through March 5.

The gallery will be open from Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. The press release from the Cloister Gallery said visitors should ring the doorbell at the back door for admittance.

Artist Lea had been drawing all her life. Since retiring from nursing, she has developed her art career by painting almost every day and exhibiting at many venues including the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, according to the release. With a name like Bertrand, she had a natural desire to find her artistic roots in Provence, France.

She has spent several seasons there with her pochade box, which contains all she needs to create colorful 8-by-10-inch paintings. Pochades are small paintings, used like postcards, that fit into the lid of the pochade box to protect them while traveling. The pochade box allows her the mobility to follow the light at short notice for Plein air, or outside painting.

Linda Lea paints realistic landscapes with an Impressionistic color sense. Through her paintings, she invites viewers to step inside to feel the warm sun, smell the local lavender and watch the grapes ripening in the local vineyard. While there, spend some time sunning at a Mediterranean beach, stopping at a sidewalk café for food, and watching the local activity. In sum, her paintings portray a more peaceful way of life.

The French Impressionists were the first artists to paint outside. They began giving pochades to family and friends and swapped them with other artists to document where they had traveled to paint. After several trips, Linda Lea has a collection of pochades from her favorite places. According to the release, visitors can own one by coming to the exhibit.

For more information, please contact Linda Lea Bertrand at Seasidearts@gmail.com.