By Tamas Mondovics
The September exhibit at the Bruton Memorial Library in downtown Plant City is a fantastic collection of paintings created by Nancy Driscoll. She took the time to create the exhibit so that all viewers will get the most out of seeing it.
For each of her paintings, Driscoll left a note. The story may be real or imagined. In some, she gives a hint and then leaves it up to the viewer to use their own imagination. Here are two examples. There is a beautiful painting of mountains in Switzerland (see below). Driscoll wrote: “The artist visited her grandson when he was working temporarily in Switzerland. She, he and his wife walked a path around Lake Geneva on their way to dinner. They took three photos with a disposable camera. The photos were placed side by side, and became the model for this painting. True story.”
The second example is an imaginative story with a painting set in Venice, Italy (see below). “The couple are enjoying their first trip to Europe. They decided to take the last gondola ride before sundown because on their return the lights will flicker on in all the buildings and will reflect in the water. What a wonderful page for their memory book.”
Driscoll is a native of Richmond, Va. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Art with a minor in Education from the College of William and Mary. She spent 30 years teaching physical education and coaching. She relocated to Plant City in 2000.
In her artist’s statement, Driscoll said, “I like to paint scenes of places I have been. It’s sort of like preserving images for your memory book. I also like for a painting to tell a story.”
Chad Loving, administrative and services assistant for the library said, “Her pieces are bright, fun and uplifting to view. Her enthusiasm for art and life are evident in her work.”
Exhibits such as this can be found each month at the library. It is when the artist takes the time to really create the exhibit space that viewers can be truly immersed in the art. This helps viewers understand the reason why the piece was created in the first place.
The Bruton Memorial Library is located at 302 McLendon St. in downtown Plant City.
