Diving into the Canton Artists League’s current group show, “Into the Water,” visitors enter a world of liquid inspiration.
Displayed through July 6 in the Massillon Museum’s Fred F. Silk Community Room Gallery, the show — which includes the work of nearly 30 artists, all part of the Canton Artists League — features pieces in a wide variety of mediums, including photography, acrylic paint, encaustic wax, watercolor and oil paint. From a poolside scene to a portrait of a penguin, interpretations vary widely — exploring all elements of the theme.
“Water comes in so many different forms,” says Irene Tobias Rodriguez, venue co-chair for the Canton Artists League. “If you look around at the show, you’ve got lakes, you’ve got streams, you’ve got waterfalls, you’ve got snow, you’ve got ice.”
Tobias Rodriguez, a retired art teacher, has both a beachside painting and a photograph of a bathing bird in the exhibit.
“This is a camp we go to every year up in Dunkirk, New York,” she says of the beach scene. “This humongous driftwood tree was sitting there, and I thought, I have to paint that. … There are bald eagles in the area that we see once in a while, so I had to put that in.”
Growing up with a crafty mother, Tobias Rodriguez went to Bowling Green State University for art education.
Now, she works in an array of mediums, producing watercolor paintings, art quilts, acrylic pieces and more.
“I get these creative ideas, and I have to do something with them,” she says.
The league, which boasts around 80 members, is open to anyone interested in art — from beginners to experienced artists.
“The ones with more experience share with the ones that don’t have as much experience, and even the ones that don’t have experience can share their ideas,” says Tobias Rodriguez. “We learn from each other.”
The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Canton Museum of Art, of which it is an affiliate. It offers members workshops, movie nights, speakers, field trips and critiques — which often feature a guest artist who visits the league and makes suggestions.
“Artists need to get together, need to share ideas, learn from each other,” Tobias Rodriguez says. “Somebody else could look at the picture and say, Oh, this is good, or maybe this can be improved.”
Tobias Rodriguez feels inspired by being part of an artists league — the opportunity to be displayed in a few shows per year, like “Into the Water,” encourages her to complete pieces.
“Art itself is an important part of our lives and our society,” Tobias Rodriguez says. “Art makes it worthwhile.”
Exhibit, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, cantonartistsleauge.org
