Van Gogh Painting Party Leads to Interpretations
by Hal Gray, Community Journalist
GREENSBORO – Almost 15 artists met on August 20, to paint their interpretations of a Vincent Van Gogh image. The participants met under the tent in the backyard of the Greensboro Free Library (GFL) where numerous prints of Van Gogh’s artistic output were hung as inspiration from ropes connecting the tent poles. One Van Gogh painting of a village under a night sky inspired Greensboro’s Rosann Hickey to include Greensboro’s Caspian Lake and the village’s iconic church.
The event was organized and hosted by artists Beth Meachem and Nicole Mann, who provided paints and canvases as well as a Van Gogh-inspired sheet cake and other refreshments. Participants represented a wide range of ages, from six years of age on up and came from neighboring towns as well as Glover and St. Johnsbury. Upon conclusion of the two-hour event, participants showed their work and explained their interpretations, which will be put on display in the GFL gallery before being claimed by their creators. GFL Trustee Beth Meachem notes the library will be offering more free events like this in the future.
Carol Reynolds, a resident of Stannard and Greensboro Free Library trustee, and her 6-year old granddaughter Tilia, show their interpretations of Van Gogh paintings.
The
August 20 Van Gogh painting party was held under the Greensboro Free Library’s backyard tent.
Karen Sayles from St. Johnsbury sits in front of her interpretation of the Van Gogh image at the right.
Rosann Hickey’s painting (right) of the Van Gogh image on the left represents a creative interpretation including Greensboro’s Caspian Lake with the Greensboro Church of Christ clearly visible in the lower left.
Artists Nicole Mann and Beth Meachem organized and hosted the Van Gogh painting party.
Greensboro Bend resident Nigel Friend shows his painting. Friend also appeared in the October 6, 2021, Gazette supervising Pike Industries paving of Greensboro’s Craftsbury Road.
Niek Erkkila, son of Syobhan Mitchell of Greensboro, has his painting, which he described as “flower chaos.”
Nancy Riege has her interpretation of flowers in a pot on the stand in the center, of the Van Gogh image on the table lower right.
Joanne George, from Glover, has an interpretation of Van Gogh that seems inspired by her blouse.
