The Brunswick News

Be sure to immerse yourself in the serene setting of The Cloister, captured everlastingly in a variety of mediums and currently on exhibit at the Left Bank Art Gallery on St. Simons Island. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the grand hotel, the gallery pays homage through its Artistic Tribute to The Cloister Hotel during the month of November.

An artist's view One of several contributing artists, Laura Frances Maguire, was commissioned to paint two pieces that turned into a complete collection of oil paintings and charcoal drawings. The works represent more than just an artists' interpretation of a historical place. Ms. Maguire has fond memories of summers spent on Sea Island as a child — reminiscences beautifully reflected in her pieces. "It was a favorite family vacation spot," she said.

Dyslexia kept Ms. Maguire from performing well in school, so she decided to pursue a career in acting. She said somewhere along the way, drawing and painting became her stage.

Mastering the art Ms. Maguire earned an Andy Warhol scholarship to the New York Academy of Art where she received a master of fine arts degree in sculpture in 1991.

She chose to study the art because she "didn't understand it." Painting and drawing however, has always come naturally to her.

Maybe Ms. Maguire's classical training was the solid foundation from which she grew as an artist, but she credits the support of her family for allowing her the freedom to pursue art as a career.

The Cloister collection Ms. Maguire's collection of Cloister paintings and drawings was accomplished with a certain spontaneity but with careful regard for tradition as well.

"It's been fun sitting outside drawing these in a group," she said. Capturing the legacy of The Cloister seems easy through the eyes of Ms. Maguire. Her use of light and shadow, and graceful flow of lines in her works, sets a beautiful stage.

"If [the art work] is nostalgic for someone else, that's satisfying for me," she said.

Although Ms. Maguire takes her work very seriously, there is a refreshing childlike quality innate in each of her drawings and paintings, as if she delighted in creating them.

Perhaps it's the subliminal message infused for the enjoyment of the viewer. Ms. Maguire said she often repeats a single word such as "lovelovelove" when she's drawing, just for the fun of it. The word is indiscernible in the finished work but its effect lingers.