An opening reception will be held for Wild Inside: Paintings by Laura Westlake at the Cooper & Smith Gallery, 10 Main Street, Essex, CT, on Saturday, May 18, from 5 – 7 pm.

Laura Westlake plays with composition, color and pattern to hint at the intersecting boundaries between art and nature. Her paintings frame birds in interior spaces. They perch quite “at home” next to animal figurines and among china and fabrics designed in motifs drawn from the natural world. As a licensed rehabilitator of migratory birds, Laura brings to her art a keen eye for avian details and an affectionate sense of humor.

Details in a lace hem resemble the layered breast feathers of two society finches resting atop wine glasses in “The Wedding.”

In “Blue Buttercup,” a blue jay perches on the rim of a white bowl, its jagged edge and yolky interior mimicking a cracked egg. A sky-blue tablecloth becomes a field patterned in buttercups.

“Three Mice” is comprised of living creatures and their ceramic counterparts. A mouse sits politely on a corner ledge. A cut-glass vase of smoky topaz holds a clipped narcissus. A titmouse balances on its stem and gazes down at its manufactured “reflection,” a cartoon bird figurine. The keyhole in a drawer reminds us that here nature is locked in art.

Laura studied at Santa Barbara College (CA) and The School Of Visual Arts (NY). Her interest in commercial illustration led to a 15-year career, which included work for television, magazines and print ads, portraiture and book illustration. She then returned to the fine arts and has been exhibiting in galleries for over thirty years.

Wild Inside runs through July. Gallery hours: Wed – Sun, 10:30 – 5:00 PM.

For more information, please contact the gallery at [email protected] or visit our website at www.coopersmithgallery.com.