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Studio 268

'Avalon Reflection' by Joanne Liff

Save the date! Studio 268, 268 Main St. Setauket will host an art show in December featuring a collection of fine art by local artists. This new body of work was completed in the summer and autumn of 2021 and presents the varied interests and applications of artists working both in plein air and in the studio.

The public is invited to view these beautiful pieces (which are available for purchase) at an opening reception on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. or on Sundays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from noon to 5 p.m. Proceeds from an art raffle and a percentage from art sales will be donated to The Three Village Central School District food pantries.

For more information, call 631-220-4529.

Sofia Heimbold

LUCKY DUCK!

Congratulations to Sofia Heimbold of East Setauket for being the winner of Studio 268’s raffle! “View From the Second Stone Bridge” by artist Mary Jane Van Zeijts with custom walnut framing by Jonathan Busko was raffled off during the art studio’s student exhibit, Nature, in December. The pastel painting depicts Conscience Bay in November at high tide. 

A preview of the exhibit was published in the Dec. 3 issue of TBR News Media’s Arts & Lifestyles section.

The total raffle sales of $1,340 was donated to the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation as a thank you for allowing Studio 268 to hold outdoor social distanced art classes at the picturesque Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket this past summer.

'View from Second Stone Bridge' by Mary Jane van Zeijts

By Melissa Arnold

Landscapes and natural scenes are among the most popular subjects in visual art, and it’s easy to understand why. The natural world is simple and complex, calm and powerful, beautiful and intimidating.

At Studio 268 in Setauket, more than 50 student artists aged 7 through 16 have been working hard to capture their favorite parts of the natural world through art. Their work will be on display at the studio from Dec. 5 through Dec. 23.

Mary Jane van Zeijts opened the studio five years ago with the intention of teaching and selling art. Today, she offers classes for both adults and children with a variety of backgrounds and experience levels. While the pandemic has been tough for everyone, van Zeijts said she’s grateful that the studio remains open.

“Over the summer when nonessential businesses were closed, we had classes outdoors in various locations — Frank Melville Memorial Park, West Meadow Beach, Stony Brook Village Green, people’s gardens. They were safe, beautiful, welcoming places for us to be and we are very grateful for both this community and for the opportunity to be together and continue on,” van Zeijts said.

The exhibit, titled Nature, features work from van Zeijts’ afternoon students, all of whom are under 18. The collection includes a diverse array of media, including paintings, drawings, pastels, collage and printmaking. All pieces in the exhibit will be available for purchase to support each artist.

You could win this beautiful pastel painting!

Additionally, van Zeijts will be holding a raffle for one of her own pieces, “View from Second Stone Bridge,” with custom walnut framing done by Jonathan Busko. The 34″ by 24″ pastel painting depicts Conscience Bay in Setauket in November at high tide. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the Frank Melville Memorial Foundation. Raffle tickets are $20 each, or 3 for $50.

This exhibit offers a special opportunity to appreciate the work of up-and-coming Long Island artists who are already showing great skill and talent.

“The artists in the studio are deeply creative — they are willing to learn and make mistakes more often and with less fear than myself. I love their stories and enjoy them sharing their lives with me,” van Zeijts said.

“These artists are searching for their style, medium and particular joys in making art. It is incredible to see them grasp that joy when it is realized and hold onto it. Just as we all learn where we fit, it is a privilege to watch a beginning artist grow into their own space of contentment and pride in their art,” she added.

“The students in this group are supportive of each other and act with honesty and humor … They remind me that, like all of life, art is a process — one that can be challenging, but also full of joy.”

Studio 268 is located at 268 Main Street, Setauket. Public viewing hours for Nature are Saturdays,  Dec. 5, 6, 12, and 19 from noon to 5 p.m. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing when visiting the studio. For more information, call 631-220-4529.

‘Fall Day at Stony Brook Harbor’

By Melissa Arnold

Susan Trawick of Setauket devoted more than 20 years to helping Sachem East High School students develop their art skills. All the while, she continued to create her own artwork, primarily in watercolors and oil.

Following her retirement from teaching in 2008, Trawick sought to keep her art skills sharp and maybe even make some new friends. She joined several local art classes, including one taught by her neighbor Mary Jane van Zeijts, owner of Studio 268 on Main Street in Setauket.

‘West Meadow Gates’

Van Zeijts taught Trawick how to use a set of pastels she received from friends as a gift, and she immediately fell in love. “Pastels are definitely my new favorite medium to work with,” Trawick said in a recent interview. “The colors are so vibrant and intense.”

Van Zeijts was so impressed with Trawick’s skills that she invited her to create an art exhibit for the studio. That show, aptly titled Land and Sea Pastel Images, will open on March 24.

Trawick’s passion for art is hereditary, she said — her father loved to draw, and she picked up the hobby in early childhood. She married young and was a stay-at-home mother before attending Dowling College for a bachelor’s degree in fine art and Stony Brook University for a master’s in education. Without hesitation, she cites impressionists as her favorite artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Andrew Wyeth and Joseph Reboli.

While Trawick’s work has appeared throughout the area in various exhibits, this show is the first she’s done solo. It will be almost entirely comprised of pastel art, with one watercolor and one oil painting to give a taste of her other skills.

“Setauket is the best place for an artist to live — the landscapes are so beautiful,” Trawick said. “I love the water, the wetlands, the trees, even the little hills here on the North Shore that the South Shore doesn’t have.”

‘Hidden Stream’

Trawick explained that inspiration for a new piece will strike as she’s out driving or enjoying time outside, especially in the light of early morning or at sunset. When she sees something she wants to paint, she’ll take photos to preserve the memory for later. She also enjoys occasional plein air painting. 

Trawick will display more than 30 pieces of varied sizes at the show. Most pieces feature recognizable Long Island scenes, while others show off the beauty of Central Park, Yellowstone National Park and Higgins Beach in Maine, all with brilliant color.

“Susan is an incredibly strong, skilled and prolific artist,” van Zeijts said. “She has used and taught other mediums, but she is so expressive with pastels. It speaks of who she is. We can all relate to her work because a lot of it is local. You can see a picture of Maine and acknowledge it as beautiful, but her Long Island work will be recognizable and enjoyable for people from this area.”

Every piece at Trawick’s show is for sale, with paintings ranging from $50 to $850 and prints for less than $10. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the show will benefit Kent Animal Shelter, a no-kill nonprofit haven for dogs and cats in Calverton, where Trawick has served as a board member for 32 years. Her two dogs and “too many” cats at home are all rescues.

The shelter also offers low-cost and sometimes free spay/neuter services for more than 3,500 animals each year. This critical work helps address excessive breeding, overpopulation and animals left homeless.

“I’ve seen so much suffering of animals in my time doing work with the shelter, so I want to do anything I can to alleviate that suffering,” said Trawick.

Reached by phone, Pam Green, executive director of the shelter, said that Trawick is the quintessential animal lover. “Susan is so devoted and has done a lot of work with helping support our spay/neuter efforts in the area. She also provides a lot of advice for people that come across homeless or sick animals,” Green said.

Studio 268, located at 268 Main St., Setauket will present Land and Sea Pastel Images from March 24 to April 14. The studio is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Join the artist for an opening reception on March 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 631-220-4529.