Gallery 25 Welcomes
Rainie Crawford, Patrick Purcell, and Mel Crawford

“Charlie’s Team” by Mel Crawford

February 2014

Rainie Crawford, pastelist, Patrick Purcell, sculptor, and Mel Crawford, painter have joined the coop gallery and are exhibiting their artwork at the Gallery at 25 Church Street in New Milford, Connecticut.

Rainie, a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of America is widely known for her ethereal pastel still life paintings. She is an elected member of the Allied Artists of America, the Connecticut Pastel Society, the Audubon Artists, and the Hudson Valley Art Association. Her work is part of the permanent collections of the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Paint and Clay club of New Haven. She has been featured in numerous magazine articles and books.

Artist Mel Crawford Mel Crawford has lived and painted in New England for over 40 years. He has gained great insight into the ebb and flow of New England, enabling him to successfully capture timeless impressions of this beautiful countryside. In his early years his medium of choice was watercolor and he painted outdoors whenever possible. As his career progressed Crawford worked for Disney Studios, Sesame Street and several publishing houses. After changing his medium to acrylic, Crawford concentrated on fine art. Twice a finalist in the Arts for the Parks competition, his single entry "Summer Treasures" was selected by Ambassador Robert Strauss to hang in the Ambassador's residence during his tenure in Moscow. Widely acclaimed as a painter and illustrator, Crawford has exhibited his award-winning work throughout the United States and Canada. His work can be found in museums, corporate offices and in the homes of private collectors. He is a winner of the Franklin Mint Gold Medal for watercolor and a winner of several Grumbacher Gold Medals.

New Milford sculptor Patrick Purcell begins the physical process of creating a three dimensional piece with a preconceived or at times, a subconscious idea. From years of experience, he has mastered the techniques needed to make these ideas evolve into finished pieces. He enjoys creating a wide variety of work ranging from figurative to biomorphic; jewelry and small indoor sculptures to large outdoor pieces. The materials he uses varies. Depending on the piece he is creating, he uses stone, wood, metals, resins, cement and recycled materials. What is the most exhilarating is the creative process itself�when the piece finally takes on a life of its own. Purcell's sculpture featured in Gallery 25 are of bronze.