FREEPORT

Shelley Breton, a self-taught artist who took up the craft of oil painting eight years ago, will be sharing her work with the public next month. Breton’s paintings will be on display at the Freeport Community Library starting on Sept. 1 and running through the end of the month, part of a year-long series that features a different local artist each month.

Library Event Coordinator Belinda Stewart said that Breton was an obvious choice for the exhibit.

“Shelley is a regular patron at our library,” said Stewart. “She’s associated with the Art Guild of Freeport and I’ve seen her work many times.”

Oil painting — and art in general — hasn’t always been Breton’s focus.

“My education is science-based, but I’ve always appreciated art,” said Breton, who grew up in South Portland and was a biology major at William and Mary in Virginia before settling down in Freeport. “It kind of hit me out of the blue eight years ago. I felt like I just had to start painting.”

Breton began to self-study the craft of oil and acrylic painting, using other artist’s work as a template to form her own style.

“There are so many great artists out there whose work is so inspiring,” said Breton. “I look at some of their art and think, ‘Oh boy, I have to try that!’”

There are many artists on Breton’s list of inspirations, such as Terry Miura and Carol Marine, but she points to one as being the template for what she does best.

“I love Barbara Flowers,” Breton said, siting the Charleston, South Carolina abstract painter as a key part of her artistic evolution. “She does lots of abstract flowers. Abstract work like hers is so difficult to do, much harder than it looks.”

Breton has done well to emulate Flowers’ knack for floral paintings. She feels that her work is entering the realm of the abstract, but she knows still has to fine-tune things.

“What I find challenging right now is that my work is fairly tight,” said Breton. “I would love to loosen it up. I find it very difficult to to go outside the lines.”

Though not a large part of her art shows yet, Breton plans to employ abstracting in the bulk of her work once she has a firmer grasp on the practice.

“The painting on display (at the library) are more representative painting,” Breton said. “Some artists are very photo realistic, but that’s not something I’m trying to achieve. I’m more trying to achieve a mood.”

Growing up in Maine has influenced Breton to use the vast array of colors, trees and wildlife that surrounds us to her advantage. Her knowledge of science only deepens her understanding of the natural world.

“Maine is so beautiful and life here is so beautiful,” said Breton. “The way light changes an object early in the morning, this really changes things from an artist’s standpoint. How does that tree really look at that moment? You have to stop and think about it.”

Breton prides herself on capturing these little moments that many passers-by might miss.

“I love to find that hidden or unusual spot that gets missed by most of us while we are hurrying through our day,” Breton said, pointing out that the more you study an object, the more opportunities for art arise.

Like these intimate moments that result in inspiration, her passion for art has arisen seemingly out of nowhere.

“I feel like I have almost no control over it,” Breton said. “It’s been such an enjoyable past time, a great ride so far.”

As she improves and grows, Breton enjoys meeting up with fellow artists and painting alongside them to help hone her craft.

“I love finding others to paint with,” Breton said. “I don’t feel like it’s a competition. You help each other, and that what art is all about.”

For more information on Breton’s art exhibit, visit freeportlibrary.com. To see her work online, visit shelleybreton.com.

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com