Newtown Square Library Welcomes Oil Painter Beverly Kratzel!

It takes skill to run a non-profit association with over 200 artists – particularly one as esteemed as the Delaware Valley Art League. (https://www.delawarevalleyartleague.com) There are educational lectures, workshops, and demonstrations to organize, exhibitions and events to coordinate, and communications to oversee. And of course, you have to be an artist as well.

Beverly Kratzel fits all those bills. As the new President of the DVAL, she gets to utilize all her administrative and artistic skills. Her background as an Editor for Clinical Oncology Trials gave her experience as a liaison among statisticians, physicians, and other medical professionals; as well as the capacity to analyze and communicate critical data in a clear and functional manner.

But as she approached retirement from that intense field, Bev looked for a new direction that would be as fulfilling as her career in medical technology.

She found it in the arts.

Beverly began exercising the right hemisphere of her brain by taking drawing lessons at the Main Line Art Center. Those initial classes were so engaging, she delved deeper – with programs from the Wayne Art Center, ADM Studios in Newtown Square, and private instructors. She related:

It’s a good idea to learn from a lot of different sources. I studied with many teachers, and I learned that you ultimately go with what works for you. For me, it’s oil painting – my favorite subjects are landscapes, animals, and flowers. I’m a contemporary realist – and since my husband turned a room at home into a studio for me, I love painting every afternoon that I can!

Sometimes I’m surprised at how a difficult situation can generate a great result. We had a plein air event at Chanticleer, and it was just one faux pas after another. The morning was dark and drizzly, and once I finally got there, I had a hard time setting up my collapsible easel. When I realized I had brought the wrong paint palette, I was thunderstruck! But I took a deep breath, and got to work. (That’s life, right?) Despite the comedy of errors, I was kind of happy with the final painting. The colors I don’t typically use worked well that day!

Dealing with unusual circumstances is part of life, and painting is a proven way to alleviate stress and focus the mind on a positive subject. One of the paintings in Beverly’s show at the Newtown Square Library is of a covered bridge in Lancaster County. The scene is tranquil and touching: at the far end of the bridge, there are silhouettes of an Amish mother pushing a baby carriage, with her son walking alongside her. The old bridge, being used by young people from a religious order that abjures modern conveniences is a wonderful metaphor for the value of traditions. There are treasures in the past. When you become engrossed in a painting, time slows down – for both the artist, and the observer. And Beverly’s paintings capture those moments in time for all of us.

The Newtown Square Library is delighted to host a two-month exhibit by oil painter Beverly Kratzel, the President of the Delaware Valley Art League! For more information on Beverly’s artworks please contact her through bkratzel@comcast.net , and to learn more about the Delaware Valley Art League, email info@delawarevalleyartleague.com

The Newtown Square Public Library is located at 201 Bishop Hollow Road, Newtown Square, PA. Call (610) 353-1022, see our Facebook page, or visit http://www.newtownlibrary.org

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