For the month of March, the Piermont Library presents Meryl Toan: Oil Paintings. We hope you enjoy this collection. The paintings are available for purchase from the artist and a portion of all proceeds is donated to support the library. Artist of the Month (piermontlibrary.org)

From the artist…..
All these paintings are in oil, and have to do with patterns, especially in nature.

Painting nature in the open air is very difficult, especially on a large canvas.  I could do my sketches outdoors but once inside,  I couldn’t call to mind all the colors, shapes and shadows seen on the spot. I had to use other means to create the feeling I was looking for. I am interested in the effect of many small areas of color upon each other, each small area is a natural form, the tiny details making up the whole. Also the weather and seasons have their own particular pattern.  The Piermont Marsh features in many of the earlier works, with its golden backdrop. 

The birds are a way to interject whatever color is called for,  and their shape and position of the wings create movement within the canvas.  I put them everywhere, in particular Blue Jays with their three shades of blue: cobalt, cerulean and Prussian!

After a  while, the direction of  the work turned more decorative and less representational.  The negative space was absorbed into the design. From a distance  these pieces may read as an abstract rectangle. I like that basic shape to instill simplicity despite all the detail that is going on within the canvas.

The one exception to this are the paintings of trees, which are a stand of sycamores that grow outside my house. Sycamore trees have a marvelous bark that sheds unevenly creating an array of patterns and colors.

Anyone interested in seeing my work in person, please email me at meryltoan@gmail.com. I would be happy to meet with you.

Join us Thursdays at 4:30 for Preschool Story and Craft with Ms. Nancy! Details and registration on our website events calendar.

Listen to some books and make an easy craft. Please pick up materials Tuesday or Wednesday prior to the program. This is a virtual program.

(Illustration by Mary Blair for Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland)

Join us virtually on 2-22-22 for an in-depth discussion of our planet’s plastic crisis. From the extraction of component materials to various manufacturing processes, to its end destination in human bodies, waterways, and incinerators, plastic is an issue that needs to be tackled immediately. We will talk about the various points in plastic production and waste management where change can be made and how you can become involved in that change. This is not the “you just need to recycle more” approach; we will touch on producer responsibility, legislation, and community organizing to advance the Solutions to Plastic Pollution!

This program is presented and funded by ROCKLAND CCE in conjunction with a grant from O&R and sponsored by Dominican College. The program is in partnership with Piermont Public Library.

If you love to write, join us virtually on February 17th at 6:30 pm as Ms. Nancy reads a short story and then you read some of your own writing to the group. It can be poetry, stories, anything you’ve put down on your devices or even on paper! If you wish, you can e-mail your material to Ms. Nancy and she will read it anonymously.

February 8, 2022, 7:00pm – 8:00pm

Join us for a presentation on Storm Water! Jen Zunino-Smith, of the Cornell Cooperative, will talk about what storm water actually is, why it is important and how to do your part to preserve it’s quality. She will talk about the many things you can do right at home to take action today!