The Member Spotlight series at Newburyport Art is a new initiative, featuring a solo showcase of work in the newly designated Mural Gallery — the hallway and staircase bridging the downstairs Sargent Gallery and upstairs Hartson Gallery.

The current Member Spotlight is “Town and Tide”, a collaborative exhibition by NAA artists George Darcy and Peggy Poppe. Both George and Peggy share a love of watercolor and are members of the Watercolor Featured Interest Group. In this exquisite collection of fourteen paintings, George has provided the scenes around “Town” — many right here in Newburyport — while Peggy has painted scenes in the tidal marshes and along the coast.

• About George Darcy

  “I find my love of nature and art are very complementary. Painting means to me looking at a beautiful thing in a deeper way, and taking the time to really see and appreciate it. I am drawn to marine, nature, and historical subjects, but I also take advantage of my fondness for travel to discover new vistas and painting subjects around the world. While most of my work is in watercolors, I also do oils, and most recently, pastels.

  I am an Artist Member of the Newburyport Art Association, and a Juried Artist member of the North Shore Art Association. I have had the privilege of learning from many other artists, including William Duke, Susan Spellman, Alan Bull, Sue Charles, and Ann Schaefer, and display my work in galleries in Newburyport, Portsmouth, and Cape Cod.”

• About Peggy Poppe

  "I find inspiration in all the beauty that surrounds us. It can be something small that catches my eye like the light and shadows on a sunny day, the mood that's created on a foggy or stormy day, a beautiful reflection or the magical glow created by the sun setting, the golden hour.

  I like to paint En Plein Air when I can, but also like to capture in photographs the essence of special moments when I see them. When I paint in the studio I try to recall the moment that captured my attention.

  For me, painting in watercolor is a process of letting go. When I allow the paints to lead me I am always surprised and pleased by the results."

Come meet the artists for a public reception on Sunday, February 19th from 3-5pm!