two local artists show at Rochester library

Even if you aren’t going to check out a book, you can visit Rochester Public Library to check out the current art show.

Local artists Susan Schwake, of artstream studios, and Roger Galuska, of Rock Garden Pottery, are showing work on the first floor of the library on South Main Street until the end of March.

A collection of paintings by Schwake were selected for her show entitled, “Love is All You Need,” for Valentine’s Day in February and the beginning of spring in March.

The colorful paintings are full of life, featuring two of her regular muses, birds and flowers. Her signature bowl-shaped birds fit perfectly into the library, which the staff decorated with similar looking paper birds hanging from tree branches this winter. A small series of bird paintings are propped up along the checkout desk, while a larger one hangs nearby. They resemble the public artwork Schwake created for the parking garage in downtown Portsmouth as part of the Overnight Art project last summer.

But the show also exhibits her versatility. Some of the flowers in her paintings are abstract and round. Like planets viewed from a telescope, these seem to contain a whole world because of the mixed media elements at the center. She made the organic shapes sort of cubic in a still-life painting with a vase, reminiscent of some Picasso work.

The highlights of the flower paintings, though, are a row of canvases filled with bright bursts of red and orange blossoms and their green leaves. While subtly hinting of the holiday season gone by, these images herald spring. 

Galuska’s pottery is shown in two well-lit display cases. He specializes in hand-thrown, hand-painted dishes that are intended for both form and function. With dinnerware sets, vases, soap dispensers and lamps, his work could fill a kitchen and dining room. He calls them all “everyday art-utility objects.” 

Certainly, his sturdy but curvy mugs for $16 each would get regular morning use. These come in solid colors, but are delightfully speckled like certain bird eggs. They can be personalized with a name and decorated with Galuska’s signature flora and fauna design for another $10 each, but they don’t need the decoration to be beautiful. 

Many of his original designs are inspired by his ancestral home in the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland. He draws flower petals, leaves and vines into the pottery, creating a pattern. A couple of pieces in the show are a variation from his regular pattern, with more intricate detail in grids and dots.

Also showing off his range, Galuska has large, formal pieces on display, as well as small casual ones. His adorable bud vases are an underappreciated size, ideal for wildflowers, and the thick clay gives them a substance that is rare when so small. These appear stamped with modern designs.

Both artists teach classes at their respective businesses in Rochester for those who want to check out their own potential. Artstream is at 56 North Main St., 603-330-0333, and Rock Garden Pottery is at 14 Madison Ave., 603-332-1871. Rochester Public Library is located at 65 South Main St., Rochester, 603-332-1428.