Francine Sokol’s paintings of floral gardens, calm meadows and Midcoast Maine’s scenery have garnered much attention at BIRCH since first exhibited last year. Fran will be exhibiting new pieces, as well as a new collection of embellished ceramic figures during Wiscasset’s Art Walk, Thursday, July 27 from 5-8 p.m. Meet Fran and enjoy refreshments Thursday evening.

Francine Sokol’s adept use of color, light, composition and strong drawing are evident in her carefree, spontaneous strokes.

Born in New York and trained in the studios of the greats of Abstract Expressionism – Rothko, Rheinhardt, Still, Ernst, and Diller – Sokol drew on their emotional use of color and moved to the more familiar feeling of light in the nature surrounding us. A critic once said, “...Sokol has evolved a style and flair which tempers emotionalism with discipline.”

After earning her BA in fine arts at Brooklyn College and postgraduate work with Mark Rothko and others, Sokol moved into the creative world of decorative design for the home furnishing industry. Study in the fabric and design centers of Europe led to the addition of tapestry and needlepoint design to her range of abilities.

Sokol operated her own design studio and art gallery in Long Island, NY where she exhibited her own work, as well as the work of other contemporary artists. Her clients included leading national retailers such as Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor and Bonwit Teller, as well as a commission by the U.S. government to design for historic landmark Theodore Roosevelt home.

To see more of her work, visit www.sokolartworks.com.

BIRCH is located at 72 Main Street, Wiscasset.