B rushing Back the Years

The artist Nancy Furino has a healthy attitude toward her work.

“Mainly I paint to please myself, not to think what the public might want,” she says. “If the work sells, all the better.”

This statement coming from a wet-behind-the-ears novice just getting going might sound like a bit of grandstanding, perhaps landing a false note at that. After all, doesn’t everyone focus on the bottom line these days?

Well, Ms. Furino has earned the right to say whatever she wants. Recently, she turned eighty-three years old and her extensive body of work speaks for itself.

By the way, she has no trouble selling her work either, as her list of fans is quite long.

Recently, two Oak Bluffs galleries have joined together to create a retrospective of Ms. Furino’s work. On Saturday, Oct. 8, they will both be holding a reception for the artist.

From 5 to 6:30 p.m. the Dragonfly Gallery, located at 91 Dukes County avenue, will play host and then from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the Shephard Fine ArtSpace, located at 8 Uncas avenue, will take over. It is a chance to witness a body of work that stretches back to the 1950’s. Ms. Furino shows no signs of stopping either.

“Although I have been painting for many years, I feel as if I am now just getting the hang of it. It is as if I am assimilating all I have learned and am getting it all together — style, feeling, knowledge, and my ability to make an original statement of my own vision.

“I’m not afraid to paint things that others might think too difficult,” she adds. “I just do it, and I learn a lot in the process.”

That’s a healthy attitude when talking about art or life in general.

For more information, call 508-693-8877 or 508-693-8001.