Article in the Jewish Journal about our featured artist this month! Local Artist Proves That its Never Too Late to Pick Up a Paintbrush YULIA ZHOROV Jewish Journal Staff Surprising himself and many of his friends, Oleg Merson’s artistic talent emerged at age 68. In less than four years, the Russian from Lynn has created a rich assortment of oil paintings. Merson’s colorful stilllifes, landscapes and portraits are currently on exhibit at Marblehead Natural Healing, a clinic founded by Dr. Devorah Feinbloom. “I like how art changes energy and helps to heal,” said Feinbloom, a holistic practitioner and artist herself. Merson, an electronics engineer, immigrated to the U.S. from Leningrad in 1990. Now retired, he is reluctant to call himself an artist. As a child he enjoyed drawing, especially horses, but he has had no formal training. He does not categorize or define his style. “I paint when I am inspired, and when I feel a need to create art,” he said. Merson vividly recalls his first self-portrait. “My artist friend once complained that he had difficulties painting his grandson’s portrait. I thought that I could do my own portrait; just look into the mirror and paint. I spent more than an hour on the sketch, and once it was finished, the portrait looked like me. My friend’s reaction was very encouraging,” he said. With the trained eyes of an engineer, Merson scrupulously captures with almost photographic precision the luster of metallic bowls or pots. Using colors, shadows and highlights, he creates realistic-looking cantaloupes, peaches and onions. He painted three landscapes of the same tree outside his apartment window, capturing seasonal changes that evoke reflections about the stages of life. One of his favorite pieces is a painting he did of five Jewish men sitting around a table, obviously enjoying each other’s company. They are old college friends of Merson’s, reunited after more than 45 years. All but one left Russia; they all now live in America, Canada and Israel. “These people who immigrated years ago established themselves in different countries. They represent the intellectual power Russia once had. At first I just wanted to capture the reunion and preserve my friends’ personalities, but after I finished the painting, it sort of dawned on me that it is a historic painting, a testament to the evils of politics that pushed Jews out, and didn’t really give them a choice but to leave the country,” Merson said. Even though Merson did not receive an artistic education, he has a deep respect and understanding of art. He cites Durer and Raphael, El Greco, Dali, Picasso, Chagall and Pollock as his sources of inspiration. The Marblehead Natural Healing Center is located at 10 Spring St. Call 781-639-0010 or go to Marbleheadnaturalhealing.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:24:07 +0000
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