As a teenager, Gail Fischer would run off with her sister’s Minolta and photograph whatever caught her eye on the walk to high school. What began as a habit with a borrowed point-and-shoot grew into a decades-long exploration of photography rooted in nature.
Fischer’s journey from darkrooms to the experimental but purposeful light paintings she creates today started at a hospital, where she captured biomedical images. She moved through jobs, but her “addiction” to photography never faded.
This weekend, Fischer joins more than 40 Needham artists who are opening their workshops for the town’s annual Open Studios. The event runs May 2-3.
Fischer first experimented with long exposure while working at Time Inc., capturing the flow of people moving in and out of elevators. She returned to the long-exposure technique in 2019, refining the process until it evolved into the various night light-painting images she will showcase at this weekend’s event.
Fischer has taken part in Needham Open Studios for over 25 years. She described the event as an important part of the town’s fabric, especially since the town lacks dedicated gallery space. The real value, she said, is connecting with visitors. “Even if they don’t come to buy,” she said, “they always come to learn.”
Fischer found her way to night light painting with a group that went out to do night photography in 2019. One evening, while her husband was at orchestra practice, she switched off all the lights in her house and began experimenting with plexiglass lights. A bouquet of flowers she had received became her muse as she explored the technique. One piece from this collection was recently accepted into the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham.
Fischer uses her phone and a Sony camera converted to infrared to capture her images. “I’m always trying to figure out how I can make everything look different,” she said. “With infrared, it alters the colors. And, you know, I don’t want to be like everybody else shooting a green tree. So, I got … white trees and red trees, blue trees. And in nature that’s a no-brainer for me.”
A piece isn’t complete, she said, until she transfers the image onto different materials. The images at this weekend’s show were printed on metallic paper. She said her favorite part is the way the paper brings specks of light and gives the photographs a faint glow. She is also exploring blueprints layered with gold leaf.
From flowers in a vase to fake ducks, nature is a constant theme throughout Fischer’s work.
“I’ve always kind of … wanted to be a painter, but never was because I can’t paint,” she said. “So maybe that’s why I seek out oddities because I do love anything. Like my blue trees in the Berkshires are beautiful.”
Cherie Clinton, a painter who grew up in Framingham, paints scenes that emphasize light and reflection in nature.
“Leaves and trees are fascinating to me,” she said. “The play of light is a big draw. I see both water and trees as really beautiful vehicles for inspiration and source material to work with.”
Clinton is also the artist in residence at North Hill Retirement Community, a stop on the Needham Open Studios circuit. On May 2, North Hill will launch its Empty Bowls Project, a grassroots arts fundraiser for the Needham Community Council. The program will conclude during the North Hill’s 42nd anniversary week Sept. 14.
Arielle Wilson, the ceramicist at North Hill, said the program enriches the broader Needham community and supports residents’ cognitive abilities.
“The goal is to bring people together for the common good of helping the immediate community, and so we will make a number of bowls,” Wilson said. “It’s a way to bring the community together for a common goal, as well as an art-in-action initiative to just reach out to the outside community and embrace all of our different environments and skill levels.”
The goal is to sell 300 bowls made by residents, according to Bethany Mercer, the director of operations at North Hill. Visitors can purchase a ticket to receive a handcrafted bowl and sample soups from local restaurants.
“We thought it was a great opportunity for us, as we’re discovering art in the community and telling our story about why North Hill is connected to art expression and why it helps define our culture,” she said. “It’s a great time to also bring awareness to the need of the greater community and that art can be wonderful to enjoy on its own, but it also can be used to advocate for a greater good.”
Residents, members and employees at North Hill have started making and glazing bowls for the program, said Christine Morrison, director of Fitness and Vitality, PurposeFULL Living at North Hill. Visitors can handle clay during the event, but they cannot contribute pieces because the process takes weeks.
“We love to look at social interaction, which brings residents together to work on this project. And it gives them a sense of purpose, giving back,” said Morrison. “We have a real focus on the creative arts. And also, more than just the creative expression, it’s also mindfulness to be involved with clay and also is great for their grip strength. So we’re looking at all aspects of this project in terms of whole-person wellness.”
Clinton has taught “Drawing Into Painting” to North Hill residents for the past three years. The Empty Bowls marks the fourth installment of the community’s annual “Art in Action” project. She said the project will give residents and visitors a shared sense of purpose.
“This project is something to focus on that is good, something that we can all come together and all agree on,” she said. “We will have to help people that are starving, are hungry and this is giving us a common ground to connect with each other.”
Needham Open Studios features more than 40 artists working in different mediums. Visitors can watch live demonstrations, talk with artists and buy their work.
Fischer said she hopes guests leave her studio with a sense of curiosity and a rekindled interest in something new.
“You hope they like it and don’t think you’re a weirdo,” she said. “I just hope they take an interest in it and want to follow up with me later.”