Cheryl Taveski of Lockport paints the steeple of St. Mary's Church as part of a "plein air" group in Lockport today. (ENP STAFF PHOTOS)

Niagara Falls art group chooses Erie Canal as backdrop

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Shelley Collins of Niagara Painters talks with Old City Hall Tea Parlor owner Cindy Jex.

Each Thursday, the Niagara Painters group chooses a location in Niagara County and paints "plein air," or "art outside." Today they chose Lockport.

Four artists from the group are set up on or near the Pine Street bridge, painting different views of the Erie Canal and the Lock City.

Shelley Collins, one of the organizers of the group, said she was excited to be painting the locks today. The Niagara Falls artist, who has been painting since age 10, said the county offers a plethora things to paint.

"There's plenty of things to see in Niagara County," she said.

Passersby were quick to offer suggestions, including Cindy Jex, owner of the Old City Hall Tea Parlor, 2 Pine Street, as well as the Barker Chocolate Box in Barker. Jex had been in contact with the group ahead of their arrival and offered up Old City Hall as a respite from the sun if needed — and for bathroom breaks.

Susan Harris of Niagara Falls paints the Upside Down Bridge.

Collins said she mostly paints for fun and friends, but lauded her fellow artists, particularly Ylli Haruni, who was setting up at the south side of the Pine Street Bridge to paint a perspective of the front of Old City hall and the west side of the bridge.

Lockport's Cheryl Tasevski set her canvas up in front of Lake Effect Ice Cream to paint the steeple of St. Mary's Church. The artist, who has a studio in the new Lockside Art Center, said the weather is perfect today for plein air.

Susan Harris, of Niagara Falls, meanwhile, was on the east side of the Pine Street Bridge painting the Upside Down Bridge and boats in the canal. She called Lockport "a beautiful destination," and referred to the locks as "an amazing thing."

The part-time tour guide shared some Lock City and Erie Canal history with tourists as they passed by.

Typically the painters show up sometime after 10 a.m., paint for a few hours and break for lunch, Collins said. When they break, they critique each others work and then part ways — to meet again the following Thursday.

Next week's location is Niagara Falls, a frequent landscape for the group, which runs out of the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center — the old Niagara Falls High School — on Pine Avenue.

The group can be found on Facebook.

Collins works on her photo of the locks.

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