"The Mill in Fog," by Christopher Volpe

Lowell has gotten under painter Christopher Volpe's skin -- literally.

Volpe, a Western Avenue Studios artist, presents Dream Diary, a collection of recent oils inspired by Lowell's mill buildings and rooftops, at Loft 3, the gallery at 194 Middle St., one floor above Life Alive Café.

It opens on Feb. 21 with a reception from 5-8:30 p.m. and is on view through March 30.

While painting the abstract landscapes for his first Lowell show, his fingers became stained with one of the colors he kept reaching for and stayed that way for weeks.

"Phthalo blue has incredible staining ability -- it gets under your nails and skin and won't go away," said Volpe. "But it's the color that the paintings seemed to be telling

Artist's Books by Gail Smuda at University Gallery at UML
me to use. When mixed down with darks, it's a deep midnight blue and that's the mood I wanted for these Lowell landscapes."

Volpe, a transplant from New York, rented what he thought would be a temporary studio at WAS about three years ago. But the city and its art scene drew him in and now he calls Lowell home.

"There's amazing enthusiasm and energy in the arts here," he said.

Visit www.christophervolpe.com for info.

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