Three Talented Artists With Different Interpretations Of The Subject Matter
Niki Pino is all about the eyes. She is not only cofounder of the award-winning An Optical Galleria eye-care store, she is a talented and highly respected artist who has been honing her technique since she was a child. Today, each of An Optical Galleria’s three locations (Centreville, Ocean City and Easton) doubles as an art gallery showcasing Niki’s incredible artwork, which includes seascapes, landscapes and animal life, including, yes, the almighty oyster. What’s exceptional about Niki’s work is that she routinely adapts her style to be either more presentational or representational according to the specific inspiration she feels toward the subject. One thing she will promise you, though: Whatever she paints for you will be absolutely one-of-a-kind, as the artist prides herself on never creating the same painting twice.
Mary Sparrow got her start in the art world at age 4, when her mother presented her with her first paint-by-numbers oil set — and she was hooked for life. In the decades that followed, Mary devoted herself and her innate talent to capturing personal magic and precious memories on canvas to the delight of patrons from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe. Today, in addition to landscapes, seascapes, and both human and animal portraiture, the North Carolinian produces a variety of oyster paintings. Her work accents her brother’s oyster bar in South Carolina, and now a Berlin home, after a local resident commissioned Mary to create something unique and timeless in honor of his wife’s 40th birthday. The result is this stirringly lifelike representation of both beauty and a true American way of life. For more about Mary and her work, visit MarySparrow.com.
Patty Falck not only enjoys a reputation as one of Berlin’s most in-demand artists, she has 35 years of signature interior design under her creative belt. Even though Patty’s time-tested skills are honed, she will be the first to tell you that the real key to the delight she consistently delivers to her clients is contained not in just her eyes, hands or imagination but in her ears. “These are often highly emotional issues to people, sometimes including great life changes,” says Patty, “so it is essential that you really listen to what they’re goals are when they commission you — whether it’s for a painting or interior-design project. Reach for those goals while respecting their budget, and you’ll always leave them happy with your work.” Patty’s philosophy is demonstrated in her painting of this Chesapeake Bay oyster.