Greater Sudbury has a brand-new art gallery.
Local artist Carmen Martorella is hosting the grand opening for her Art & Soul Gallery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Aug. 12 and 13. The gallery is located at 6 Baker St., in the city’s Uptown area.
Martorella said she has been an artist most of her life, stemming from when she was a student in the arts program at Sudbury Secondary School.
She then moved on to Cambrian College, where she took accounting, but minored in visual arts.
“And so I kept painting, but I got a job at Canada Revenue Agency, and then I retired after 33 years of service in 2015,” Martorella said.
Following her retirement, she jumped fully into the world of art, taking workshops and even attending the Haliburton School of Art and Design. She also got involved in the Sudbury Art Club and Sudbury Arts Council.
Martorella said she decided to open her own gallery partly so she would have a dedicated space, as well as time, for painting. She also wanted a single place to keep her art portfolio.
“This way I’m forcing myself to paint,” she said. “When you’re at home, there’s always other things to do. I just need to zone in and put some good music on and just paint. I usually do have ongoing commissions, so I have to keep that up.”
The Art & Soul Gallery will also exhibit the work of other local artists, giving someone new a chance every two months. The artist also intends to hold watercolour painting classes for adults in her small studio.
Martorella paints mostly landscape scenes, although where those landscapes are and what medium she uses varies.
She paints her home of Northern Ontario — including our beautiful lakes and northern lights — as well as Florida, where she spends time in the winter, and her immigrant parents’ hometown of Bomba, Italy. Her flower garden is also a favourite subject.
Watercolour, acrylic and mixed-media are among the mediums Martorella uses, and she has also been experimenting with covering pieces in resin.
“I find it fascinating with the resin how the technique comes out,” she said. “They're really very pretty. It's like an epoxy gloss.”
All of the works she has on display at the new gallery are for sale, and Martorella said that because she does her own framing, she has kept her prices relatively affordable.
“I have a starting price from $5 for bookmarks to paintings up to $500, and it's an original piece of art,” she said.
Art & Soul Gallery will generally be open Mondays and Wednesday from 12-4 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Martorella will also make appointments for private viewings.
Email Martorella at [email protected] for more information.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s associate content editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
