Meeting is NEXT Week

Don't forget that due to the Chickering holiday tomorrow, our monthly meeting will take place next week - December 8 - at 9 am.

Linda Burke December Artist of the Month

"Internal Landscapes" Exhibit By Linda Burke to be Featured at Dover Library in December

Needham High School Art Teacher is Artist of the Month

Teaching art at Needham High School for the past 15 years, artist Linda Burke has fostered many a talent. Recently, she has been able to focus on a talent closer to home: her own. The result of her labor is an exhibit titled "Internal Landscapes", which will be on display at the Dover Library December 1-31. Burke will also host an opening reception at the library on December 10 from 6-8 p.m.

Burke's pieces are large in size for watercolor. She then alters the watercolor surface with mark-making, using drawing media such as charcoal, Conte crayon colored pencils and pastel.

"With watercolor and mixed drawing media, I explore the mark-making process as it is affected but emotional and psychological moments," said Burke. "The work is then approached with no preconceived goals, which allows for experiences, memories, or the timbre of the day to impact the color, motion and line."

The artist said that while one piece may be influenced by a tragic event, other could be collections of ethereal impressions.

"Essentially, my work is a gestalt art process, influenced by Chinese brush painting artists and modern Abstract Expressionists, like Joan Snyder,"she added. "I begin with large physical brushwork and then pull out imagery based on internal dialog and what I see emerging naturally from the paper surface."

After focusing on teaching for so many years, Burke returned to her own craft when she moved to Ashland five years ago and began painting at the Danforth Museum. She currently works in Michael Dowling's Medicine Wheel Studios in South Boston. 

The Artist of the Month program is sponsored by the Friends of the Dover Library. Each month, a different local artist's work is displayed in the library. Pieces are available for sale and 10 percent of all sales go to the library. 

Next Meeting - December 8

The next Friends' meeting will take place on Monday, December 8, at 9 am in the library's Community Room. This is a departure from the tradition of meeting the first Monday of the month due to a school holiday on December 1. All are invited and welcome to attend. Topics to discuss include the recent house tour and a report on where membership and fundraising to date stand, as well as planning for the upcoming spelling bee (scheduled for March 26, 2009), a Valentine-themed wine tasting event, Valentine's Day baskets for silent auction and other spring events. The Friends is also looking for a volunteer to assist other Friends members in planning a few library events for Dover children.

Below are pictures from our October wine tasting. A special thanks to Bob Harkey of Harkey's Wine & Spirits in Millis for donating his time to the Friends to teach us about wines from South Africa. A wonderful evening as we sipped various wines and Bob regaled us with stories from his recent trip. Best of all, the wines were excellent and ranged from $10-20! Head down to Harkey's to stock up ...

Doing Well While Doing Good

Just got back from the Blue Tulip in Wellesley, where a sum equal to 15% of today's purchases will be donated to the Dover Town Library if you mention the Library to the salesclerk at checkout. I found a bunch of clever gifties, and many were on sale: stationery was 50% off, holiday cards 20% off. They have excellent teacher gift items, as well as toys and cards and stocking stuffers.

In these difficult economic times, it makes sense to optimize your spending. Head over to Wellesley (Roche Bros. plaza) and put your money to work for the Library while you take care of some of your holiday and birthday gift shopping. Make sure to thank them for their support of the Dover Town Library.

REMINDER - SHOPPING DAY AT BLUE TULIP

Don't forget to get ahead start on holiday shopping and help the library. Mention the Friends at Blue Tulip in Wellesley tomorrow, Nov. 9, and the group will get 15% of the proceeds. Spread the word!