`Found art' turns into sculptures.Byline: Gail Stanton Brenda Stone (born November 19, 1954 in Memphis, Tennessee - died November 21, 1996 in Memphis) is an American model and actress. Under the name Gail Stanton, she was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its June 1978 issue. ASHBURNHAM - Den W. Poitras is a product of his environment. That is, he comes from a long line of artistic and musical talent and it shows - in almost everything he does. The 57-year-old artist not only paints wall-sized murals, he plays a variety of instruments and creates enormous yard sculptures - his latest a 30-foot ship mast that sits in his front yard. But it is his love of painting that comes first in his artistic pursuits. "I started when I was 5 years old and I haven't stopped in the last 52 years," he said. Although never formally trained, he did contemplate attending art school, and at one time was offered a scholarship to the Cape Cod Cape Cod, narrow peninsula of glacial origin, 399 sq mi (1,033 sq km), SE Mass., extending 65 mi (105 km) E and N into the Atlantic Ocean. It is generally flat, with sand dunes, low hills, and numerous lakes. Conservatory of Art. It was on a visit to the school in 1970 that Mr. Poitras said he was told that his art style was already so well developed that the commercially oriented curriculum of the school might detract from detract from verb 1. lessen, reduce, diminish, lower, take away from, derogate, devaluate << OPPOSITE enhance verb 2. it. "So I decided not to go, and just continued learning on my own," he said. "I'd go to the museums, study the hell out of it, read books and go home and do it." It was this method of learning that brought the artist to developing a style that is both realistic and recognizable. Having lived out West for several years, his artwork can be seen on walls across the country, as well as locally. Recently he did a scene of Fenway Park • • [ for a teenager in West Acton. "His parents brought me in to do it, and I painted a 14 foot by 8 foot ballpark scene on his bedroom wall," he said. On a smaller scale, he does what he calls his un-commissioned work, his own personal paintings. Unlike the way that most artwork is created, Mr. Poitras says that he likes to work backward and add interactive pieces to his work as he goes along. "I start with the frame. Then I decide what painting fits the frame and paint it. I then add pieces of found objects to the painting." Those objects have included the use of a flattened flat·ten v. flat·tened, flat·ten·ing, flat·tens v.tr. 1. To make flat or flatter. 2. To knock down; lay low: The boxer was flattened with one punch. beer can that was added to the face of a fish, and a wheel that spins in the sky over an Indian princess canoeing canoeing, sport of propelling a canoe through water. John MacGregor, an English barrister and founder of the Royal Canoe Club (est. 1865), is generally credited with being the initiator of modern sport canoeing. on a lake. His yard sculptures are also made of found objects and his latest one has a definite purpose in mind. "I want to include something for each holiday so that I don't have to do seasonal decorations," he said. The rock art alludes to a variety of characters, including a pumpkin pumpkin, common name for the genus Cucurbita of the family Cucurbitaceae (gourd family), a group that includes the pumpkins and squashes—the names may be used interchangeably and without botanical distinction. C. goddess and a French painter, complete with beret. More of Mr. Poitras' work may be viewed on his Web site at www.Custompaintedmurals.com and at the Rollstone Studio gallery, 633 Main St., Fitchburg. ART: PHOTO CUTLINE: Artist Den Poitras poses with one of his yard sculptures, which he refers to as a pumpkin goddess. PHOTOG pho·tog n. Informal A person who takes photographs, especially as a profession; a photographer. : GAIL STANTON |
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