Oil and Water Mix at Mineola Library Art Exhibit

Whoever said that oil and water don’t mix has not been to the art exhibit at the Mineola Library this month.

Showcasing the artwork of Carol Bruder and Nancy Wernersbach, both of whom are members of the National Art League of Nassau County, the November exhibition mixes watercolor paintings with traditional oils.

Although Bruder specializes in other mediums such as acrylics and black and white ink drawings, all of her work in this exhibit is oil paintings, while Wernersbach has works in both mediums.

“Oil paintings are my favorite because of the color, it’s vibrant,” Bruder said.

Wernersbach feels that “oil is nice for landscapes because it gives it a softer look (however) most of my illustration work is in watercolor because it’s faster,” adding “I like the detail I could get; oil sits there, (but) water flows and moves around and almost paints itself sometimes.”

Both Bruder and Wernersbach have taken trips to different locations on their own and with art groups to practice “plein air” painting, which captures the moment of a specific object or landscape.

“It’s a good exercise to paint outdoors because there’s a different set of rules; you have to get it right the first time,” Bruder said.

Plein air artists have a maximum of 3 hours to complete their painting before the natural light and shadows change.

“Outdoor paintings are the best because photo color is sometimes not 100%, especially in distant landscape.” Bruder said. “I could get cheerful paintings from outdoors.”

However, some artists still have to take the photo of the scene and finish their piece at home, since it is almost impossible to master a piece in such short time. Bruder was able to finish her piece, Old Westbury Cottage, in the short time allowed. In regards to this Wernersbach said, “She’s [Carol] the Plein air Queen.”

On a trip to Oyster Bay Planting fields with a few friends, Wernersbach painted her plein air piece, Italian Gardens, Planting Fields.

“There are so many beautiful places in Long Island that people don’t get to see,” she said. “Through the paintings, it helps people to see the beauty of Long Island.”