Self-taught artist will have debut show at Marti’s in Albion

Becky Winans creates mandala art – ‘Sometimes I paint all night, I love it so much’

Photos Becky Winans holds her granddaughter, while looking at three pieces of mandala art, which are part of her first show at Marti’s on Main Street.

Becky Winans of Medina wears a Mandala necklace she made.

ALBION – Becky Winans, a wife, mother and grandmother, never aspired to be an artist, and it wasn’t until 2019 that she realized her talent and “let loose.”

She currently has her first show at Marti’s on Main at 20 South Main St. There is an opening reception on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the art gallery.

Winans grew up in Millville, the former Becky Pask. Her great-aunt was Esther Boyle of Medina, an artist and art teacher for the Medina School District for many years.

“She left an impression on me which sparked an interest in painting lake stones, like we did together when I was a small child,” Winans said. “I took up painting in 2018 and started out painting stones I collected from the shores of Lake Ontario.”

Gradually, she began painting on small canvas, and then larger canvas. One of her prized artistic accomplishments was painting a wooden clarinet which had been given to her at a yard sale a couple of years ago. Then a friend gave her an old ukulele and she decided it was a perfect piece on which to create artwork. Both are included in her show.

“I’m always searching for unique things to paint and dabble at a bit with decoupage art,” Winans said.

A self-taught artist, Becky Winans of Medina looks at the clarinet she painted. It is part of her first show which will debut with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Marti’s on Main Street in Albion.

When she discovered mandala, she was hooked. The majority of her exhibit is mandala, an art form which Google calls “a geometric configuration of symbols.”

Gallery owner Kim Martillotta Muscarella said mandala was done by monks as a form of meditation.

Winans explains mandala requires intricate work – exact spacing, texture and consistency of paint. She sometimes uses acrylics and, at times, paint pens.

She builds each piece through layers of patterns and colors, allowing her intuition to guide her hand. Her style, she said, often features bright colors that evoke a sense of joy and happiness.

“I draw inspiration from the intricate patterns of nature and spirituality when creating mandala art,” Winans said. “The circular form of the mandala represents the universe and the interconnectedness of all things, illustrating the importance of balance, wholeness and unity in life. This concept profoundly inspires my creative process.”

The clarinet she painted took a lot of work, she said. She first disassembled all the keys, then painted them individually and put them back together.

“Sometimes I paint all night, I love it so much,” she said.

“Mandalas create a calming and meditative space for reflection,” Winans said. “My hope is that my mandalas instill a sense of peace, contemplation and perhaps joy as you immerse yourself in each piece, allowing for personal interpretations that resonate with you.”

Also exhibiting in Friday’s show is Mark Weld of Middleport and Cindy Meal of Lockport.

Weld is a self-taught artist and welder. He creates metal art and has exhibited in regional shows, including the Allentown Art Festival and the Adirondacks National Exhibition.

Meal began painting in 1997. She had been writing poems and short stories in her spare time, but needed something more. She wanted to somehow paint to communicate, and when a friend told her to do it, she did. She learned about plein art, but also strives to paint more creatively using expressionism, impressionism and abstraction.

An opening reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, and the exhibit runs through June 13. Viewing is by appointment by calling (585) 590-9211, or communication may be sent to Marti’s on Main Street, P.O. Box 103, Albion, 14411.