Swampscott, Marblehead family duo’s art on display

MARBLEHEAD – Sharing palettes would “start World War III,” but an art duo from Marblehead and Swampscott share genetics, a gift for painting, and a lot of love.”Before I started painting, it was more of a normal granddaughter/grandmother relationship where I would go visit her at her house and talk,” Lily Dolin, 17, and a senior at Marblehead High School said Sunday. “But once I started getting into painting, it made our relationship easier and made us get closer.”Dolin and her grandmother Ruth Rooks, 75, had their first joint show open Sunday as part of the Marblehead Arts Association’s spring exhibit at the King Hooper Mansion in Marblehead. Entitled “Generations,” the show was one of six shows featured in the exhibit and will hang for six weeks in the historic mansion on Hooper Street.As featured artists, Dolin and Rooks will also be in the gallery to speak about their work on March 28 and will offer a watercolor demonstration on April 12.Both artists are Marblehead natives, although Rooks now lives in Swampscott, and Dolan has not been painting very long. Also included in the show is a painting by Dolin’s great-grandmother and Rooks’ mother, Anne Kemelman, who began painting when she was 88.”For the first part of my life I was really into sports and really awful at sports,” Dolin said. “I started going to Acorn Gallery (in Marblehead) when I was 12 and found out that my visual talents were way better than my hand-eye coordination.”Rooks is a retired art teacher, having begun doing crafts when she was younger than her granddaughter is now. This morphed into starting the art program at Cohen Hillel Academy and then teaching in Danvers.Following retirement, Rooks tried many different art media – but developed a love for painting the brightly colored construction equipment of the Big Dig project in watercolor and gouache paints. Dolin prefers portraiture, where she said you can use color and facial emotion to display a person’s thoughts and identity. She began painting at the Acorn Gallery, in school, and at Rooks’ studio in the Dolin home. (The art gene also hasn’t skipped a generation – Rooks’ business card was designed by her daughter, and Dolin’s mother, Jennifer.)But Dolin and Rooks shared a desire to learn oil painting, so last year began to paint together in earnest at the studio of Rooks’ friend, the late Bill St. George. It is from these lessons that most of the paintings in the show are taken, and the show is dedicated to St. George and Kemelman.The companionship has not only helped grow Dolin and Rooks’ relationship; it has helped grow their respective art skills.”When Lily started painting, she … didn’t use colors,” Rooks said. “I still haven’t gotten her to use a thick pink, but we’ll get to it ? and I began doing (a series of heads portraits) because I liked what Lily was doing with it.”Dolin has also started painting buildings.”I think we’ve rubbed off on each other,” Dolin said. “I don’t consider it a good lesson unless she’s made two or three criticisms.”Rooks said she likes the companionship with Dolin as well as her input.”I’ve always respected Lily’s opinion a lot,” Rooks said. “Kids have eyes and make observation and I would take (her suggestions) absolutely.”And although they share tubes of paints – they agreed they couldn’t share their carefully mixed colors.”Oh no, we use different palettes,” Dolin said laughing as her grandmother looked dismayed at the idea of using pastels. “That would start World War III.””Generations” is hanging in the Hendrick Gallery at the Marblehead Arts Association’s King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St., Marblehead. There will be an Artist in the Gallery event on March 28, from 1 to 2 p.m., and an artist demonstration entitled “A Different Way to Work with Watercolor,” on April 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. For more information, please call 781-631-2608.