Maring’s oil paintings featured in exhibition

At the age of 7, Wil Maring broke into her dad’s oil paint set so she could paint a horse on a scrap of luan plywood.

Now, the popular musician and songwriter is having her most recent oil paintings of Southern Illinois featured in the third annual “Off the Wall” Holiday Group Artist Exhibition in Cobden.

“It seems like I have always painted,” Maring says. “Since that first time I have had a fascination for the process.  I love the buttery feel of oil paint on a good brush, and I love the smell of paint and turpentine.”

Maring’s oil paintings are rich with the hues of blues, purples and greens and the spontaneous rolling shapes of Union County’s Shawnee Hills that inspire her work.

In addition to two art degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale 20 years earlier, Maring is also inspired by attending Cobden-area plein air landscape classes, and she has found that painting has become a very good balance for her music efforts.

anthill gallery & vintage curiosities of Cobden coordinates its exhibitions with the Yellow Moon Cafe’s Luna Gallery, located at 110 N. Front St., just a few doors north of the anthill on Cobden’s elevated sidewalk. 

Luna Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Friday, and on Saturdays until late evening.

In addition to Maring’s featured oil paintings, seen at the Luna Gallery are many larger local-area artists’ paintings – all are being shown in the third annual Holiday Group Artist Exhibition through Dec. 23 in Cobden.

The public is invited to attend an artist appreciation reception to be held at the Luna and anthill galleries in Cobden between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19.