Walking down Main Street in Francestown, it may feel like there’s someone – or something – watching you.
And if you look to the upstairs window of Mt. Crotchet 1, located next to the Francestown Village Store, it will become clear that four bears are behind the uneasy feeling. But no need to worry because the bears are merely paintings created by wildlife artist Rosemary Conroy.
When Conroy decided she wanted a different work environment than the studio space she had at her Weare home, she felt Francestown was the perfect place. For one it wasn’t far of a drive and the two-floor location at 74B Main Street made all the sense in the world to open a combination studio and gallery.
“I really wanted to be part of a community again,” Conroy said.
And last week, Conroy officially opened Studio B in the old fire station that she hopes will not only be a creative gathering place for the people of Francestown and the surrounding area, but lead to more artists to take up a similar endeavor.
The space became available last winter and Conroy moved in during March, but the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced Conroy to put her plans on hold. She got her studio set up on the second floor, which consists of three easels, a large table and supplies – and still plans to install her large wall mounted easel. It allows her to work on more than one project at once.
And then she slowly got the gallery space on the first floor, which once housed the horse-drawn wagon, ready for its official opening.
“It was a leap of faith for sure, but my faith has been rewarded so far,” Conroy said.
Conroy thought about just doing visits to the space by appointment, but figured that Francestown was small enough that she wouldn’t be inundated with people walking through the door at one time. She will be open Thursdays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The remaining days will allow her to focus on her art.
In the gallery, Conroy said she has eight larger pieces currently hanging with five smaller works, as well as others in the stairway leading to her studio – and even a couple in the bathroom. But she’s still tweaking things to figure out the best way to represent her work.
In addition to the bears peering from the upstairs windows, Conroy decided to do a seasonal paintings on the old barn doors off Main Street, drawing off her experience painting wildlife. The first one she did was a moose, this summer there was a bee and recently Conroy painted a red-tailed hawk complete with a quote from Indian author and spiritual master Amit Ray “In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.” Each one took what Conroy describes as “one day of incredibly intense activity.”
Conroy grew up with a passion for art, but her parents didn’t think it was the best career path.
“They just didn’t know I could make a living as an artist,” she said.
So she went on to get a degree in business management and found herself working in the World Trade Center on the 73rd floor. But it wasn’t the right fit, so she went to Antioch and got a Masters in Science, eventually working for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Then after the events of Sept. 11, 2001 transpired, Conroy realized if she was going to become a full-time artist, she couldn’t wait any longer.
“When 9/11 happened, it really struck a chord with me,” she said. “Just thinking about all those people. For some reason it hit me. After 9/11 I realized there’s no guarantees.”
And like some people love domestic animals like dogs and cats, Conroy is fascinated with wild animals.
“I’m kind of obsessed, but I think it’s a good obsession,” she said. “I think my mission in life is to celebrate the beauty of nature. I think we all have a strong yearning to connect with wild animals.”
Conroy said she’s fortunate that there are so many people who relate to her colorful portraits of wild animals, which she creates using acrylics. “Some days I can’t believe I get to do this as a living.”
Like a lot of artists, Conroy’s 2020 schedule of shows were either canceled or postponed. But like those in her field, she has continued to focus on her work and is thankful that a series of commissions came her way. And when she decided to clean out her old studio, there was a quick realization that it was time to let go of some older works. So she had a yard sale of sorts and sold 50 paintings that will pay the bills for her gallery/studio space for the rest of the year. An ardent environmentalist, Conroy donates a percentage of her proceeds each year to wildlife conservation groups and local land trusts.
The original plan for the space included things like an art book club and art nature club, and while Conroy still hopes to offer those some day, they will have to wait.
“I have a million ideas, but not any of them are practical right now,” she said.
For more on Conroy and her work, visit www.rosemaryconroyart.com, Instagram @rgconroy_art or www.facebook.com/studiobuteo.