Scope out 'Soil to Sky'

PORT CLINTON — The Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council will host three artists — Debra Sue Solecki, Scott Brennan and Derek Brennan — for their exhibit, "Soil to Sky," during the month of July at The Arts Garage, 317 W. Perry St., Port Clinton. Scott is Derek's uncle. The council provided a description of each artist: Debra Sue Solecki Debra Sue Solecki grew up on the shores of Lake Erie and has always drawn artistic inspiration from the natural environment. As a veteran art educator, Solecki has decades of teaching experience and sharing her love of art. As a fine artist, she uses a variety of media to represent her favorite subjects, such as dragonflies, lotus, rocks, mushrooms and wood. These familiar images are created in unique ways and are repeated in her ongoing series of work, some of which may also be viewed in her studio at The Arts Garage. Scott Brennan Scott Brennan was born and raised in Sandusky and now resides in Genoa. As a child, Brennan found pleasure in drawing. One of his earliest memories was of art his mother brought home from an art class in college: the way the objects overlapped each other with a translucent effect along with a changing of color changed his artistic interpretations and influenced his style of drawing. Brennan works in the construction industry and primarily practices a cubism, abstract, surrealism, impressionism and collage style of art. Derek Brennan Derek Brennan is a Cleveland-based artist whose journey began in 2007 as a theme park caricaturist. His passion for drawing led him to pursue a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Bowling Green State University, specializing in encaustic painting. In 2016, Brennan had the opportunity to create his first mural, an experience that ignited a deep love for public art. Since then, he has completed nearly 50 murals primarily throughout the Cleveland area. His most ambitious project to date is a striking 728-foot-long mural, Ohio's second-largest, created as part of the Elevate the East campaign in collaboration with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. He has created several large exterior murals in the cities of Sandusky and Fostoria, expanding his artistic footprint beyond Cleveland where Brennan lives with his wife and daughters. Want to go? "Soil to Sky" shows at The Arts Garage, 317 W. Perry St., Port Clinton, from July 3 to Aug. 3 with an artist reception on Friday, July 11. Members of the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council are invited to a special members-only soiree with the artists at 5 p.m. with the event being open to the public from 6-8 p.m. In addition, The Arts Garage offers classes for children and adults. Children who live in Ottawa County may take children's classes at no cost but must be accompanied by an adult. Interested persons may register at gpcaac.org. The Arts Garage is open Thursdays through Sundays.