Illaria Dana, Education Major

On Thursday, November 12, Professor Charles Ott gave a lecture about his paintings on display in the SMCC library. The lecture was attended by students and faculty. SMCC has an exhibitionist committee that curates exhibits in the second floor of the Learning Commons and plans to show student art in the next exhibit.

Prof. Ott spoke at a podium about his experiences making art. The paintings in this exhibit are landscapes, and Prof. Ott said that this body of work started in, “2007, or 2006. That summer I went back to New Jersey to stay with my father while my mother had open heart surgery. I came back a couple months later, and I started going to Cliff House Beach in Cape Elizabeth to draw. One day when I was drawing, I was watching the light change. When you’re doing landscape painting, the light changes like that [snaps fingers], so you have to go with it. Maybe you have an idea of what you want to start with, but it ends up big time different.

“I was doing a lot of drawings of the birch trees on the right side of the beach. I was starting to notice the light change on the islands. One second the light was on the left hand side. A second later it was on the right. Clouds were rolling by. Everything was changing. Everything was in flux. It was really quite amazing.”

Prof. Ott emphasized the importance of making art to his sanity, and the ability the practice has to put other life events and responsibilities in perspective. During the Q&A portion of his lecture, a faculty member asked him how he found the time to make art. Prof. Ott is an active member of the SMCC community, teaches drawing, painting, and English classes, and is an advisor to The Beacon. He responded that, “Sometimes other things suffer. But when I’m at work [on art], that is the only time I feel at peace. I carve out the time, I need to, and ultimately the other areas of my life benefit from this.”

Prof. Ott reminded listeners that what matters most is their core beliefs, what energizes them and gives their lives meaning. He often tells his students that he believes “all people have the right to live and to have a life that is meaningful, one that they can grow in.” These words are especially important today. The value of human life cannot be denied, and exploring one’s true interests and concerns for others mark a good life for those who live in safety.