Today was the emotional culmination of 10-15 years of planning by the Crawford family and several months of work on my part. The stunning new library was opened with the entire family present from all over the country. The thought and care that went into this gorgeous library was truly heartfelt—–from the teen room where there were tall stools with welcoming and warm decor and computers for the teens to access, as well as cafe-style booths; to murals depicting the charming Dudley town, including one on which showed the time the library opened on the church clock (11:10 am); to an on-going Powerpoint slide show commemorating the family's history. The family with its history of owning mills locally is remarkably generous to provide such a stunning place for the Dudley community to be able to enjoy for decades to come.
It was a delight to work with all the Crawfords who I met along the way through this journey and I was truly honored to be chosen to paint two portraits for them: the posthumous portrait of the library's namesake: Pearle L. Crawford and a double portrait of the predominant benefactors Hugh and Harriet Crawford, Jr.
Also please note the exquisite framing on both paintings. The framing was completed by Page-Waterman Gallery in Wellesley. They placed the oval liner on the painting of Pearle in addition to the frame as we requested. You can always count on Page-Waterman for perfection in framing. They have never let me down.
www.soniahale.com
Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.
