SHERMAN, Conn. — The Sherman Library will open an exhibit, “Unrestrained,” with a reception Friday, Feb. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The show, which will run through Wednesday, March 25, will feature abstract paintings by Estelle Trabucco of Kent.
Primarily a landscape painter for many years, Trabucco shifted to abstract painting a few years ago, a change she describes as transformative.
“This new direction completely transformed me as an artist. I felt, and still feel, liberated—no rules, no scales, no expectations. Just painting my heart out,” said Trabucco.
She primarily works with acrylic paints and inks, sometimes adding oil pastels. She described her process as energetic and intuitive, using scrapers, palette knives, random tools, and brushes to build layers of color and texture.
The artist describes herself as a “momentist:” she almost always starts and finishes a piece in a single session. Beginning with a blank canvas and a limited palette—but no plan—she simply follows the flow and sees what emerges, she said.
“Painting, to me, is playing with colors, expressing the emotions of the present moment in the rawest kind of way,” she related. “I am a lover of bright and cheerful colors. They uplift my mood and I hope affect viewers in a similar way.”
A French native, Trabucco grew up in Gabon, West Africa, Madagascar, and Southwest France. After earning a B.A. in film production from the University of Bordeaux, she moved to Santa Cruz, Calif. She has lived in the United States since 1994, and in Kent since 2006.
Although she has painted since childhood, Trabucco has had little formal training beyond high school art classes.
Seeking to deepen her practice, she joined Julie Czerenda’s open painting sessions in February 2023 and began studying with Kathy L’Hommedieu later that year.
She first exhibited her work in a group show at the Kent Memorial Library in March/April 2024, and has since shown at the Kent Art Association, Washington Art Association, the Sherman Artists’ ArtFest and Open Studios, and the Kent Art and Design show.
For more information, call the Sherman Library located at 1 Sherman Center, at 860-354-2455 or visit www.shermanlibrary.org.