Comfort in isolation

From the show of oil paintings on panels by Donna Calleja called “Close to Home, ‘‘ at the Room 83 Spring gallery, in Watertown, Mass., through Oct. 31.

She told the gallery:

‘‘Most of the paintings in ‘Close to Home’ were created in 2020 in a small workspace in my home. The act of painting each afternoon provided me with comfort during this difficult time of isolation... . My goal is to interpret the beauty I see in the small details of everyday objects and I hope to provide my viewers with a sense of calm and quiet reflection.’’

The gallery said: “Her compressed arrangements of domestic objects expertly balance color, shadow, light and composition in this series of small luminous still lifes.’’

'Out-of-body transformation'

Work by Anne Lilly, in her joint show "Stillness,'' with Phyllis Berman, at Room 83 Spring, Watertown, Mass., Sept. 9-Oct. 28.

The gallery says: "Kinetic sculptor Anne Lilly uses carefully engineered motion to shift and manipulate our perceptions of time, space and energy. Her steel sculptures move you. Sit across from someone with the tall mirrors ... moving slowly back and forth between you, and experience an out-of-body transformation as you morph into the other person and back into yourself. Anne’s work crosses the line between art and science.''

'Optically insistent'