A 'Blunderbuss' of a Show at Belmont Arts Council

When Belmont artist Sean MacDonald passes a pile of discarded building materials, he doesn't think 'trash,' he thinks about how he can repurpose the bits of lath and strips of wood framing into his art.

In his first local art exhibit, "Blunderbuss," now on display at the Belmont Arts Council gallery through Jan. 29, MacDonald pushes experimentation with objects he's fond of, humor in, and the result is a fun and creative collection that reflects not only the artist's sense of humor, but his unique take on ordinary objects.

The Belmont Arts Council gallery is located in the Peninsula Museum of Art in Twin Pines Park. 

Sean explained that a blunderbuss is an old-fashioned muzzle-loading firearm. His title piece, "Blunderbuss" hangs over the gallery's fireplace--a tongue-in-cheek throwback to the days of having the family firearm at the ready. 

MacDonald, who lives in Belmont with his wife and two daughters, draws on his life experiences as a merchant marine, in-house artist, and retail set-builder in the design and implementation of his art. 

"I have both a mechanical and a carpentry background," said MacDonald, a native of New Hampshire. "And I like to find out what other people see in my work." 

Despite being an accomplished furniture maker and mural painter who has built numerous children's playhouses (some for Notre Dame's Early Learning Center), MacDonald is now ready to share some of his drawings and paintings with the public.

By incorporating some of those odd bits of buiding materials, as well as discarded acrylic paints into a display of paintings and drawings, MacDonald shows how he has experimented with new ways of seeing art and with fresh ideas about the nature of materials and functions of art.

An old toolbox he bought at an auction near his hometown in New Hampshire has taken on a new life thanks to MacDonald's imagination.

"It was somebody's toolbox and it dawned on me one day that it would look good as a boombox, so I painted it," he said. The box now features a silvery coat of paint and one-dimensional knobs and dials, but still serves its original purpose of carrying the artist's tools.

Another example of the artist's ingenuity hangs above the gallery's fireplace, "I love those old ship paintings, but can't afford them, so I thought I'd do one in my own style," explained MacDonald when talking about the pen and ink piece titled, "Ship." 

The affable MacDonald discusses his work with a New England sensibility. "My goal was to take the steps necessary to have an art exhibition by the end of 2011, so even though it's January of 2012, I'm pretty close."

He added, "I am as excited about seeing the work as other people."

• "Blunderbuss" Paintings by Sean MacDonald
• Jan. 4-29 
• Belmont Arts Council, located in Twin Pines Park
• Artist's reception Jan. 14 12-4 p.m.
• For more information on Sean MacDonald, go to www.rocketfuelonly.com