Artist's watercolor exhibit open daily through June 29

Punctuating its May 5 through June 29 exhibit of Aurora artist Rosemary Smillie's work, The Holmstad, a faith-based, nonprofit, continuing care retirement community operated by Covenant Retirement Communities, will host an artist's reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8, in the Town Center Gallery, 700 W. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia.

A professional artist who has worked in brass, oil, watercolor and pastel, Smillie says she prefers the freedom of watercolor. She says her works begin with an abstraction of colors. Then she develops shapes and spaces until the finished painting materializes.

A resident of Aurora since 1968, Smillie studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, and with nationally known artists. She has signature status in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. Her work has hung in the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., and in corporate and private collections in the U.S., England and Russia.

Locally, Smillie's paintings are in the Kane County Court House, Aurora City Hall, Aurora Public Library and Merchants National Bank.

The artist's reception is open to the public and refreshments are free. The exhibit, featuring 32 of Smillie's watercolors, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 29.

For more information, visit www.TheHolmstad.org or call (877) 226-7310.

The Holmstad is a faith-based, nonprofit continuing care retirement community located at 700 W. Fabyan Parkway, Batavia. It is administered by Covenant Retirement Communities, one of the nation's largest nonprofit senior services providers. Covenant Retirement Communities serves 5,000 residents at 15 retirement communities nationwide and is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.