GREENFIELD — Charles Roberts remembers his mother, longtime Franklin County resident Sarah Gott, as someone who sought to “express her inner world through painting.”
“She was constantly exploring,” he said, noting that she dabbled in still-lifes, impressionistic, cubist and surreal artworks.
Now, about two months after Gott’s death on Nov. 16 at the age of 79, an exhibit to honor her life as an artist is being held at the Pushkin Gallery, at 4 Federal St. The exhibit will include a memorial celebration Saturday for friends and family only from 3 to 6 p.m., with a service starting at 4. The gallery is open to the public for viewing on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Gott’s four sons — Charles Roberts, David “Jabo” Roberts, Ben Roberts and Micah Roberts — said the exhibit is a great way to celebrate their mother’s work and life. Pieces on display will include landscapes, still-lifes, abstracts and portraits from private collections that span her nearly 60-year career as an artist.
“It’s a way for people to see and create a way to say goodbye,” Charles Roberts said of the exhibit.
The idea for the exhibit came about naturally to the family, the brothers agreed.
“It seemed like the right thing to do,” David Roberts said. “And it’s an opportunity to get all of the paintings together.”
He added he’s seen how people gravitate toward his mother’s paintings.
“I’ve noticed it more and more over the last year,” David Roberts said. “I looked at them more and appreciated them more.”
Micah Roberts’ wife, Rachel Roberts, recalled seeing a picture of Gott with an easel on her back. Her landscapes focused on everything from the Adirondack and Appalachian mountains, farmland, forests, the sky and water, and were captured in a style that combined realism, abstract-interpretation and intense brushstrokes.
“When we would camp in the Adirondacks, she would set up on the side of the road or a lake, and we’d be going boating or running around,” David Roberts explained. “We’d go by her and say ‘Hi mom.’ She loved it.”
Ben Roberts remembered how Gott sometimes used both her hands to paint, and let go of her concentration.
“She was an amazing mom,” Ben Roberts said. “Aside from that, painting was the driving force behind her life.”
Reach Melina Bourdeau at mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.