Many Islanders know Mabelle “Bella” Felipe for one of her many creative pursuits — her puppet shows, coloring books, songwriting, culinary classes, or her work as a producer, editor, and presenter of a number of MVTV shows. What they may not know is that Ms. Felipe is also a very talented artist whose work can be found at Craftworks Gallery on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
“She came into the gallery a few years ago and introduced herself,” Craftworks owner Paula Catanese said. “I really loved her work. I like that her style is very spiritual. To me the paintings have a spiritual feeling.”
The admiration is mutual. Ms. Felipe is happy to have found a space so compatible with her work. “They like to be there,” she said of her paintings. “I like very much the connection I have with Paula. I like the way she represents them to people. It’s a very positive way to have the paintings shown. They mean a lot to me. I feel so comfortable.”
Ms. Felipe’s paintings do fit well with the Craftworks aesthetic. Everything in the gallery and store is handmade by American artists, including about a dozen local artists and artisans.
The space is filled — though not crowded — with a unique, sometimes whimsical, collection of work in every media. Color abounds. Ms. Felipe’s colorful paintings suit the surroundings both in their look and subject matter. The artist tends to focus on nature — birds and animals in particular. Ms. Catanese is an animal lover whose passion is reflected in her gallery, which includes wooden sculptures, ceramics, and other items with an animal motif.
Ms. Felipe works in oil. She favors a soft-focus look that imparts an almost mystical quality to her paintings.
“I’m inspired by nature,” she said. “My commitment with painting is to connect with the universe. Nature includes everything, including people. I have to be inspired to do a painting.”
Ms. Felipe has a real feel for wildlife and the creatures that come into her life. One series of paintings is inspired by the deer she often spotted emerging from the woods while living in a secluded house in Tashmoo. “I had visitors,” she said.
Birds are another favorite subject. She likes to capture a moment or a visitation. “I think about painting like nature,” she said. “I paint birds that come to me. If they fly away they will never come back.”
Ms. Felipe studied art in her homeland of Brazil, although it was many years before she picked up a paintbrush again. She moved to the Island 15 years ago, and took up painting a few years after that. The beauty of the Island has proved an inspiration for her work. “I cannot force myself to produce a painting,” she said. “I like to be free. I have to make a connection to the subject.”