Rena Cohen Shear
Personal Space
Date installed: November, 2025
Acrylic Paintings
Artist website
Artist price list
We asked Rena if she would introduce herself and share a bit about her work, and here is what she wrote…
A bit about me: I grew up in Fall River, MA in the 1950’s. My interest in art began much later. I spent much of my time collecting rocks and shells (still do!)
I first saw what watercolor looked like when my friend’s mother’s art class left their work out to dry. I saw blue and purple morning glories and I was smitten!
After I was married and had a child, I found the time to register for Marjorie Glick’s watercolor classes at DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, MA. I studied with her for many years (in class and privately in her studio) until I felt the desire to work in layers with acrylics. Then I signed up with Elizabeth DaCosta Ahern for every year that she taught until her passing in 2020.
Elizabeth was very inspiring from the beginning. She had been a student of Helen Frankenthaler, a master abstract expressionist. One important trait that Elizabeth learned from Helen was to trust herself. As our teacher, she passed that on to all of her students.
The Museum School had its own art gallery, and we had many exhibits there. I could see the difference in my work before I started working with Elizabeth and after. We also took advantage of opportunities elsewhere in Massachusetts: Fort Point Arts Community Gallery, Boston, Umbrella Community Arts Center, Concord, and Galerie D’Orsay, Newbury St., Boston, MA.
During early Covid, Elizabeth passed away. In the following months, the gallery in Boston that carried her artwork (and Helen’s), organized a tribute to her and the theme was “JUMP IN! Celebrating the Thread Between Student + Mentor”.
Eight of her students were invited to show 2 of their own paintings. It was a highlight for us all, and we knew her spirit was celebrating with us!
Those 2 words were sent to Elizabeth when Helen felt she needed a boost of confidence.
Since 2020, 7 of us have been meeting for critiques every 4-6 weeks. It’s been an invaluable experience because we respect and trust each other. There is safety between us because when we express ourselves, it’s a vulnerable time for an artist to risk something very personal. We do feel Elizabeth’s presence at these times, and know she would be very proud that we carried on in her absence.
Welcome to the Mary Jo Rines Gallery: Welcome to the Rines Gallery, and an exhibit by our newest featured artist, Rena Shear, whose work celebrates the restorative power of art. Inspired by nature – from that whispering to us closeby, to that shouting at us across the expansive and rugged beauty of a place like Iceland – Rena’s paintings use gesture, color, and shape to invite us into the spaces they create.
Personal Space is an exploration of color as an inherent and universal emotional language. It is also an exercise in abstractly rendering its subjects, giving us the opportunity, if we take the time, to enter a painting and, according to Rena, “see where it takes you, and let it speak to you in the way music washes over your soul.”
Rena has been creating art for almost 40 years. She earned her art degree at the University of Massachusetts, developed her skills further at the deCordova Museum School, and has studied with Elizabeth DaCosta Ahern and Marjorie Glick. She belongs to Arts Wayland and the Concord Art and Cambridge Art Associations. Her work has been featured throughout the region…at Gallery Twist, the Wellesley and Bolton Public Libraries, and Galatea Fine Art.
To further pique your interest, we’ll leave you with this note from Rena: “In 2011 and 2024 we visited Iceland, which has the most wide open spaces that I’ve ever seen. To be standing in front of a huge mountain lets me appreciate the power of nature in a totally new way. There is no sound, no traffic, no machinery, no trace of people. But there is an inner vibration that can be heard when the mind is quieted. It’s heard in the inner ear…the ear of the soul.”
And she concludes that, “As visitors view this exhibit, I hope they get a sense of their own need for space.”
We hope you do as well!
Sincerely, The First Parish Art Committee
We hope you enjoy Rena’s work. If you’d like, you can click below to send her a comment or question…
Inspired by Iceland…
Inspired by Iceland
Between 2011 and 2025, I have created 28 paintings so far that were inspired by Iceland. The geography of this country is unique, unlike any other. Seeing the rock formations was transforming. The colors of the rocks and how they shift is Nature’s hand at work. Their size leaves me speechless! The age of these forms are relatively young given the earthquakes and lava flows. With the frequent volcanic activity, the island is constantly changing its shape.
(Click images below to enlarge and see size and full proportions.
To view info on phone, click dot on lower right after enlarging image.)
Spirituality…
Spirituality
Meditation helps me to feel centered and grounded. It’s the best opportunity for me to connect with my higher self. I have yet to integrate meditation as a daily practice. It ought to be a priority because everything would benefit from beginning with a balanced mindset. I sometimes see colors while meditating, and observe what kind of space I am in. They often show up in my artwork.(diaphanous, airy, light).
When considering the need for personal space, I check in with my heart first , then my mind and my breathing. While trying to relax every muscle, my awareness goes to where I feel tightness. Breathing in to every place that needs space. This is when I learn where I’m holding stuck energy, and sometimes I will discover why. Letting it go, one area at a time.
(Click images below to enlarge and see size and full proportions.
To view info on phone, click dot on lower right after enlarging image.)
Color in Nature…
Color in Nature
I’m at a loss for words by the colors I see in nature! Autumn is the time of year when the leaves have their turn to take the stage. There’s little that’s more beautiful than the fall foliage in the Northeast. Whether it’s at its peak or soon after, the hues are magnificent. We’re surrounded by this beautiful display for most of the season. Looking out any window can lift one’s spirit very quickly. It’s a blessing to have so many kinds of art materials at my disposal.
I have often let myself become immersed in paint and crayons of every color, and covered a variety of surfaces with hues of many variations. Being in other locations, like Hawaii, the colors of the water are always perfect! The black volcanic rocks bring out the beauty of the water in high contrast.
(Click images below to enlarge and see size and full proportions.
To view info on phone, click dot on lower right after enlarging image.)
Emotions…
Emotion - When emotions run high, words don’t always satisfy the soul
Sometimes we have to look elsewhere to express how we feel. Painting is a wonderful tool for that. Red can show anger (or love), but which color of red? Dark or light? How is it applied? Is it messy, splattered, or applied with a brush, or trowel?
As the youngest of 3 children, I was often quiet because I didn’t feel free to express myself. Emotions got trapped inside for years. As an adult, the freedom of releasing some of those feelings with paint has been a great gift to give myself. My sensitivities have now become my strength.
