Gloria Oppen, a nurse practitioner and family practice owner, who recently transitioned to art, is the Parish Center for the Arts’ October’s Artist-of-the-Month.
Embracing vibrant colors and both impressionism and realism, Oppen creates pieces that capture life’s fleeting beauty with warmth and vitality. Her work often reflects the balance between precision and spontaneity, echoing her journey from clinical care to creative expression.
During her youth, Oppen placed first in numerous school art fairs and was encouraged to pursue a degree in Fine Arts, but chose healthcare instead due to the “starving artist” stigma. During her many years of caring for patients while raising a family, she had no time for painting. It took a health crisis for her to return full-circle to art.
Oppen feels that gradually leaving healthcare to pursue painting has been instrumental in her healing journey. Her vibrant acrylic paintings are inspired by her natural surroundings, including landscapes, botanicals, pets and people, and invites the viewers into a world where color and light evoke feelings of energy and happiness. She enjoys challenging herself by focusing on a variety of subject matter and feels that art is ever-evolving.
Her acrylic and mixed media paintings have recently been exhibited in several local galleries, resonating with audiences for her vibrant botanical, fruit, coastal, and pet paintings. She entered the PCA’s 2026 Regional Art Event and won First Place in the amateur acrylic category.
Between 30-40 of Oppen’s paintings are on display at the Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln Street, through Oct. 31. For more information, visit the PCA online.
She also has a solo art exhibition at Forge & Vine in Groton, which will be up until the end of December. More of Oppen’s paintings are also on display in the Good Pickin’ Farm Art Gallery & Shop as well as the Lawrence Library in Pepperell.
