Melody Asbury of Woodbury will be demonstrating in oil at the next meeting of The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) on Wednesday, August 22, at 1:30 pm. Her subject will be an animal.

The program is open to the public, free of charge. It will be in the lower level of Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street (at the flagpole). All are welcome, and admission is free.

Melody Asbury is a prize-winning artist who has been painting professionally since her teens under the tutelage of her artist mother, Susan Asbury. Following study in NYC and Ridgewood Art Institute, she embarked on a career as a portrait artist and also worked as a courtroom sketch artist for television.

A lifelong love of nature led to a switch to painting wildlife, along with pet portraits. She now serves on the art committee at Flanders Nature Center and Land Preserve, helping to develop programs combining art and nature. She also teaches drawing and painting animals.

Ms Asbury has participated in art shows featuring animal art at Washington Art Association, Gregory James Gallery and The Silo in New Milford, and The Caboose Art Gallery in Kent.

She was the featured artist in a one-person show at Minor Memorial Library in Roxbury in May. Earlier this year, Ms Asbury won Best in Oils at Roxbury Congregational Church Juried Invitational Show.

She will be having a one person show at Woodbury Library in October.

Other affiliations are the Washington Art Associations, where she is on the Exhibition Committee.

Reservations are not needed for SCAN programs, but additional information is available at scanart.org.