Cecily Wood is a painter of seascapes, landscapes, flowers and animals. She uses 
pastels and, occasionally, watercolors. She speaks about the fear she feels when she sits down at the blank paper and later the awe and gratitude when she has color and image on the paper. Cecily has attended classes at Wildacres Retreat in North Carolina, under the auspices of Ringling’s School of Art and Design. Wanting to share her work, she has often given her paintings away as presents. She has created tapestries, pillows and quilts and designed dollhouses. She has knitted or crocheted many scarves, sweaters, blankets, etc.
Raised a Presbyterian, Cecily began worshiping at Richmond Meeting in 1981. She and Herb Beskar were later married in Richmond Meeting. She is now a longtime attender at Roanoke (VA) Meeting. Cecily was drawn to Friends because of her attraction to mysticism and a background in meditation. She also credits her mother with giving her a respect for spiritual values generally. Meeting for Worship allows her to recharge herself, in particular those that are silent or mostly-silent.
I loved Cecily’s brightly-colored pastels, especially those of flowers. I was struck by a series that she painted of an amaryllis at various stages. A good, solid painter.
(Above is a painting of a Coral Amaryllis from Cecily’s garden).