Beads, beaches and bliss.

A Kishwaukee College educator’s exhibition Expressive Art is on display through March 3 at Bliss Beads Studio & Gallery, 161 E. Lincoln Highway.

Cynthia Haskell de Seife, who teaches Introduction to Education and other various workshops on art, education and creativity, has been drawing in art lovers to the downtown DeKalb bead store.

Bliss Beads Studio & Gallery owner Allison Johnson explains the importance of supporting local artists because of the quality and uniqueness of their work.

“Seeing what’s going on in the community and with local artists is always a good thing,” Johnson said.

Haskell de Seife’s main objective of creating artwork is to capture an honest emotion or feeling with visual imagery. She said sometimes art can communicate her feelings better than words.

“We get a lot expressed through words, but sometimes they just don’t cover the whole thing,” she said. “So there are times when I really need to release ideas or emotions onto paper.”

Although the artist creates a piece with a specific angle, she notes that the interpretation of her work is open-ended and non-specific.

“The titles only talk about what I was thinking when I made it, but that doesn’t mean you have to be thinking about that when you see it,” she said.

Besides personal feelings and emotions, Haskell de Seife credits the beach as inspiration behind her work. “Day at the Beach” and “Where the Water Meets the Land” are two colorful pieces of Expressive Art that directly translate this idea.

Reflecting on the beach brings Haskell de Seife back to her childhood memories. She grew up in Chevy Chase, Md. and spent her summers at the Rahova Beach.

Looking back, she remembers it as a magical place of renewal and calmness.