FARMINGTON — SugarWood Gallery will welcome Bridget MacLean as October’s Artist of the Month with an open house reception Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3.

The open house will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

MacLean’s work will remain on display and be for sale during the month of October.

Born in Nova Scotia, Canada, art has permeated MacLean’s life; her aunts painted and crafted, her uncles practiced photography, family friends sculpted, her father and uncle played guitar and sang, and her mother wrote poetry. Art was all around her, and it was encouraged and embraced. From an early age she was drawing, writing and seeking new ways to create.

MacLean’s family, having grown up in small rural maritime villages, spent much time in nature. It was this love, passed onto MacLean, that she believes has influenced her way of seeing and cultivated her eye organically.

Though her interests have spanned watercolor, acrylic, ink, jewelry-making and traditional Scottish leatherworking, she has found a passion for photography. Self-taught in retouching, editing and photo manipulation, she uses each of these skills to contribute to her vision in the digital darkroom.

Her approach to photography allows the viewer to appreciate the often overlooked details of natural surroundings. Her use of colors, textures and depth-of-field pulls viewers into the frame and allows them to delight in the magic of the beauty found there.

SugarWood Gallery is located at 248 Broadway in Farmington. It is open from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.