Rockland gallery owner Jonathan Frost did something most gallery owners don’t do — he decided to showcase five unknown local artists, all under the age of 35. “I see these kids all the time when I’m in FOG Bar or Rock City Café,” he said.  “I knew that some of them were artists and was curious about what they did.”

He set up an art opening to start the last day of Rockland’s Art Walk titled “New Kids On The Block” featuring art by Joshua Cordoso, Ashley Seelig, Sean Seuffert, Mae Towers and Celia Hensel. Cordoso and Seelig own and run FOG Bar and Café and Seuffert, Towers and Hensel all work at Rock City Café.

In Hensel’s work, all of her subjects are children, babies or cats. Frost used her monotype with pen portrait Mexican Girl as his promotional postcard photo.

Her talent lies in the mesmerizing faces she creates. One, in, particular, looks like a smeary, haunted face coming out of the fog.

“I usually work from photos and I painted it on a piece of plexiglass,” she said. “I just like certain things about people’s faces, particularly the eyes. This photo was actually singer Patti Smith when she was a kid. “I don’t always know how it’s going to end up. I took a piece of paper and lay it over the image and patted it. It did smear quite a bit, but I like that about it.”

Hensen has been painting and drawing since she was a child and this was her first show.

The opening reception took place November 6 to a packed gallery with live jazz played by pianist Tom Luther.

“It was really exciting to talk to people about something other than what you do at your job,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how many people I knew came out for it.” She said she worked that day at Rock City Café and that’s what kept her from being too nervous—that and the fact that two of her other coworkers had pieces in the show, as well.

The experience of displaying one’s artwork in a gallery for the first time is every artist’s dream. She’s already sold a couple of pieces and her plan is to keep working.

“I was thinking of setting up a space to show some of my stuff down the road,” she said.

The show runs until December 1. To see more of the New Kids On The Block artwork visit www.jonathanfrostgallery.com