Comfort in isolation

From the show of oil paintings on panels by Donna Calleja called “Close to Home, ‘‘ at the Room 83 Spring gallery, in Watertown, Mass., through Oct. 31.

She told the gallery:

‘‘Most of the paintings in ‘Close to Home’ were created in 2020 in a small workspace in my home. The act of painting each afternoon provided me with comfort during this difficult time of isolation... . My goal is to interpret the beauty I see in the small details of everyday objects and I hope to provide my viewers with a sense of calm and quiet reflection.’’

The gallery said: “Her compressed arrangements of domestic objects expertly balance color, shadow, light and composition in this series of small luminous still lifes.’’