Submitted Photo Katherine Galbraith stands next to portraits she painted of Chautauqua County residents, during an exhibit of her art at the Westfield Train Station.

A teacher, a fire chief, a farmer. A railroad track, a hillside, a creek bed. These are some of the people and places of Chautauqua County, and Katherine Galbraith has painted them all.

Galbraith, of Westfield, offered a new exhibition of her art earlier this month at the village’s old train station. A champagne toast with friends and supporters celebrating the opening was Nov. 12 and she gave an artist’s talk on Nov. 13.

Galbraith painted 43 portraits of Chautauqua County residents over the summer. “I’m just overwhelmed with the people I’ve met,” she said.

She borrowed the idea from a friend in Iowa who painted portraits of her own small-town neighbors. Starting June 24 and going through September, she painted the 11-by-14 portraits. Each subject had to sit for two hours. Galbraith had a few friends and acquaintances sit and found subjects at pop up events she held during the summer.

Galbraith has also painted a number of Chautauqua County outdoor and nature scenes. These were also exhibited at the train station. Unlike the portraits, that art’s on sale.

The art was showcased at the Westfield Train Station and Galbraith plans to reopen in the summer but would really like a museum to pick up the portrait series. “It needs to be where people can see it,” she said.

Gailbraith’s work is in several art galleries across the country, and the Westfield exhibition got a writeup in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. She teaches art classes, sometimes through Patterson Library.

Galbraith may run in art circles but she always gets back to the people and places of home. Her exhibition reflects that.

“This is just something I wanted to do for Chautauqua County, to show it off because it’s such a beautiful place,” she said.

Galbraith’s website is www.katherinegalbraithfineart.com.