Jon Park
Jon Park finds that painting allows her mind to go in a different direction than it normally travels. Her work is inspired by the tranquility of nature. Jon majored in science at Bridgewater College and studied art at the Somerset Art Guild. A native of Korea, Jon moved with her parents to the United States when she was a small child and currently lives in Somerset. “I paint to talk about nature. I see the world in a soft, calm light and try to conver this through my paintings.” Jon Park – Morning Mist |
Laura Petrovich-Cheney
A true Jersey girl, Laura Petrovich-Cheney grew up in Haddonfield and currently lives in Asbury Park. Her work – including this piece created from wooden remnants from Hurricane Sandy – focuses on repurposing salvaged wood into something meaningful and orderly. Laura uses wooden debris as she finds it, the textures and faded colors suggesting another life. The history of the salvaged wood is told through its chipped layers of paint, nail holes and grain. Laura uses recurrent patterns to explore ideas that are rooted in the repetition of life – birth, growth, death and regeneration. Laura received her MFA from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. “My work mirrors the human experience, so full of transformation, second chances, reinvention, and resilience.” Petrovich-Cheney – Clancy’s Farewell Petrovich-Cheney - Cloudburst Petrovich-Cheney – Locked In, Court House Steps, Grid Lock Petrovich-Cheney – Four Shore |
Debbie Pey
Deborah Pey is an award winning artist-teacher who is retired from a 30 year career as an art educator in the public schools of Burlington County. Beyond her degree in art education, Debbie has studied textiles, puppetry, painting, paper-making and collage. She has performed, made costumes and designed sets with the Bordentown Community Players. Debbie also worked with the Trenton Mural Arts program to help the organization complete its long time goal of creating a mural in Trenton. With her eclectic background, Debbie often works in mixed media. Pey - Collaborative Art Piece |
Dolores Poacelli Dolores Poacelli is a longtime Collingswood resident with a studio in Philadelphia’s Italian Market, where she has worked for 27 years. She was a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship for painting. Using a mix of materials and playing with proportion, Dolores creates excitement through the relationship of color, shape, texture, and proportion. Dolores’ pieces employ color to create energy and evoke through drawing, collaging and painting layers until they become their own reality. “Although my work is influenced by the human form and science, it is abstracted essence. Not a novel, but a haiku.” Poacelli – Interiors Poacelli – Remote Control Poacelli - Still Life in Aqua Poacelli - Collaborative Art Piece |
Joe Rademan
Joe Rademan’s artwork is inspired by the landscape of New Jersey – from the mountains to the coast. He loves the way the light plays upon the land and the sea, and delights in the colors that are found in the natural world. Joe attended the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia and spent 20 years as an artist for the Gloucester County Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. At present, he is the art director for an internet technology company in Pennsauken and an associate artist with the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville. Joe moved to South Jersey in his early 20s and has called it home for more than 30 years. “With my work, I try to share the incredible vistas of New Jersey and my love of the land. There is a beauty in the landscape that transcends time.” Rademan – Field Day Rademan – Path to the Beach |
Linda Ramsay Linda Ramsay grew up in the Garden State and currently resides in Wenonah, where her studio is located. She received her BFA from Rutgers in 1979. Linda’s oil paintings are impressionistic and influenced by the Jersey Shore and the Jersey Pine Barrens. Much of her work is inspired by her time on Long Beach Island, where she maintains a second studio. As evidenced by this piece, Linda enjoys painting the changing colors, reflections and shadows of the bay, sky and wetlands, and strives to capture the mood and energy that nature provides. “I want my work to elicit memories and create a peaceful mood. I am especially drawn to painting images that evoke memories of South Jersey and the Jersey Shore, special places that many of us hold close to our hearts.” Ramsay – Blue Water Lilies Ramsay - Boat Reflections Ramsay – Mullica River |
Pearl Rebhun
Pearl Rebhun describes her art as a thought process. At 91, she has three main bodies of work – origami, pattern paintings and still lifes. Pearl has been reviewed and published in The New York Times, Architectural Digest and Newsday. Her work has been displayed in museums and galleries around the globe, including at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, and the American Cultural Center in Jerusalem. “I hope others learn to be creative by appreciating the world around them and the beauty they can take from it.” Rebhun - Mosaic #52 |
Catherine Redding
The journey of exploring the arts has been a rewarding one for Vineland native Catherine Redding. Without any formal training, Redding paints different subjects in order to capture the feeling and drama of a scene. Her interests range from landscapes to still life to flowers. “Art is a form of meditation that can take you to a level of peace and enjoyment that is very self-satisfying.” Redding - Collaborative Art Piece |
Heather Rippert
As a child, Heather Rippert spent summers at the Jersey Shore in Sea Isle, Marmora and Ocean City. Those early days by the ocean remain a source of inspiration for her paintings today. Her watercolors embody the essence of sand and sea and capture a sense of spirituality that is both inviting and warm. Heather received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and studied at the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. “Art is a tremendous vehicle to aid the healing process. A peaceful and calm scene can provide a place for a person to travel through. When the body may not be capable of travel, the mind can move freely through art.” Rippert – Bayside Birds Rippert – Lines in the Sand |
Marilyn Rose
Marilyn Rose has lived in New Jersey for the past 30 years. After establishing a career in graphic design, she rediscovered her passion for fine art. Her work, both her large abstract landscapes and more figurative watercolors, display a vibrance and exuberance that invite the viewer to participate in the creative process. Marilyn was recently selected to participate in the Bryant Park Painter in Residence Program to paint landscapes and iconic feature of the New York City park. “Patience, faith and courage are important to art, just as they are important to healing.” Rose – Abstract #6 Rose – Landscape # 1 Rose – Landscape #5 |
Myra Ryan
For more than 30 years, Myra Ryan has been seeking to express emotions and feelings through color and to learn how her paintings conjure up memories and feelings for viewers. Myra works with watercolor, soft and oil pastels, acrylics, and mixed media, mostly in abstract style. She enjoys encouraging others to use art as a means of personal expression and continues to expand her own knowledge via workshops, classes and by teaching. Ryan - Collaborative Art Piece |
Barbara Schaff
After enjoying a prolific career as a ceramicist, Barbara Schaff turned her artistic talent to painting. The evolution from painting with glaze on porcelain tile to painting on canvas was a natural progression for Barbara. Barbara uses color to show light and illuminate the smallest details in her abstract paintings. When she begins composing, she trusts her instincts and keeps her mind open to the possibility of what the work will be. Barbara was born in Plainfeld and raised her children in New Jersey. She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the China National Academy of Fine Art and received a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship. “Art helps alleviate suffering. It has the power to take people out of themselves and transport them to a different space.” Schaff – The Coast |
Carolyn Shelby
Carolyn Shelby started quilting in 2011, a year before she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As she went through treatment at Cooper, Carolyn’s quilting group cried with her, rejoiced with her and encouraged her. Carolyn puts her heart into everything she creates. She wants people to draw strength from the love that she pours into her work. This fabric art wall hanging uses batik fabric and various threads, yarns, beads and crystals, inspired by her work with quilts. Quilting gives Carolyn great joy. She quilts because she is a Survivor. “Cancer showed me that I am creative and that I can use my creativity to make a difference.” Shelby - Journey of Hope Shelby - Strength and Courage |
Charlie Snell
Charlie Snell began painting on a regular basis back in 2007. His favorite subjects include plein air landscapes, still life, animals and portraiture. Charlie spends his days working as an electrical engineer and resides in Moorestown. Snell - Collaborative Art Piece |
Ilona Sochynsky
If you have been to Atlantic City recently, you might have seen Illona Sochynsky’s work. She is the creator of “The Fishing Pier”, an impressive 46-foot by 22-foot mural on Arctic and Mississippi Avenues that pays tribute to Atlantic City’s Italian community. Ilona is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale University School of Art. Her most recent abstract work marks a progression from her roots in hyper-realism. “I have seen too many family members and close friends battle cancer. When I accompanied a loved one for radiation treatments, I realized the comfort in being surrounded by beautiful art.” Sochynsky – Permutation #1 |
Deb Spinella
As a self-taught artist, Deb Spinella invested the beginning years of her artistic career in creating what she calls colorful doodles. Later, while being treated for breast cancer, Deb found inspiration in her long walks on the Jersey shore beaches and the ever-changing skies over the water and began painting sunsets. She also discovered the therapeutic value of art, which played a significant role in helping her through her battle with cancer. Deb’s love of pastels allows her to express her passion for the region’s gorgeous sunsets, tranquil seascapes and breathtaking skylines. Deb’s work is exhibited regularly in various venues throughout the tri-state area. She also teaches pastel workshops to cancer survivors. “Life is a curious thing that sometimes moves too swiftly. This is what motivates me to stop and smell the roses and look at things differently through art.” Spinella - Nebulus Spinella - Radiation Treatment |
Carol Staub
After retiring from a 26-year career in the airline industry, Carol Staub embarked on a new journey – a journey into the world of art. She first studied silversmithing, creating one-of-a-kind, custom jewelry, and later at the behest of a friend, took up painting. Today, she creates abstract, mixed medium paintings that often incorporate found objects and elements of collage. Carol has lived and worked in New Jersey for 36 years. “When people view my art, I want them to be drawn in and their curiosities piqued. I want them to take their own journey, ask their own questions and most of all, form their own conclusions.” Staub – Sidewalk Series No. 8 |
Marlene Baron Summers
Growing up as an only child, Marlene Baron Summers often turned to painting as a form of self-expression. More than seven decades later, she is still painting. Marlene was born in Philadelphia in 1936, her mother a first-generation American and her father an immigrant from Eastern Europe. She has lived in Cherry Hill for 48 years and raised two sons while taking classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Fleisher Art Memorial. Much of her work from the 1980s depicts the many changes women experienced in the previous two decades, including the growing independence and freedom she herself was experiencing as an artist, wife and mother. Marlene describes herself as a social realist and it is through the magic of oil painting that she describes life as she feels it. “My background is very much the foundation of my work, growing out of the conviction that hard work and love of life can turn dreams into reality.” Summers – Pink and Red Tulips on Green |
Diane Sweeney
Diane is married 46 years, a mother to two successful daughters, and has two wonderful grandchildren. She is a retired elementary school teacher who taught 27 years and was the recipient of the 2002 Burlington County Teacher of the Year award. Since retiring, Diane spends her time volunteering and four years ago discovered her love for painting which has won her awards. “Volunteering and painting satisfies my mind and soul.” She is a 20 year Breast Cancer Survivor who had her treatments at Cooper! “It’s such an honor to have my painting, ‘Winter Roots’, hung here at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper!” “This painting, “Winter Roots” speaks to me about my battle with, and survival of, breast cancer. No matter how cold and frozen winter can be, ice melts, roots regenerate and life blooms again.” Sweeney - Winter Roots |