Showing posts with label Cape Ann artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cape Ann artists. Show all posts

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Neil Linsenmayer Solo Exhibition: "Going Back In Time"

"Scrimshaw", by Neil Linsenmayer
The North Shore Arts Association presents Rockport artist Neil Linsenmayer in a fascinating solo exhibition he has entitled "Going Back In Time". Come 'imagine history' through the eyes of an artist whose work has graced the covers of many Cape Ann community publications including North Shore Magazine. The Exhibition runs Thursday, October 1 through Sunday, October 24.
We asked a few questions of our own of this multi-dimensional artist, the answers to which, you'll find below. Come to the "Meet The Artist" reception and ask your own questions about his life and his wonderful artwork!

Interviewer: What is your daily routine as a working, professional artist? Has your routine changed over time?

Neil: That's a good question to start with. I, like a fair number of artists I know, never set out to be a professional artist. I have always sketched, doodled, and dabbled in painting from time to time, but with very mixed results. My daily routine for several decades after entering the workforce left little time for art. So as far as art was concerned my routine was pretty haphazard, finding now and then odd moments to do it.
This began to change when in 1968, I first visited Cape Ann. It was an eye-opener. I had never before been exposed to so large a community of talented artists, nor to
"Vineyard Victorian", by Neil Linsenmayer
surroundings so perfectly suited to painting. During annual summer vacations in Rockport, I began regularly attending the painting demonstrations at the Rockport Art Association, and then to participate in workshops by Bruce Turner, Marilyn Swift, Ferd Petrie, and Charlie Vickery. Back home in Northern Virginia, I began signing up for local art festivals, and to my astonishment some of the pieces I entered actually sold-at very modest prices. Sometime in my mid-forties I decided that if I really wanted to do art, I should learn how to do it. At about that time I discovered the Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia, housed in a converted torpedo factory on the banks of the Potomac. The school is dedicated to providing quality instruction on a wide range of visual arts to part-time students interested in improving some aspects of their artistic endeavors. Some 2000 students enroll each semester.
On my first visit there, I was fortunate to wander into a painting class taught by Diane Tesler, a highly accomplished painter and an outstanding teacher. I enrolled the next semester and remained with her Sunday group for the next four years. I am deeply indebted to Diane for her special insights on color, composition and-as she puts it- the "power of light to reveal form".
"The Child's Barn", by Neil Linsenmayer
In 1992, I managed to pull together a large enough body of work for a one-artist show held at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The show was up for six weeks; a third of the paintings sold, including two added to the NIH permanent collection. Also that year, in a stroke of good fortune, I was admitted to the North Shore Arts Association as an artist member.
In 1993, I took an early retirement and we moved to Rockport. Now my time was my own-except that the vintage 1840 home we had purchased cried out to be renovated, so painting was put on hold again. For two summers in the mid-1990's I did share a gallery on Rocky Neck with artist Carol St.John, an enjoyable experience, but unfortunately, one that didn't do enough to pay the bills for our "This Old House" project. So it was back to full time employment, this time as the computer systems person for Senior Care in Gloucester.
Now all that is all in the past and my art routine has at last become more regular.

Interviewer: Who are the painters who influenced you most?
Neil: Apart from the "greats" we all admire, I'd say that John Singer Sargent and Edward Hopper have influenced me most. In one of my classes in Virginia a fellow student commented that I was trying to emulate Hopper. I'm embarrassed to say that at that point I had never heard of Hopper. Since then I've become much better acquainted with his work. I especially like the way he handles light and shadow. I also noticed in a show of his work in Washington, DC, his use of a lot of non-muddy neutrals to allow the bright colors to pop. As for Sargent, I sure wish I could paint with his fluency!


Interviewer: Do you paint on location or in your studio?Neil: In my earlier days I never really had much chance to work on location, so I never really learned how to cope with certain difficulties. Shadows that changed, boats that would leave the harbor just when I was trying to get them down, and other assorted problems forced me to rely on photographs. Photography has been a hobby since my teens and even now I take a lot of shots. There are serious pitfalls in using them, particularly their tendency to lose details in shadowy areas. Fortunately photographic equipment and software have come a long way toward eliminating some of the drawbacks.
I seldom, if ever, base a painting on a single photograph; I need several taken from different vantage points to reconstruct what I'm trying to paint. For landscapes, photo-editing software can be a real help in arriving at a better composition. I never trace or copy a photographic image onto the canvas, preferring to draw or block it in with brush and paint. That seems to preserve some spontaneity. Usually, about two-thirds of the way through I find myself relying less on the photos and more on what the painting tells me it needs.

Interviewer: What ideas do you find that you return to often; that you feel are most important to communicate to your audience? Do you use symbols?

Neil: In my landscape and harbor paintings I like things that are just a bit run down. Old boats, old trucks, old houses and the like. I don't think it's nostalgia. It's just because they're really fun to paint. I have also enjoyed doing still lifes and portraits, and have decided to do more of these in the future.
"Greenwood Farm", by Neil Linsenmayer
I don't intentionally use symbols to convey any sort of philosophical message. The fact is though, that whenever we try to recreate a scene or an object, the paint we push around the canvas at best becomes a symbol of what we're trying to represent. I use this, though, to remind myself not to obsess over details, which I have a tendency to do.
It also happens sometimes that after finishing a painting I begin to see or sense a mood or feeling that I didn't intentionally put there. One painting I recently completed is of a market in Lugano, Switzerland. At the center of interest is a shop girl, waiting for a customer who is searching in her purse for her wallet. The shop owner is nearby sorting grapes and putting them in a bin. The three people are solitary and unconnected-a bit "Hopper-esque" in that way. The shop girl is the one that surprised me. She's staring off to her right, her thoughts obviously miles away. She's wistful, maybe a bit sad. There must be a story there. The thing is, the girl in the photos didn't look that way, and I certainly didn't intend to paint her that way. I started to "correct" this, but then decided that's how it was supposed to come out. So I left it alone.

Interviewer: How do you see your work has evolved over time? Is your work looser or more direct?

Neil: I think it is somewhat looser now, though when I compare it to some things I did 25  years ago I confess I don't see a huge change. I seem to recall a passage in one of my books on Sargent that he sometimes applied a brush stroke, scraped it off, and reapplied it several times until he got what he wanted in a single stroke. I don't know whether that's true, but I do find myself, late in the painting process, redoing parts that seem too labored. During the coming winter I hope to return to doing some watercolors. With these I hope to experiment more than in earlier watercolors; with the loose effects that can be achieved painting wet into wet. I have some books on the subject and look forward to giving it a try.

Interviewer: Is there a work you are most proud of? What were the circumstances that led to its creation?Neil: I have no absolute favorite, but I'd like to mention "Chris' Shop", the painting selected for the NSAA New Members' Show after I was juried in. It shows Chris Goodine, the son-in-law of my car pool partner, standing in
"Chris' Shop", by Neil Linsenmayer
front of his shop in the village of Washington, Virginia, located in the Blue Ridge Foothills. After a hitch with the military in which he was a photographer, Chris took up jewelry making in New Hampshire, in association with craft guilds there. Using the hammer shown in my painting, he developed a unique style, hammering small "s" shaped links out of gold and silver wire. He combined these into intricate pieces of jewelry that soon became quite popular. My painting had its beginning as a tiny Polaroid shot, from which I did a pastel drawing. Chris liked the drawing and used it for his brochure. I decided to try a larger version in oil, so I went back and took a number of additional photos. I had a lot of trouble getting the perspective right, because of the unusual shape of the shop window. The steps into the shop are also highly unusual. I was pleased with the painting, but also with the fact that it involved good friends.
By the way, the small watercolor "Blue Ridge Foothills" in my current NSAA Exhibition "Going Back In Time", depicts Chris and his wife Jean's attractive cottage behind Chris' shop.

Thank you, Neil, for your time and for your very thoughtful and considered answers!

Saturday, August 29, 2015

"The Artists' Greats" Extended Through October 10!

North Shore Arts Association celebrates its "Year of The Artist" with a spectacular and historic 'best of the best' "Artists' Greats" artist member exhibition with Opening Day on Thursday, September 3rd. A 'Meet the Artists Reception' will be held on Sunday, September 20, from 2-4 p.m. Due to popular acclaim the Exhibition has been extended and now will run through October 10. Open and free to the public.
Gathered together for exhibit for the first time the Artist Members of the NSAA will select their best, award winning works in oil, watercolor, graphics and sculpture for viewing in an historic  "Artists' Greats" exhibition presented in the exquisite harbor side galleries of the North Shore Arts Association. A brief artist statement will accompany each piece allowing viewers rare insight into the artists' thoughts about their own work. This is an extraordinary opportunity to add the works of Charles Movalli, Tom Nicholas, N.A., A.W.S., Betty Lou Schlemm, A.W.S., and many other favorites to your collection.

"Maine", Charles Movali, acrylic 36 x 36 

Charles Movalli is an internationally renowned artist of the Cape Ann School. He is one of Cape Ann's best known and beloved painters and teachers. Born the son of artists in Gloucester, MA, Movalli became an art teacher, influential art editor and writer. But above all, he is a dynamic painter. His dramatic brushwork creates the vibrant lighting and sense of movement that captures the essence of a scene. He was, for 25 years a contributing editor for "American Artist" magazine and was featured numerous times.
Movalli studied with Emile Gruppe and Roger Curtis, among others and collaborated in authoring many instructional art books and is an honored and award winning member of Boston based and Cape Ann art associations.


"Snow Country", Tom Nicholas, N.A., A.W.S., 42 x 52, watercolor

Tom Nicholas, N.A., A.W.S., is an Academician of the National Academy of Design and a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, whose ability to capture light and mood on canvas is recognized and acclaimed nationally and internationally. Included among his more than 250 awards are 42 Medals of Honor. He has had 35 solo shows throughout North America and Europe. Listings include: Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Art, The Old Royal Watercolour Society Annual Volume, 1971, London, England and Strathmore's Who's Who.


"Sudden Squall",  Betty Lou Schlemm, A.W.S., oil on canvas

Betty Lou Schlemm, A.W.S.,  is a Dolphin Fellow and an elected Lifetime Member of the American Watercolor Society. Much loved by art collectors and students and this renowned Cape Ann artist is an internationally acclaimed artist, teacher, and author of many art related instructional books. Her works in watercolor and oil are found, and are treasured by art lovers, in many private collections around the world.
-contributed by Susan Britt, M.Ed.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Phyllis Feld Solo Show: "The Way of Space in the Landscape "

"Wild Flowers Abound", Phyllis Feld
North Shore Arts Association presents one of Cape Ann's extraordinary landscape artists, Phyllis Feld, in her exciting new Solo Show, "The Way of Space in The Landscape". Opening day is September 3, and the show runs through September 26. All are invited to a "Meet the Artist" Reception on Sunday, September 20, from 2-4 p.m. Free and open to the public.
While she often paints beautifully arranged still life works, landscape painting is Phyllis Feld's artistic passion. She says, "I love working in the landscape, working 'en plein air'. It helps me make a visual connection. My space planning and interior design experience is the stimulus of my deep attraction to geometric form as nature creates it." Feld will often spend much time exploring in a chosen terrain until she finds an inspiring natural configuration. Her excitement about spatial relations, form and color radiates from her canvases. This is an artist whose work is not to be missed. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Feld is a Space Planner/Interior Designer who designed offices and commercial interiors for seventeen years. She began her studies at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with still life painting, and later becoming drawn to plein air painting while traveling in France, Italy, and Outer Cape Cod.
She is also a member of the Newton, Concord and North Shore Arts Associations, and an associate member of the Rockport Art Association. She has exhibited extensively, having received Best of Show, Third Place and several Honorable Mentions, and her work resides in many private collections. 
- contributed by Susan Britt, M.Ed.                                                                                            

"Hyacinth Spell", Phyllis Feld
            

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Who We Are: Meet Bruce Backman Turner of the North Shore Arts Association!

"My primary goal as a plein air painter has always been to capture the elements of the outdoors...the essence of light, atmosphere, time and place...and to create paintings which interpret that experience in a compelling and heartfelt way." -Bruce Backman Turner

With our special thanks to Joey Ciaramitaro, author of the award-winning blog Good Morning Gloucester, who, in September of 2011, recorded the following interview with Bruce Turner in the Gordon Grant Gallery of the North Shore Arts Association:


Bruce Backman Turner
Born in Worcester, MA in 1941, Bruce Backman Turner became interested in art early in life through the influence of his late father, who had studied at the Columbia School of Art in New York City. On frequent family visits to the coast, he became intrigued not only with the majesty of the sea, but with the shimmering effects of light upon its surface.
In 1972, Turner and his young family moved to Rockport on Massachusetts' North Shore, where he established a studio and gallery to paint and realize his life passion.
Living and working along the New England shores, he could experience the full vitality of the sea with its powerful atmospheric changes that would challenge the artist's brush. Later, the intricately winding village streets, local quarries and peaceful harbor settings of Cape Ann became interesting subjects of his paintings.Bruce explains, "To expand the shoreline, I added its boats, harbors and residence perched upon its rocky cliffs, especially here in my own local Cape Ann community. To incorporate the human elements with my knowledge of the sea, I introduced people into my work by spending many afternoons painting smaller oils on location to catch the interplay of moving human form against the changing tide. With its harmonious and dominant color influence by the sky, the sea provides a great stage for the variety of contrasting color introduced by human activity."
"In between painting coastal marine oils, I enjoy working outside with the change of seasons that the New England countryside offers through the awakening of spring, the warmth of summer, the vibrant burst of color in autumn and, finally, the quiet serenity of winter." 
In 1979 Bruce was among selected art instructors whose articles were published in American Artist Magazine, and was featured in Grumbacher's Palette Talk in 1983 and 1990. Listed in Who's Who in American Art, his work has also appeared in Monhegan-The Artists' Island, The Best of Oil Painting, Portrait Impressions, and A Gallery of Marine Art.
Some of the exhibitions in which Turner's paintings have been represented are the Mary Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville, VT, Butler Institute of American Art, The Salmagundi Club, Academic Artist Association at the Springfield Museum, Marietta College's International Exhibitions, American Artists' Professional League, Hudson Valley Art Association, Chautauqua Art Association, The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Ogunquit Art Center, North Shore Arts Association, Rockport Art Association and the American Fortnight Exhibition in Hong Kong where paintings by invited American artists were shown in 1975.
Throughout the years, Turner's work has brought him numerous national and regional awards including the prestigious Louis E. Seley Purchase Prize for first place in the Salmagundi Club's annual oil exhibition.
His work is included in such public collections as the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the 4H National Headquarters in Washington, DC, the MBNA corporate collection, The Picket Collection-Carol Woods Center, Chapel Hill, NC and in private collections throughout the US, in Canada, England, France, Belgium, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
Bruce has conducted workshops throughout the years and has been invited by numerous art organizations to lecture and demonstrate his approach to painting.
While continuing to enjoy the inspiration of the beaches of Cape Ann, Turner has traveled far and wide, painting across the breadth of America to the canals of Venice, Italy and the countryside of Alsace, France.

The North Shore Arts Association is very proud to count Bruce Backman Turner among our renowned  and accomplished artist members. Look for his newest works in our summer exhibitions!
See more of Bruce's work at http://brucebackmanturner.com


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Selections from the Museum Collection of the North Shore Arts Association

The newly refurbished Members Room of the North Shore Arts Association provides a gallery space for selections from the NSAA Museum Collection and a resource and meeting room for our members. The paintings on the wall include three recent additions to our permanent collection, very generous gifts by our artists and their family members.

The watercolor by Jack Jones is the gift of his widow, Phyllis Jones. The watercolor by Ann Williams is the gift of her cousin, Patricia Cassola. These two paintings were given in 2015. The small oil by Ken Gore, former President of the North Shore Arts Association, was painted circa 1950, and donated in 2013. The portrait of Jeff Weaver was the winner of the Art Supplies Wholesale Award and was donated in 2013 by the artist, B.J. Wayne.
Two works by artist Will Roland Davis, from our extensive holdings by this artist, underwent conservation treatment in 2014 and are also on display in the Members Room.
The North Shore Arts Association is always interested in increasing the holdings in our Museum Collection. We welcome new donations. Anyone interested in donating works can contact our gallery manager, Linda Cote.
With the acquisition of works to form a permanent collection comes a commitment to maintain and preserve works in good condition for the enjoyment of future generations. The conservation of works of art requires the expenditure of funds. Any donation, however small, for the conservation of works in our Museum Collection, would be most welcome. Please see Linda Cote if you are interested.
-Peter Tysver, Chair, Acquisitions Committee



'
From Back Beach'  by Jack Jones







'Bandstand' 
by Ann Williams




'New England Barn'
  by Ken Gore





'Man With Mustache'  by Will Roland Davis






'Portrait of Jeff Weaver'
  by B.J. Wayne






 
'Ipswich Bay'  by Will Roland Davis








Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Meet Our New NSAA Artist Members!


This 2015 Exhibition season, we are eager to introduce the North Shore Arts Association's newest artist members and warmly welcome them to our community! The New Members Show, Jun. 4 - June 27, showcases these sixteen artists and their work. Opening reception will be held Sunday, June 7 from 2 - 4 p.m. Please seek out our new members, introduce yourself and others to them. We want all of our membership to feel at home and supported in our galleries and at our receptions. First and foremost this is "The Year of the Artist"!

Introducing the North Shore Arts Association's new juried artist members:


J.E. Daly is a full time artist who lives and works at his studio in Hudson, MA. He was born in Glens Falls, New York, and earned B.S. and M.S. Ed. degrees from
Siena and St. Rose College, respectively. He received early training from his mother, regional artist P.A.Daly. His formal art training came under Michael Dowling at the UMASS Danforth Museum School of Art, in Framingham, MA. Daly has also studied with Bruce Bachman Turner, Don Stone and Charles Movalli. He has shown his work in numerous national juried exhibits. Daly's work resides in numerous northeast corporate and private collections. He works primarily in oil. Daly believes that growing up in the Washington County region of upstate New York creates a unique appreciation for rural and mountain environments. "I am most inspired in the creative process
when painting from life", he says. "I try to find the human connection in nature, from the exotic to the mundane. I hope to portray the 'sense of landscape' and the never-ending human relationship with the earth. This is a timeless emotion". Daly travels extensively and has painted in Europe, North America and Asia. His work is represented in the Adirondack Art (Association) Gallery in Essex, NY, The Blackburn Gallery in Queensbury, NY and John Zaccheo Fine Arts Gallery in Manchester, VT. www.jedaly.com


Gary Davis
was born in Saugus, MA. Gary draws his inspiration from personal experience, and his New England surroundings. As a young boy, Gary spent much of
his time outdoors, whether on his grandfather's fishing boat, or with his father at the ballpark, and later on the golf course. Encouraged by his high school art teacher, Gary followed his passion, and in 1980 he earned a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art. His oil landscapes, marine art and sports paintings have been exhibited at various galleries, and placed through corporate art buyers. In 1991, Steuben commissioned Gary to create the image for, "The Pitch" which was translated into a limited edition, crystal sculpture. Gary is a member of the Copley Society of Art in Boston. A few times a year, Gary joins friends to paint en
plein air, in Booth Bay, Maine. Many days he can be found among the marshes and shorelines of Essex, Ipswich, and Gloucester where the light offers a new landscape every minute. Gary lives in Wakefield, MA, with his wife Cindy, and their recently adopted dog, Dixie.




F. Michael Dorsey Mike is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design in Illustration and Animation. His animation, "Twilight" (no vampires) won 5 National
and International Awards. He studied illustration with Chris Van Allsburg and Animation with Amy Kravis and Yvonne Andersen. His work is collected in the U.S.A. and in Canada. Years ago he heard that... “Plein Air painting is God’s prank on the artistic soul: lured into the beauty, or the mystery, or the intrigue of a landscape, the artist sets up their easel and goes at it for hours. Sometimes the moment is captured. More often, the lighting changes more and more, and finally beaten, he/she packs up thinking, “I’ll get it tomorrow”… and so the ruse goes on and on”. Mike, with his wife, long
time NSAA member, Janet Sutherland calls Ipswich, MA home. Most days he can be found “livin’ the ruse” and thanking his lucky stars for an artistic soul.
www.fmdorseyart.fineartstudioonline.com







Cynthia Dunaway
was born in Excelsior, Minnesota. From the beginning, she had a keen interest in putting down onto paper what she saw in nature and loved to
draw from life. After meeting Stapleton Kearns in 1986, Cynthia moved to Cape Ann to pursue her interest in painting. Since then, she has been deeply committed to the development of her artistic expression through the use of charcoal and pencil in life drawing and as a "plein air" painter. Cynthia has studied with numerous Cape Ann artists: Stapleton Kearns, Bernie Gerstner, Ruth Hagstrom, Debbie Clarke, David Curtis, Don Stone and Paul George. She also attended Montserrat College of Art and Mass. College of Art in Boston. Cynthia has been the recipient of many awards, such as the Earl Merchant Memorial Award for excellence in portraiture, the C. Bruce Brown Memorial Award in oil painting, the
Gerald Epstein Memorial Award for innovative graphic work and the Marguerite Pearson Gold Medal. She is a returning artist member of the North Shore Arts Association, the Rockport Art Association and a former member of the Local Colors/Artists Co-op in Gloucester, MA.









Michael S. Foley
grew up in Beverly, MA and attended public schools there. He worked at various part time jobs during his teen years, and pursued wood carving, hiking and guitar. He attended Lowell Technological Institute in Lowell, MA, where he earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. While following a career in Mechanical Engineering
Design and Management, Mr. Foley and his wife, Anne, raised their two children. He continued his interest in relief wood carving and guitar over the years and in 2003 took a three year sabbatical from engineering to start his own company, Northshore Home Repair Co., which he ran for three years before returning to his career in engineering. For many years, Mr Foley had planned to pursue a second career in Stone Sculpture and upon his retirement in 2013, he put his plan into action. The advent of readily available industrial diamond tools enabled his transition from woodcarving to
stonecarving, working as M. S. Foley Stoneworks in Gloucester. The majority of his work is in local granite, and to a lesser extent, Berkshires and Vermont marble. He had had gallery exhibits and shows on Cape Ann, MA and in Nashua, NH and has displayed his work in several Cape Ann establishments. "Geometry and the love of natural materials are the driving forces behind my work. As a lifelong carver and career machine design engineer, I find beauty in both the gifts of the earth, as well as the wisdom of mathematics, which helps us to see our humble place in the universe. My sculptures, in their small ways, attempt to transform the fusion of these beauties into expressive forms, frozen in time, but warmed by each human hand which reaches out to touch them." www.msfoleystoneworks.com


Deborah Geurtze  www.rockyneckartcolony.org/_artists/geurtze.php



Jim Gibbons  "The most creative people in this world are children. For most, as
they mature that spark for creating and imagination fades. Being an artist is an extension of that childhood, but with the fine skills to express and capture the imagination". Growing up in Gloucester, Massachusetts with its rich art and fishing history, and being surrounded with the sheer beauty of Cape Ann was the key to open Jim's desire to capture all that is beautiful. "Being able to take a blank surface and push paint tactfully around to create an illusion of three dimensions is magic". One hundred percent self taught, from the basics of observing to
the complexities of brush quality, for Jim, "It's been a tremendously patient and passionate journey which only grows stronger with the passing of time". www.jimgibbonspaintings.com





Michele J. Kenna, a transplanted Canadian, has lived in Massachusetts for over 30 years. Growing up in a family involved in art and theater, Michele pursued her
own artistic aspirations by completing her degree in Fine Arts at the University of Toronto. After raising two children in Beverly, MA, Michele continued to study with nationally known American artists who taught and mentored her in the pastel medium, her primary influences being Frank Federico, PSA 2012 Hall of Fame Honoree and internationally renowned painter, Wolf Kahn. Michele has also studied with renowned American painters, Betty Lou Schlemm, Charles Movalli, Ted Minchin, Barbara Moody, Masako Kamiya and many more. Classes at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA have inspired Michele to reach out beyond traditional boundaries and to challenge herself to more
abstract ways of expression. With a studio at Porter Mill Studios  in Beverly, Michele continues to develop her unique style of landscape painting. She has exhibited her work in numerous galleries and art associations in the Greater Boston area and the North Shore. She is a juried artist member at the Cambridge Art Association, Marblehead Arts Association, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod and the Rocky Neck Art Colony. www.michelejkenna.com



Dana Levin
, during her high school years, attended both The New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL and Belvoir Terrace, Lenox, MA, a program for gifted young
artists. She received a B.F.A. from the acclaimed School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dana traveled to Florence, Italy to study at the rigorous Florence Academy of Art and trained in the painting and drawing techniques of the Old Masters, where she subsequently taught for several years. Her private study of realism oil painting has taken her to museums throughout Europe, Britain, Russia, and across the United States. Dana's paintings have received awards and honors from prestigious national and international juried shows and museums. She is a Fellow of the American Artist Professional League and her work is included in
important museum and private collections. Dana accepts commissioned painting requests: portraits, still life, and landscape paintings in the Boston, New Hampshire Connecticut and Rhode Island areas. Dana's oil paintings are highly crafted, subtle questions about existence, death and attachment. www.danalevin.com




Eileen Patten Oliver has been painting in Massachusetts and in Maine, specializing in landscape and seascape, for more than 50 years. Born and raised in
Waltham, MA, she received her early art education under noted Boston painter, Paul Shea. Eileen was chosen to take classes at Mass College of Art while still in high school. Although life circumstances prevented her from continuing formal training, she continued to learn from other painters and learned much as a result of her own endeavors. Eileen had found inspiration in the beauty of the DownEast Maine coast and upon moving to Cape Ann in 2010, she soon discovered the quality of light, natural beauty and architecture unique to the area also offered the painter boundless subject matter. Eileen paints
"not merely to document images of people and places, but to capture the spirit and intensity of that one magic moment with her brush". An artist member of the Newburyport Art Association and a contributing member at the Rockport Art Association, Eileen currently lives and paints in Gloucester, MA with her husband, James Oliver, a Cape Ann native and also an accomplished artist. www.eileenpattenoliver.com



Rae O'Shea
Originally from central New Jersey and now residing in Rockport, MA., Rae began a lifelong love of traveling and painting at an early age. She became
a professional painter in 2006. She believes plein air painting to be an essential element in her development as a painter. Using a traditional approach most of her studio paintings are based on studies completed on location. Rae received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in European History and English Literature. As an artist she is primarily self-taught but has attended workshops with Stapleton Kearns, Scott Christensen, Timothy Thies and Calvin Liang. She is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, The Plein Air Painters of Colorado and the Plein Air Painters of the
Jersey Coast, the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters and the Plein Art Painters of the United Kingdom, and associate member of Oil Painters of America, Landscape Painters of America, the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, the Rockport Art Association and the California Art Club. She has participated in numerous plein air events including Paint Annapolis, Wayne Plein Air Festival, and Plein Air Easton. Recent awards include the Tamsin L. Holtzer award for Traditional Landscape at the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe exhibit at the National Arts Club, First Place at the Plein Air Colorado National Show and Honorable Mention for Artistic Excellence and Jurors Top Fifty at Salon International 2011 and 2012. Her work has appeared in numerous art publications and the book "100 Painters of the Mid-Atlantic". Represented by galleries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania she recently had a two month solo show at the Noyes Museum's Seaview Gallery. www.raeosheaart.com.



Terry Del Percio-Piemonte "Sometimes my art expresses an internal secret, an obvious emotion or no meaning at all. I am not always sure which one is which. I
guess the viewer decides. I don't set out to create art about a particular subject or express a particular emotion - I let whatever is coming, arrive and unfold. I suppose that in many ways, my work demonstrates either complexity or simplicity; after all - aren't our collective lives made up of both? When I enter my studio, I don't know what is going to happen. A flurry of emotion usually shows up and for a few minutes leaves me confused, scattered, disorganized and sometimes almost frantic. Once I put a shape, a line, or a color down, I begin to feel calmer and more at ease. I try very hard not to think, but to let my instincts move forward. This isn't always possible, of course. Typically working on at least three pieces at the same time,
I move back and forth among them in each session. Usually these pieces are in different media - mixed media collage, watercolor, and acrylic painting. Other materials such as ink, oil sticks, graphite, charcoal, pencil, and threads find their way into my work. Working with various media keeps me on my toes and pushes me to experiment and change. I change, you change, the world changes, my art changes. Mostly self-taught, I have also studied with Susan Guest-McPhail, Nick Simmons, and Tom Sutherland. I am grateful to the many incredibly talented artists everywhere who inspire me with their fabulous work. www.terrydelpercio.com




Brent Rotsko
was born 1954 on the north shore of Boston. His interest in painting maritime subjects began while spending time as a Merchant Marine after graduating from Maine Maritime Academy. His days spent on the ocean and local
waterways as a Merchant Marine gave him a great love and appreciation for the beauty and balance of nature. His first artistic endeavor was carving intricate ship models while spending time at sea. After his mother passed away, inspired by the art she left behind, he picked up her oil paints and began to paint. He fell in love with oil painting! As a self taught artist in search of a more solid training, he sought out workshops, lessons, and demonstrations from local artists whose work he admired, such as Todd Bonita, Donald Jurney, Robin Thornhill, Rosalie Sidoti, and others. Captivated by the smells, sounds, taste, and feel of the sea, Brent
strives to capture depth, dimension, and atmosphere in his paintings, the result being a representation of reality. Brent resides in Merrimac, Massachusetts with his wife Jana. He enjoys the support of his wife and three daughters and two sons-in-law. www.brentrotsko.com




Judy A. Ryan
was born in Chicago, Illinois. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Boston University. Judy also received training from Robert
Cormier in portrait drawing, life drawing and cast drawing at The Guild of Boston Artists. David P. Curtis has been her mentor for landscape painting. Judy has taught art at many schools and museums including the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA, the Worcester Art Museum, Brookline Arts Center, Newton Center for the Arts, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Emerson Umbrella for the Arts and Concord Continuing Education. She has taught abroad for "Art in Provence", as well as having conducted her own painting workshops in Provence. Judy, currently teaches at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts where she has worked since 1994. Judy received
the Frances A. Kinnicutt Foreign Travel Award administered through the Worcester Art Museum while teaching at the museum and received an artist support grant administered through the Somerville Arts Council where she worked as a Somerville artist for 10 years. In 1996, Judy joined the historic artist cooperative of Fenway Studios in Boston. She recently served on the Board of the Fenway Alliance in Boston and is currently an officer on the Fenway Studios Board of Directors. After the loss of her husband, artist Arthur Collette, Judy moved to Gloucester in 2013 to further pursue her love of "plein air" landscape painting. www.fenwaystudios.org/artists/judy_ryan.php



Katalin Spang
grew up in New York City, a wonderful place to nurture her love of art and  graduated from the High School of Music and Art in 1964. She received a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1968 from The Cooper Union and a Master of Arts in Painting from Villa Schifanoia, a graduate school of Art and Music affiliated with an American degree granting college in Florence, Italy. She has taught Fine Arts in the public school systems of Yonkers, NY, Tewksbury, MA and Burlington, MA for a total of thirty one years. She also taught classes in Calligraphy at Middlesex Community College for twelve years. In the summer of 2003 Katalin was the recipient of a grant "Art Renewal for Teachers" (ART) from the Philanthropic Institute of Boston. The grant enabled her to travel to Tuscany where she photographed and painted the landscape, en plein air. "My joy is to paint the
landscape, en plein air, wherever I travel. Often the paintings done on location received finishing touches in the studio, and sometimes sketches and photos on location lead to larger studio paintings." Katalin works in oil, watercolor and pastel. "Painting for me is a spiritual experience. It is a careful distillation of my interpretation, in a visual language, of the beauty I find around me." Katalin is an associate member of the Rockport Art Association, the New England Watercolor Society and a member of the Concord Art Association, the Reading Art Association and the Newton Watercolor Society. www.katalinspang.com



Gary Tucker "I feel fortunate to be at this place and time-my life has been an artistic one, drawing then painting from an early age. Fortunate to have the support
of family and friends, teachers and students, and the fellowship of other artists. I did graduate from the Museum School though I don't rate it as a positive experience for a teenager and from there helped to establish an atelier styled art community in Boston, Kaji Aso Studio Institute for the Arts, where I continue to teach and serve as Gallery Director. Success in the form of awards and sales has come as of late, but they only validate partially this artistic life - I feel the "art spirit" surge in me when I am painting, struggling
and creating. In my approach and aesthetics I feel commonality with Turner, the Impressionists, and the Chinese and Japanese Zen brush painters in that I am captivated by nature and through my artwork attempt to capture a sense of the moment. Through the media of watercolor and my process of painting I find power through brushwork, and subtlety through transparency. Watercolor differs from other media in that there is a performance aspect to it. The fine pieces come out in one sitting and very often like a classic performance, something happens, a fusion of mind and subject, an improvisation that cannot be duplicated". www.garytuckerartist.com/gallery/