Abstract Expressions Contemporary Art Gallery

Past Exhibitions - 2010

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery held its late fall exhibit of works by members of the ARTsisters group. Founded in 2005, ARTsisters is a group of professional women visual artists who empower each other and the community through art. ARTsisters now has more than twenty members, participates in a variety of individual and group shows, and collaborates with a number of non-profit organizations in the greater Philadelphia area.

The Gallery is showcasing the works of the ARTsisters members who are focused on creating abstract works in two group shows – the late fall show in November and December, and the winter show in January and February 2011. The Gallery’s spring show in March and April will feature the work of abstract painter and ARTsister Sandi Neiman Lovitz. “There is a wealth of talent among the ARTsisters that the Gallery will explore in the coming months,” states Gallery Director James Kent.

Tracy Colletto Adams began pursuing her artistic interests at a young age by painting with her father and taking classes and private painting lessons. Her aerial views of the landscape are a favorite subject for abstract painters. She pushes her shapes and colors beyond visual reality, taking the landscape into an abstract realm of flowing patterns.

Marge Feldman explores curious contradictions and investigates the opposition of objects and thoughts in her recent abstract works. Referring to her work as “surrealscapes,” contradictions are now her prime subject. She states “I have turned to our natural environment and the effects we humans exert on it. Sometimes we work in concert with nature; other times we destroy it. Sometimes it overpowers us; other times we use and control it.”

Linda Dubin Garfield, the founder of ARTsisters, is an award-winning printmaker and mixed media artist who creates personal visual memoirs exploring the mystery of memory and the magic of place. Her latest works combine traditional printmaking techniques with collage, photography, and digital imaging. She states “I am intrigued by memory and what remains in our mind’s eye. My focus on the process, not the outcome, frees me to be experimental. I find the possibilities endless and exciting.”

Roberta Welburn-Milstead draws inspiration from the journals she has kept for many years. “This practice continues to shape the way I see my world,” she says. Her mixed media works combine a variety of processes, with photography – especially of architectural elements – being a visual root. The results are “album leaves” of intense visual richness and interest.

Marjie Lewis Quint uses the landscape as a starting point for further exploration in mood and abstraction. She states “I am interested in the hidden landscape, the floating house, the portal to another world. I want to draw the viewer into an altered sense of space, time and atmosphere.”

The “ARTsisters – Part One” exhibit was on view at the Gallery from November 12 through January 8, 2011 .

Also on display in the Gallery were paintings by selected Gallery artists; ceramics by Nancy Reese, Helge Speth, Rose Marie Strippoli, and Eric Wolff; sculptures by Dan Becker, Jim Haner, Medy Quiroz, and Kelly Vaughan; contemporary furniture by William Robbins; and hand-carved walking sticks by Dave DeAntonio

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery had its fall exhibit of works by the Abstract Artists of Bucks County, featuring paintings by seven artists currently active in and around Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Robert Hansen (Upper Black Eddy) “aims for an arresting visual and emotional experience by using layers of color, transparency, texture, and line” in his paintings. He has exhibited his work at Stover Mill Gallery, the New Hope Art League, Artsbridge (Lambertville, NJ), and in juried shows at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. He had a solo show at PNC Bank, New Hope, and received an award from the Tinicum Arts Festival.

Armor Keller (Doylestown) creates compositions that “allude to the ongoing dynamics of life itself: tension, resolution, growth, and transformation.” She has won awards at the Doylestown Art League and the Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, as well as in exhibits throughout Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Her work has also been seen in juried shows at Philadelphia’s Woodmere Art Museum and the Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Bonnie Long (Princeton, NJ) insists that “abstract art both frees and forces a more thoughtful honing process of understanding the inner and outer world.” She works in watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil, pastel and stone and wire sculpture. She has studied with Graham Young and Geza de Vegh and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. She has awards from Woodmere, Phillips Mill, and the Philadelphia Sketch Club. She is a past president of the New Hope Art League.

Constance Mergner McHugh (Southampton) has “discovered the power and dynamics of color to convey emotions, ideas and the landscapes of our existence.” A graduate of Bucks County Community College, she earned a B.F.A. from Millersville University. Over the past decade, her work has shifted subtly and gradually from representational to abstraction. She has exhibited widely in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Lynn Miller (New Hope) strives “to make visible our ideas and sensations, seeking the dazzling visual moment to reveal aspects of shared human experience.” He has won prizes at Phillips Mill, the Tinicum Arts Festival, and the Philadelphia Sketch Club. His work has also been seen in two solo exhibits at Stover Mill, in Stover Mill’s 50th anniversary retrospective, and in juried shows at Woodmere Museum, Artsbridge, and Prallsville Mills (NJ).

Loretta Montgomery (Doylestown) views “abstract art, like jazz, as a blending of rhythms, moods, tone, and energy.” She has exhibited her work at Artsbridge, the Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, the Hunterdon County (NJ) Cultural and Heritage Commission, and the Upstairs Gallery in Peddlers Village. She has also received an award from the Philadelphia Sketch Club.

Rose Marie Strippoli (Bristol) regards her art as “a metamorphosis, a reflection of her life’s experience, alternately reflecting vividness, excitement, starkness, or somberness.” She creates pottery, enamels, and sculpture as well as paintings. Her work has been exhibited in juried shows in Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, where it has won numerous prizes, including the Artists Magazine award at the 2010 Ohio Watercolor Society.

Also on display in the Gallery were paintings by selected Gallery artists; ceramics by Nancy Reese, Helge Speth, and Eric Wolff; sculpture by Dan Becker, Jim Haner, Medy Quiroz, and Kelly Vaughan; and furniture by William Robbins.

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery had its 2010 Summer of Sculpture – And More! show that continued the theme of 2009’s Summer of Sculpture, this year’s show again featured sculptural works created from recycled materials. Adding to this summer’s mix are were abstract paintings and ceramic works.

The exhibit featured sculptures by T. A. Hahn of Burlington, NJ and Amy Puccio of Howell, NJ; paintings by Indira Servaia of Mount Laurel, NJ; and paintings and ceramic works by Rose Marie Strippoli of Bristol, PA. All the featured artists are new to the Gallery.

T. A. Hahn’s works are an entertaining mix of whimsicality and minimalism. His “found objects” are from contemporary life – computers, electronic parts – as well as bits of wood, stone, and metal.

Amy Puccio’s raw materials are the leftovers from her vocation as a picture framer. Pieces of picture frame molding are patiently fitted into mosaic-like constructions of astonishing texture and detail.

One word describes Indira Servaia’s stylized portraits of women – ravishing. These jewel-like works are contemporary icons, capturing each subject’s strengths, vulnerabilities, and individuality.

Rose Marie Strippoli’s free-form abstract style is evident in her paintings and ceramic works. Her paintings establish an interesting dialogue with the sculptural works. Her ceramic works are adorned with beads, leather cords, and other materials.

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery had its Spring 2010 exhibit of paintings by Pennsylvania artists Sandra Benhaim of Havertown and Mary Beth Kazanicka of Lansdowne.

Both artists have creative roots in representational, figurative, and landscape art, but now focus their talents on creating purely abstract images in exuberant colors. The paintings invite viewers to enter the artists’ imaginations, memories, and reveries. Drawing inspiration and wonder from the world around them, their art celebrates a passion for nature captured in vibrant and exciting color.

“This show welcomes Spring with open arms,” said Gallery Director James Kent. “The lavish use of bright colors creates a visual energy that will drive any remaining thoughts of winter from your mind!”

The exhibit was on view at the Gallery from March 12 through April 24, 2010.

Also on display in the Gallery were paintings by selected Gallery artists; ceramics by Nancy Reese, Helge Speth, Rose Marie Strippoli and Eric Wolff; sculpture by Dan Becker, Jim Haner, Medy Quiroz, and Kelly Vaughan; and furniture by William Robbins.

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery began 2010 with an exhibit of paintings by awarding winning New Jersey artists Stephanie Rogers of Palmyra and Patricia Walkar of Haddonfield.

Both artists explore healing powers and spiritual energy in their art. That energy is immediately communicated by the paintings’ rich vibrant colors and enticing shapes. Stephanie considers her works on canvas to be meditations in optimistic, colorful motion. Patricia’s large paintings on silk are “a dance with beauty” that she hopes will bring joy to those who share her art.

With their beautiful and original works, these artists take the viewer on a journey of the spirit. “This show will uplift the viewer,” said Gallery Director James Kent. “Stephanie’s and Patricia’s paintings glow with warmth and optimism.” The exhibit was on view at the Gallery from January 15 through February 27.