ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery inaugurated the 2011-2012 exhibition season with paintings by artists from the Art Station in Hightstown, New Jersey . The Art Station, a historic building dating to the 1880s, was re-purposed into artist studio space in the 1990s by the late Roger Cook. It continues to be managed by his family, providing studio space for sixteen area artists. ABstract EXpressions Gallery was pleased to present the works of three of these artists in an exciting exhibition.

Princeton artist Dara Alter’s current body of work focuses on autobiographical aerial landscapes. These landscapes explore location and nostalgia for a place as it relates to her personal experience. These are often places for which she feels a strong cultural or religious tie, with elements of specificity and anonymity existing together. The paintings fall between abstraction and representation with elements of architecture, cartography, and utter randomness. Dara states “I make these paintings as play or dreamscapes with which the viewer can engage and form their own unique connection to the imagery.”

The abstract paintings of Linda Gebhard (Hightstown) accentuate the play between texture, movement, color and design. Her goal is to create works that contain layers aching to be peeled back. “I encourage the viewer to connect with what he or she is feeling while considering the work – to spend time really looking,” Linda says. “We have been trained to try and figure everything out. I am encouraging people to connect with groundlessness, because in the end there is no right answer.”

Juanita Yoder (Hightstown) is known for her site-specific and often monumentally-scaled paintings, primarily on silk, for sacred and secular interiors. Her vibrantly colored works explore natural and celestial forms, and the images that emerge spark the imagination and spirit in those who see them. Juanita says “Creating artwork is my way of listening and responding to the Divine, experiencing and expressing transformation and receiving and offering nourishment.”

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, Michael Taylor, and Kelly Vaughan; contemporary furniture by William Robbins; and hand-carved walking sticks by David DeAntonio.

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery held its summer exhibit of paintings by Narberth, PA artist Ellen Abraham. Ellen is a member of ARTsisters, and the Gallery’s summer show is the fourth exhibit that has featured works by the ARTsisters during the 2010-2011 exhibition season.

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.

“There is a wealth of talent among the ARTsisters that the Gallery has been privileged to explore this season. Ellen’s show provides a wonderful culmination to this series of exhibits, and it is great fun!” states Gallery Director James Kent.

Ellen’s paintings reflect a lifetime of interest in comics, politics and political cartoons, history, and social studies – which she taught for a number of years. Her paintings are hybrids of the figurative and the abstract, underscoring her propensity for distortion, caricature, stylization and expressive color. “My work is a synthesis of humor and fine art. My goal is to create art that is sown from the depths of comic outrageousness, satirical observation and mild misanthropy,” the artist states. “I am quite serious about being silly.” To say her paintings are slice-of-life scenes understates their coolness.

Also on display in the Gallery are 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. In addition, the Gallery is pleased to introduce the whimsical found-object sculptures of Michael Taylor from Toms River, NJ.

ABstract EXpressions Contemporary Art Gallery held its late spring exhibit showcasing works by several New Jersey artists. “I am very pleased to be showing works by artists from southwest New Jersey ,” states Gallery Director James Kent. “I want to increase the awareness of the public to the exciting work that is being created in this area.”

Award winning artist Kassem Amoudi ( Camden ) has been an adjunct painting instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia since 2000. Painting for him is a continuous adventure, and the destination is beyond form or shape. His large minimalist works provide glimpses of color in vast monochromatic fields and remnants of shapes nearly painted out. He states, “My abstractions are a continual search for beauty, which lies beyond form and beyond nature, beauty in its original form.”

Kim DiLoreto’s ( Medford Lakes ) multi-layered abstractions begin with an initial layer that informs the direction of the painting. The image is then added to and subtracted from over many layers. The palette knife is her preferred tool, for its ability to apply paint in interesting textures and also to scrape it away. “These paintings are, to me, a metaphor for life,” the artist states. “We begin with an initial rough draft, which is shaped over time. Some things we plan, other things occur uninvited.”

Each work in Patricia Ilves-Corressel’s ( Cherry Hill ) “Modern” series represents an emotion or feeling at a certain moment in time. The element of color captures the energy of deep feelings that words cannot express. Lines and shapes share a unifying importance in each work. She states that “each painting is trying to create a certain harmony to speak to you.”

John Tegley ( Willingboro ), a relative newcomer to painting, set himself a series of personal goals to explore and manage one medium at a time. He allowed himself sufficient time to master the elements of one medium before moving on to another. Water color led to pastel, then to acrylics. His latest works exhibit a strong sense of geometry and a well-developed color sense.

Also on display in the Gallery are 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 held its spring exhibit of works by abstract painter Sandi Neiman Lovitz. Her large, breathtakingly colorful paintings filled the Gallery, and winter was quickly forgotten.

Fascinated by color from an early age, Sandi considers her paintings to be an extension of herself. She enjoys experimenting and taking risks with the application of paint. Nearly all of the works on display in the Gallery are painted on plexiglas panels. Much of the paint is applied to the reverse side of the panels, allowing the glossy surface of the panel to impart a vibrancy and clarity to the colors. “Finding a harmonious balance without relying on a tangible point of reference has always been the personal challenge of a successful abstract painting for me,” the artist states.

Sandi is also a member 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 several shows during the 2010-2011 exhibition season. Five members of the ARTsisters were featured in the late fall 2010 exhibit. The recently concluded winter show featured works by four of the ARTsisters – Yeonmi Ahn, Sandra Benhaim, Louise Herring, and Christine Stoughton. Works by ARTsister Ellen Abraham will be featured in the Gallery this summer. “There is a wealth of talent among the ARTsisters that the Gallery has explored this season,” states Gallery Director James Kent.

Also on display in the Gallery are 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 held its winter 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 showcased the works of the ARTsisters members who are focused on creating abstract works in several shows during the 2010-2011 exhibition season. The recently concluded winter exhibit featured works by four more of the ARTsisters. 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.

Yeonmi Ahn paints objects and events around her – ordinary things that evoke a strong emotional response that cannot be put into words. Her abstracts, which exhibit an intriguing combination of Oriental and Western painting elements, are filled with swirls of vibrant color.

Sandra Benhaim’s works are about “place” and may be landscape-inspired, but they are not representations of any specific location. “After working in a representational manner for many years, I am now creating purely abstract images in the many varied and exuberant colors found in nature,” she states. “I am also exploring collage more fully.”

Louise Herring’s mixed media paintings are inspired by nature. Memory and recollection play important roles in the creation of her works. Her finished paintings are often composites of these memories.

Christine Stoughton contributes both prints and sculptures to the current show. Her work, whether two- or three-dimensional, depicts abstracted images moving in an undefined environment. She prefers to use simple and natural materials in surprising ways. The materials used, the lines drawn, the objects created, generally exhibit fragility and vulnerability, yet maintain a quality of substance.

The “ARTsisters – Part Two” exhibit was on view at the Gallery from January 14 through February 26, 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.