ARTISTS

Art is a way to escape and to dream while you are awake.  ~ Adrienne Trafford  Adrienne is a fine artist and illustrator who have been formally trained in life-drawing, illustration and graphic design, graduating with honors from Kutztown University.  After graduation she took time off to start a family but as her children grew she could spend more time in the studio and is now a full-time artist.  In addition to working on canvas with acrylic paints, she illustrates in ink and watercolor, both with a vibrant palette.  She is inspired by the lush colors of the landscapes she has witnessed in her travels and also by the valley and hills, which surround her southeastern Pennsylvania home. During her college years, Adrienne spent time studying art in Italy and France, which expanded her individual style.  Her children have turned up as models in many of her figurative work and have emboldened her creativity and subject matter.  Other influences are traveling, a good book or movie, museums and gardening.  Adrienne’s work has been collected throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia, France, South America, Lebanon and Japan. She has designed sets for local theater and has been featured in local magazines on numerous occasions. She is a published author/illustrator for Dover Publishing and Schiffer Publishing and her books can be found at both Dover and Schiffer websites, bookstores and on Amazon.

Agnieszka Jackiewicz graduated with a Master Degree of Fine Arts in painting and painting design in architecture and urban planning. She earned her degree at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Wroclaw, Poland. Shortly after she moved to the United States and settled in Connecticut where she resides and creates today. She participates in different art shows and competitions in the USA and Europe, and her art can be found in many interior design projects, hotels and private collections. Artist statement: Art is rooted deep in my soul. I have been surrounded by it my entire life. I love the feeling of excitement when I stand in front of the white canvas and I know that within just moments I will begin a journey into the unknown depths of my soul. I create abstract paintings. I feel free to express my emotions and I can tell my own story. In my paintings, I interchangeably use oil and acrylic paints, often using gold or silver leaves as well. Introducing such elements makes the painting work with its surroundings. Art comes alive by interacting with the light and begins living its very own life, while simultaneously revealing new depths. I quite often hear about my paintings that they have a soul. I believe that this is a very faithful observation. When I paint, I completely surround myself. Time stops, reality around me no longer exists, it is just me and the canvas at that moment. Each of my works are filled with emotions and my history. For me, painting is like my own journal painted with a brush and each artwork is like a page from it. What I love about abstract is that I can paint what I feel and that my story behind it will only remain mine. The recipient may interpret my painting his or her own way and create a deeper relationship than what they see and understand on the surface.

Alisa H. Workman has had a love for nature and gardening all of her life. As a young child, she remembers pulling the marigold blooms off of the flowers in her grandmother’s garden. She started out creating mosaic pots and birdbaths, painted garden pots, and other art installations for the garden. In the summer of 2015 she picked up a paintbrush and brought her love of flowers to the canvas. Workman has been a Dayton, Ohio area resident most of her life. She is a graduate of Wright State University earning a BS in Geology with a specialty in Crystallography. Her career has included working in a bioacoustics lab and a 15 year stint as a stay-at-home mom. Since 1998 she has worked at The Miami Valley School and currently is a full time preschool art teacher at the Soin Early Childhood School at MVS. Exhibited in the Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus areas of Ohio and found in collections throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Alisa’s love of nature, art, and science are translated into acrylic paintings of bold flowers and vibrant splashes of color. Each and every painting tells a story. Artist’s Statement I dabbled at the edge of the art pool for years … mixed media collages, painted garden pots, colorful tiled garden hardscape installations. The work that I consider my first completed painting, my frightening leap into the deep end of the pool, is SURVIVE. It was done in 2017, in the first art workshop that I attended. It was begun a year after my mother’s death and my sister’s suicide. It was completed after my husband’s cancer diagnosis. Life is filled with happiness and sadness. I choose to focus on the sadness and to turn that darkness into something bright and wonderful and happy. Vibrant colors energize and excite. I LOVE color. Inspired by all that surrounds me, I paint lightly abstract floral works … renderings of bold flowers with rich splashes of color. -Alisa

Ann Rudd has created art for many years. Subject: Moods -- especially moments of quiet reflection, peacefulness, contentment in the moment. In a world that's surging with activity, effort and angst, her paintings can be reminders of the quiet times that are available to all of us. Technique: Semiabstract combinations including oil, acrylic, charcoal, oil pastel, and graphite pencil. Ann is interested in paintings that combine the appearance of 3-dimensional depth and 2-dimensional flat surface. The design possibilities seem endless. Color palette: Grays, neutrals, soft palette colors Influences: Berthe Morisot, Alberto Giacometti, Alex Powers and others Awards: Ann loves a good contest and has won numerous awards at the local and regional levels in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the last decade. She was juried into two national shows in 2016, received a Merit Award from the national Art Muse Contest in 2018, was an Art Muse Contest Emerging Artist Finalist in February 2019, and has been listed in the Bold Brush Favorite 15% several times. She continues to exhibit in a variety of venues and competitions. Current direction: Since retiring from a 30 year career in psychology, Ann has pursued painting on a daily basis, creating many small works that explore subjects and process. She is currently interested in oil painting, figures and faces, with architectural elements in the background.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Brooke Major moved to France over twenty years ago to follow her two passions: painting and breeding horses for show jumping. Today, her painting studio is the grain loft of an 18th-century farmhouse on the beach in Normandy, where she paints and raises her horses. Brooke works in oil paint using palette knives to make paintings that create the effect of low-relief sculptures. Quite often, her images are white on white or very lightly tinted against a white background. In choosing her subjects, Brooke revisits her childhood experiences of traveling, horses, and architecture. Many of her architectural paintings celebrate the priceless architectural legacy of Normandy.

Carl White was born in Liverpool, England in 1969. Carl studied at the Alberta College of Art & Design from 1989-1992 in Calgary, Alberta. His paintings and drawings have been featured in many solo and group exhibitions across Canada since 1992 and reside in numerous private collections nationally and internationally. White currently lives and works in Calgary, Alberta where he is exceedingly active in the art scene, as well as the community.

David Twose lives and works in Paris. He was trained by Jérôme Quèbre (Grande Chaumière - Paris), and by the abstract colorist painter Jacques Vigot. He regularly exhibits in Parisian galleries and Salons (Salon d'Automne, Salon des Artistes Français…), as well as internationally (Chicago, National Art Center in Tokyo, Kobe, St. Petersburg, Hermitage-Vyborg Center, Venice Biennale…). In 2020, he collaborated with the Citroën brand, and with the UNESCO Beirut office. In 2022, he participated in an audio-visual installation presented at the 59th Venice Biennale of Art, in the Mora Palazzo. David Twose is a member of the Taylor Foundation and of the Salon d’Automne. In 2021 he received a painting prize at the Salon d’Automne. "When I paint, I search for the abstract images that exist within reality: the shapes of a tree, a building, a shadow, etc. My goal is to expose and amplify these abstractions. I search for the elusive line between figural and abstract work in the hope of reaching new spiritual dimensions - what I call Abstractivation." -David

Born in 1969 in Pennsylvania, Eric received a Bachelors of Science in Art Education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He continued his education at The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. During this time he began an interest in the study of the strength and textures of birds, especially domestic fowl for which he has become well-known.
My paintings, and now soft sculptures, bring out the magical wonder of the humble rooster and rabbit.  The rooster/chicken has always been my spirit animal.  I love the colors, textures, and glorious strength of such a common bird.  But is it such a common bird?  They feed us with their eggs and meat, decorate us with their beautiful feathers, and are used as a religious spirit throughout the world.  They are clever and brave, fast and strong.  Their colors, pattern, and textures show brilliance and shine that I love to try and repeat in my painting.

Originally from Seoul, Korea, Georganna Lenssen graduated from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Villanova University. Lenssen’s work has appeared in multiple publications including Fine Art Connoisseur, Philadelphia STYLE and ARTmatters magazine. Her paintings were featured in multiple issues of The Discerner, one of the UK’s elite online publications. She was the first artist to be featured exclusively in the November 2018 issue.
Artist Statement

My work is the culmination of response, absorption and interpretation of place or content. A thread of commonality exists—from exquisitely patterned African wild dogs to densely sensual frosted cakes to the evocative nature of abandoned structures and the secrets within—the multi-faceted richness of imagery. Opacities, transparencies and iridescences offer a myriad of painterly opportunities. Here is where instinct, memory and sensation merge for me, creating a visual language of mark-making, color interaction and finally the landscape of the painted surface.

James is a contemporary figurative painter located in Lawrenceville, NJ. His home, a 1920s center hall Colonial, is also the location of his studio where he paints daily. Doherty believes that a painting should look like it has been painted and not like a photograph. You should see each brush stroke, each drip of paint and each layer of color. Many of his paintings seem like he captured a moment- the delicate lines of a woman, the last to leave the party, her fancy dress now the worse for wear as she casts a subtle glance about the room, searching for something unknown. James’ paintings are often characterized by softened drips, smears, or unfinished edges. James believes his process should be visually accessible. Among his personal favorites and influencers are the painters, Gainsborough, Sargent, and Degas. Doherty’s education includes: 2008-2012, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, 2009, Studied portrait painting with Theodore Xaras, 2012, Masterclass with Stuart Shils, 2010-2012, Studied figurative painting with David Shevlino, 2012, Studied cold wax painting with Rebecca Crowell.

Marlin’s work is all about the process. For him, getting there is more than half the fun…it’s all the fun. To see a record, the act of creating and not just the final product, that is his end goal.
Marlin has been exploring the use of circles both large and small for the last ten years having been influenced and inspired by the paintings of Yayoi Kusama.
Currently, he is working with metallic paints and how his work is affected by changing light. Marlin has worked as an artist and architectural illustrator for over twenty-five years. He divides his time between documentary filmmaking and painting.
Marlin lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and continues to get lost in the process in his new studio in Historic Downtown Lancaster.

\"My process begins long before any paint hits the canvas.\\\\\\\" ~ Michael Bartmann
Michael studied from 1982 -1987 at The State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, where he received his BA in Landscape Architecture. From 1995 -1999 he continued at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, in the Certificate Program.

Artist Spotlight: MICHAEL BARTMANN
I begin by exploring an inspirational location and visit many times before starting. I am drawn to non-designed, left-over places. When I was young, I spent a greater amount of time playing in and exploring the vacant lots rather than the professionally designed playgrounds. As an artist, I am still drawn to those abandoned, derelict spaces where the imagination is free to roam. It\\\\\\\'s the lack of obvious beauty and not knowing where these spaces will lead me artistically that draws me to them. After visiting several times I paint on site and explore the site through the lens of a camera. I also research the history of the site and look for any old photographs. I do all of this \\\\\\\"getting to know the site\\\\\\\" in order to allow a more personal artistic vision to develop rather than just capturing its essence.

After getting to know the site, I then move the ideas into the studio to further remove myself from its innate meaning. I like the idea of the painting being \\\\\\\"site-specific\\\\\\\", but I want it to evolve into something more personal with a new \\\\\\\"sense of place.\\\\\\\" In the studio, my process starts with a drafted line drawing in which a new place is constructed- much the same way that an architect would create. However, many times the drawing is a combination of several different places and possibilities overlaying and overlapping each other that will be further explored, changed or decided during the painting process. The drawing creates the underlying structure. This underlying drawing eventually gives way to the paint. I am more of a searcher with paint. Often the paint is doing one thing and the drawing doing another with a precarious connection between the two. I enjoy this tension. I paint as much for paint sake instead of for just the image. There is a fine line between the love of paint, the material itself, the mark making versus the definition of the image. My painting process involves scraping, staining, dragging, and a re-invention of the space. A new space evolves from the process. My paintings are as much about the architecture of the paint as it is about an architectural scene.

I want the entire process to show through in the final painting. The residue of the previous drawing/painting comes through in final version.

The painting titled Passages has a “sense of place” inspired by an actual location which then evolves through ideas that come from multiple sources, real and imagined as well as through the process of painting. This process is a dynamic interaction with the surface, the space, the layering and taking away of paint.

Tension exists between the use of traditional one-point perspective, the flat abstract two-dimensional canvas world and the surface world of paint.

Like many artists, I use light to turn the ordinary and everyday into something more, something greater.

I evoke emotion using spatial dimension, atmosphere and defining architecture. There are many paintings within the painting. Typically there is not just one straightforward view, but many spatial directions and abstractions of space to move through. I am interested more in a journey through the space and paint than a particular fixed image. I create a space that the viewer is free to roam around in. There are no figures in the paintings because I want the figures in the paintings to be the viewer.

René Romero Schuler is one of the most important and well-collected, contemporary artists to emerge out of the Midwestern United States. Now living in both Chicago, IL and Carmel, CA, this artist is creating powerful images of strength and vulnerability that speak to the heart of the human condition: love, sorrow, solitude, and heartbreak; yet, through these depictions of difficult subjects, she inspires her viewers with hope, fortitude, and ultimately, enduring strength. The figures Schuler captures are equal parts self-portraiture and portraits of the range of human emotions that she has experienced in her all-too-colorful life. Her approach is personal yet universal, and essentially intimate. The work is visually and emotionally affecting; it powerfully reveals her appreciation for the struggle and triumph of the human condition and speaks to global and societal issues that continue to impact daily lives.

Schuler’s work is in the permanent collections of The Union League Club of Chicago, Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) in Chicago, Grand Valley State University in Michigan, Coral Springs Museum of Art, and St. Thomas University Museum of Art – Sardiñas Gallery in Miami. Her work is in public and private collections around the world and has exhibited internationally in Paris, Rome, Paxos, Singapore, and Beirut. A musical production, Jolere, was wholly inspired by Schuler’s works, with five original scores composed by Lee Kesselman and accompanying contemporary dance choreographed by Joanna Lees. Jolere performed to sold-out audiences in Minneapolis, 2013 and Chicago, 2015.

A book, René Romero Schuler: Life and Works, showcasing images of the artist’s thick impastos and striking figural canvases in addition to providing readers a look into her artistic process, was released in 2013. A book, simply titled René Romero Schuler, was released in August 2016, and a second hardcover book, also titled René Romero Schuler containing personal essays and poetry alongside her most recent works, shown, was released Summer, 2019. Signed Copies Available.

**Note: Due to the overwhelming response surrounding René \\\\\\\'s artwork her valuations increased and therefore pricing was increased in early 2020. You may see price differences from pieces sold before that time.
*** As of late Spring 2020, René is now collected in all 50 of the US states and more than 15 countries.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1925; Dr. Nelson studied at the Art Institute of Chicago where he received his B.A.E. degree in 1950, and his M.A.E. degree in 1951. He taught at his Alma mater as well as the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and the University of North Dakota, before returning to school at New York University where he received his Education Doctorate in 1971. The next year he began teaching at Cleveland State University, where he stayed until 1975 when he joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then joined that of Millersville University and in 1997 Millersville University granted him the rank of professor emeritus. Nelson’s art is included in the permanent collections of many major museums: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, the University of Texas, Texas, the Seattle Art Museum, Washington, Ohio University, Ohio, the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, the DeCordova Museum, Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, New York, the North Carolina Art Museum, North Carolina, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, the University of Minnesota Morris, Minnesota, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, the University of Maryland, Maryland, the Rourke Art Museum, Minnesota, Millersville University, Pennsylvania, George Mason University, Virginia, the University of Manitoba, Canada, the Plains Art Museum, North Dakota. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Purchase Prize in the 31st National Exhibition of Boston Printmakers and was awarded the Cezanne medal from the government of France, in 1961. You can see the things that influence Bob including past Presidents and historical figures, the Wizard of Oz, Flash Gordon, classic fables, and mythology. You can also find many animals, including some from his homestead in Lakeside, Oregon which he shares with his lovely wife Louise. \"Drawing is the First Art- Everything else springs from that.\" ~ Robert A Nelson. *** Many museums are suspected, both Nationally and Internationally, and we are convinced this list is incomplete. If you would like to add to the list, please contact the Gallery.

Roderick Hidalgo is a mixed-media artist who creates powerful, thought-provoking works that challenge viewers to question their perceptions and embrace new ideas. Born in 1988 in the United States, Hidalgo has quickly made a name for himself with his dynamic and innovative approach to art. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, from the Sunshine Contemporary Art Museum in Beijing, China, to The Delaware Contemporary, United States.
Hidalgo’s journey as an artist began at a young age, and he honed his skills over the years through a combination of self-study and formal education. After teaching painting at Nativity Preparatory School, Hidalgo went on to curate exhibitions for regional galleries and the Delaware Contemporary, showcasing the works of both established and up-and-coming artists. He also served on the Curatorial Committee of the Chris White Gallery in Delaware, helping to bring new and exciting works to the public.
In 2019, Hidalgo was honored with the Gretchen Cummins Hupfel “Visionary” Award from The Delaware Contemporary, which recognizes artists under the age of 40 who demonstrate innovation, dedication, and passion for contemporary art. This recognition was a testament to the impact Hidalgo’s work was making, and he went on to participate in numerous exhibitions and shows throughout the year.
Hidalgo’s work is characterized by his use of bold, striking color and his ability to create powerful compositions that leave a lasting impression. He often employs a range of materials, from paint to polymer resin, to convey his message and create dynamic, multi-layered pieces. Whether he is working on large, museum-scale installations or small, intimate works, Hidalgo’s commitment to excellence and his ability to evoke powerful emotions through his art are what set him apart from other artists.
Hidalgo’s work has been the subject of numerous articles and interviews, including a 2018 feature in Create! Magazine, which highlighted his innovative approach to art and his entrepreneurial spirit. He has also been featured in , where he discussed the importance of engagement and the role of art in the community.
Today, Hidalgo’s work can be found in private and public collections around the world, including the Sallie Mae Collection, Bay Health Hospital, and the Chris Strumfeld Youth Center in Delaware. He is represented by John William Gallery in Greenville, Delaware, worked closely with Echt Gallery in Chicago, and he continues to create new and exciting works that challenge and inspire audiences. Whether he is pushing the boundaries of traditional art techniques or exploring new materials and methods, Hidalgo remains dedicated to creating art that makes a difference and inspires change.

Sherri Andrews is a fast-rising, award-winning artist, a local philanthropist and community leader, and a well-regarded hedge fund manager. Yet it is her success as a mixed media artist that has been most stunning to her. In less than six years, Sherri has sold more than 100 paintings, curated a highly successful solo exhibition and received recognition, including the prestigious Ben Whitmore Purchase Award from the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. As a self-taught artist, Sherri is best known for her bold landscapes, colorful flowers, graceful dancers and abstract images, which she creates using a mix of inks, acrylics and collage. The vivid colors and spontaneity of her paintings convey energy and joy. She is passionately committed to sharing her vision—and her talents—in a way that inspires personal growth in others and helps to support causes that are important to her. She has donated a number of pieces of artwork to support local arts organizations and local charities, including the Arts Council of Princeton, the West Windsor Arts Council and Art-Jam’s Homefront. As a finance professional with a Harvard MBA, Sherri draws upon her artistic instincts to bring creative problem-solving to her work. While it may seem that these two worlds are far apart, each reward “out of the box” thinking, attention to detail and bold, contrarian approaches. Painting also serves as a meditation and a source of positive, restorative energy for Sherri. In addition to Sherri being honored by the Ellarslie at Trenton City Museum in May 2018 as Emerging Artist of the Year, her painting called Abstract Poppies was purchased for the museum’s permanent collection. Her work has been displayed at juried venues, including Phillips’ Mill, Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie, D&R Greenway, BSB Gallery, and West Windsor Arts Council. Sherri has participated in juried art fairs and had her work shown at Third Street Gallery’s “Embodiment: Figure in Art” in Philadelphia. She has taught workshops at the Arts Council of Princeton and the New Jersey State Council of the Arts. Sherri was honored to have her first solo show at the Plainsboro Library in August 2019 and is currently represented by Karen Anderer Gallery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Sherri resides in Plainsboro, New Jersey, with her husband and 21-year-old son, who is also an artist. She is the former president of the West Windsor Art Council.