‘Awakening
the Best’
A Fine
Arts Exhibition
Opening
Reception: April 13, 2007
Featuring the Art of
Tyler Auman
Claudia Balant
Lesta Bertoia
Ron Bevilacqua
Janet Bishop
William Derrick
Wendy Ellsworth
Marianne
Knipe
Linda
Stauffer
Peter
Vergis
Greenshire Arts Event “Awakening
the Best” Was a Shining Success
Taken from an article written by Sarah E.
Hull (appeared
in the Bucks County Herald Newspaper)
Greenshire Arts Consortium opened its
doors to the 4th annual art show of area artists this past Friday
evening. Arlene Rose and her husband, Jim Curley, orchestrated a fine arts event
named “Awakening the Best” to showcase inspirational art set to a backdrop of
classical music and delicious wines, cheeses, fruits and cookies for all to
enjoy. Greenshire’s four rooms were filled to capacity with distinctive
pottery, arresting sculptures and intriguing paintings created by artists who
live from Philadelphia
to Quakertown.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh once commented in
her famous book, “Gift From The Sea,” that as an artist she “wanted to be at
peace with myself – with a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central
core to my life that will enable me to carry out my obligations and activities
– to borrow from the language of the saints – to “live in grace” as much of the
time as possible…meaning an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be
translated into outward harmony – from which I could function and give as I was
meant to in the eye of God.” In speaking
with the artists Friday night, that depth of purpose and passion (no matter
what media they preferred) for the process of creating and honoring that inner
drive to manifest their art was clearly present.
Tyler Auman
is from Chestnut Hill works by day with a stained
glass company and graduated from the Tyler
School of Art in 2001.
His paintings reflect a rich love and understanding of color. He identifies
closely with such vibrant artists as Paul Gauguin and stated, “to me, color is a language unto itself.” Tyler
enjoys showing the relationship of how a subject is not just “in” an
environment but is an extension of it. He uses the concept of linearity and
lines to underscore the unity of what the viewer sees. His largest acrylic piece, “The Civil
Engineer” is an explosion of color of a man resting in a fetal position with
images of bridges and the transition of time flowing in and around his form. Tyler colored him in
vibrant shades of green to represent the growth the man is experiencing from an
embryonic organic level, much like a new plant.
The complex fluidity and juxtaposition of colors draws the viewer in
astonishment to look even more closely. He said he enjoys working in acrylics as his
media of choice as he’s in a cycle of needing to paint more quickly to capture
images than what is possible in using the slower-drying oils.
Lesta Bertoia
who works with wood and
stone as well as acrylics, has participated in local art events for the past
twelve years, including: the Allentown
Art Museum, the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, the Baum school of Allentown,
the Many Hands Art Auctions and Lorax Fund-Raisers of
Pennsburg, and the Bear Fever Project of Boyertown. Although she received no formal training, as
an adolescent, she worked with her father, the internationally renowned
sculptor, Harry Bertoia, which was introduction
enough to inspire her to explore her own creativity. “I am drawn toward portraying the relationships of humans, cultures,
nature, and spirit. It is with love for life's many dimensions that I offer my
art into the homes of those who resonate with my visions in these exceptional
times.”
In Appreciation We wish to express our deepest
appreciation to Lesta Bertoia
for her generous gift, the paintings of ‘Children
of Earth.’This
celebratory piece, capturing the children’s smiling faces of beauty and optimism,
is now part of
the permanent collection at Greenshire Arts Consortium.
Ron Bevilacqua
is a gifted sculptor from Upper Bucks
County who originally
worked for years as a brick and stonemason. He first began “sculpting” by
welding together abstract pieces of scrap metal found on his worksites, and now
creates his arresting pieces out of clay, stone and natural woods that he finds
in nature. He also has studied at the Baum School of Art and has sculpted in
the renowned marble region of Pietrasanta, Italy.
(A Mecca
for stone sculptors worldwide.) His father and mother, Sam and Rita, were
also in attendance and as his dad joked, “I taught him everything he knows.”
Clearly both Bevilacquas share a terrific sense of
humor and eagle-like perceptiveness in their art. As Ron said, “I just can see things in natural
materials and then work to allow the forms to be fully expressed.” One of his most
remarkable and stunning pieces was titled “3 Faces” and depicts three different
Indian faces found in one piece of firewood. Ron also offers ongoing
sculpture classes for the
community at his studio on Thursday evenings.
Janet
Bishop
lit up the rooms of Greenshire all night and
is a gifted sculptor and ceramicist who considers herself to be an “accidental pioneer”
of art. Originally from New York City and
trained as a nurse, she lives in Quakertown and has been associated for many
years with the Baum
Art School.
Janet creates her powerful pieces using media such as stoneware, earthenware,
and clay. Her powerful “Triptych” wall sculpture
was created by imitating historic pieces found in Cathedrals of the Italian
Renaissance. It is a 3-part piece of tile in “bas relief” that she designed and
then colored to show three different perspectives on the same design. She has
been to Italy
many times, and enjoys the artistic process of trying things out during the
process of creation -- her favorite part is experiencing that one moment in
time where she shapes her clay to a form and position that she immediately intuitively
knows is “just right.” Her sculpture of the torso of a pregnant woman lying on
her side conveyed the “ripeness” of the period right before delivery where the
child lays heavily in the womb, waiting to be birthed. She also told me that next March she will be
having her own show at Greenshire, right before her 80th birthday! As she said, art has helped her to open up
and express herself more fully in life in being brought up in a family where
she was very shy.
William
Derrick
a local artist who first connected to Greenshire
through having an interest in natural healing as well as art when he moved into
the area 2 months ago, felt the art exhibition was an excellent venue to
showcase his 3-dimensional lighthearted pieces. With such intriguing names as
“Ladybugs in a Tomato Plant” and “Hanging on the Mild Side of the Fence” (vs. the
Wild Side!), William creates pieces to bring a smile, whether one is aged 8 or
80. His “signature” is to place a small horseshoe and picket
fencing in each piece to signify bringing good luck and the knowledge that we
can all transcend our own boundaries. His artwork is fun and uplifting – as he says, “meant to bring
a smile!” His humorous outlook belies the painstaking hours of work he puts in
to create each intricate story using wood carve outs, plastic, canvas, and
rope.
Marianne Knipe and Claudia Balant
are also two accomplished artists who both teach art at the Penn Ridge
School District. They are
close friends and a dynamic supportive duo in encouraging one another’s art. As
Marianne stated, “Claudia got me doing my artwork again!” Marianne’s brilliant
pastels bring the viewer a great sense of peace. (One canvas was even titled
“Oasis.”) She has a remarkable gift to draw the viewer right into the scene, as
if one is actually stepping into a story just like “Alice in Wonderland.” She has over 1,000 pastels she uses, and has
described her studio much like a plane’s “cockpit” where the canvas is placed
directly in front of her and her numerous French, Dutch and English pastels are
lined up in ordered rows on either side.
Claudia Balant
discussed how she has a sense of her artwork “flowing
through her” onto the canvas. She
recently has specialized in human faces, and often feels as if they are real
people being “channeled” who have blessings and lessons for those who view
them. She talked of one of the biggest obstacles many artists face when
beginning to create – the struggle to cope with what others may think of one’s
art. Now she said she’s felt transformed to a place where it is more about
being true to the art than worrying about how it is received. She also spoke of the transformative impact
of coming to terms with her own father’s death. He was an artist (and her first
teacher) and the cathartic experience of creating a show of his work in Maine after his passing freed
her to fully express her own unique vision. (Claudia trained at the Pennsylvania Academy;
her father was from Belgium
and her mother was from Germany.)
Her pieces reflect a distinctly European flair down to the gold frames etched
with symbols and blessings that she creates herself and she exhibits in Maine, London and Barcelona.
Scott Ogburn
an adjunct professor of Architecture in Philadelphia and artist who
lives near Milford Square,
discussed his “love of form” and his mission to create a sense of timelessness and transcendence in designing his
buildings and fountains. He currently is working with Arlene and Jim on
blueprints for a second healing center where the structure of the building itself
will lend to harmonic attunement and healing for people who visit. He hopes to
incorporate “parabolic archways” similar to those found in Barcelona at the Cathedral Sagrada Familia. Scott has a wide
knowledge of architecture from his travels all over the world. He has had the
rare distinction of staying overnight in the center of Stonehenge at the time
of the Summer Solstice as well as having sat on the top of the Great Pyramid of
Egypt at sunrise to witness the interplay of light and shadow across the desert
landscape.
Peter Vergis
a favorite acclaimed local artist, was
also on hand with his vibrant landscapes and wildlife oils. As he said, “I seem
to have a gift to paint and see those things that most people see only in a
glimpse out of the corner of their eye.”
After living in
Colorado and
falling in love with nature and landscape, he has brought back to the East
Coast his quickness of eye so necessary in observing and painting wild
animals. Peter has been working in oils for
the past few years to train himself to “slow down” in his painting. With such a
quick and versatile mind, he has learned that patience in having to wait a day
or two for oils to dry before adding another layer to his pieces has been a deeply
transformative learning experience. As he said, “I now savor each brush stroke.
Everything means more. What used to take me 2 days to paint now takes me 2
weeks, and I find it rewarding as I am forced by the nature of the medium to
stop and reflect more deeply on just what I’m putting on the canvas.”
Other
artists who were not interviewed also showed some beautiful work:
Linda
Stauffer, potter
has been a professional
potter for over 35 years, specializing in functional stoneware vessels and
decorative Raku pottery. About five years ago she
began to construct clay whistles called Ocarinas. Her ocarinas are included in From Mud to
Music, a book to be released by the American Ceramic Society in 2006. Linda
is also an accomplished portrait artist, painter and sculptor currently working
in cast bronze using the lost wax process. She is also the illustrator of two
books. Linda was employed by the Easton
Area School
District from 1974 until 2003, teaching art in
grades 5-12. She also teaches classes in her studio and does workshops for
school district art teachers in ceramics, computer graphics, mold making and
resin casting. Linda retired from teaching in 2003 after the death of her
beloved daughter, Katie, a 19 year old sophomore at Swarthmore College.
She then founded The Katie Stauffer Memorial Arts & Cultural Center,
continuing Katie’s hope to someday do something that will make a difference. “By providing an opportunity for the
community to learn about art and express themselves through the arts, we will
be fulfilling a need that will bring an appreciation of the arts, an
understanding of culture and a stronger community.”
Rev. Wendy Ellsworth
is a nationally and
internationally known seed bead artist. Her work can be found in major gallery
exhibitions of contemporary fiber, beadwork and basketry as well as in numerous
books and periodicals. With a career in beading that spans over thirty-five
years, she teaches classes in off-loom beading techniques around the US and
abroad. Maintaining a private studio in Bucks
County, PA, she was a
2003 recipient of a Fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Most
recently she has made three trips to Kenya to help elevate the status of
Maasai and Samburu women
through beadwork and education.
For many of the artists, the natural
world provides the foundation and inspiration for their artwork and
Greenshire’s landscape provided a lovely
backdrop. I felt very fortunate to speak
with many of the participants, hear their stories of commitment to their craft
and ongoing growth as individuals, and enjoy their rich and varied work. One
outstanding feature was “born out” time and time again -- each artist’s dedication
to expressing themselves from the well of creativity that exists at the core of
their lives. Their art is an intrinsic facet of their own souls and not just “something
to be done if there’s time.” They all
embodied that similar place of perspective and grace that Anne Morrow Lindbergh
so beautifully described.
“Awakening
the Best” was a resounding success for both the artists and guests thanks to
the compassionate support of Arlene and Jim. Arlene and Jim left no stone
unturned in facilitating the magical night. Every detail was accounted for – from
parking with a shuttle that ran every 15 minutes from the Woodlands lot to the
welcoming Greenshire property planted with a plethora of pansies and spring hyacinths.
Jim’s warm smile and dashing presence in a crisp black tuxedo greeted guests at
the door while Arlene gave out booklets on the artists and their work to guide
participants throughout the building.
Gretchen
Altabef, marketing coordinator at Greenshire, stated,
“Arlene and Jim have created programs that are simply top-notch. I believe
their program is worthy of the Omega Institute (healing center located in Rhinebeck NY).” They have always had a strong interest in the
arts, and have felt it is part of their mission to raise awareness to the
Quakertown community of the wealth of artistic talent located in the area.”