2008
Show Artists
Meet
The Artists (Click
on name for biography)
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2008
Show Artists |
| Mary Button - Mary is an artist from the Birdsboro area who tries to capture the excitement of the moment of whatever strikes her fancy. She works mostly in oil, acrylic, colored pencil, some sculpture and she exhibits locally. |
| Ray Clouser—Except for occasional sketches, Ray’s experience with art was limited in his early years. He always felt a desire to be visually creative, though the circumstances of his personal life never seemed to allow him the opportunity to express it. Both inspiration and motivation came in 1967 when Ray attended a ten-week art class at Owen J. Roberts High School. From that point on, he has been painting with great enthusiasm, always endeavoring to enrich his own personal style, a style born more of intuition than conscious imitation of popular techniques. |
| Mary Lou Creyts – Mary Lou is an award winning artist, featuring colorful and energetic paste, watercolor and oil paintings with a specialty in portraiture and caricatures. She is represented in a variety of galleries, exhibitions and collections. She has also worked as a courtroom artist. Mary Lou is an art teach and a past president of the Berks Art Alliance. |
| Jammie Cummins—Jammie, a self-taught artist working primarily in colored pencil, recently started working again in pastel (soft and oil), a little acrylics, and has also enjoyed working in watercolor. She has completed several commissioned portraits of children, adults, and dogs; other subjects include landscapes, chickens (her pets), cows, florals (she gardens too), and especially horses (on her wish list). Renewing her focus on horses, you can find her hanging around with her camera at local horseshows, fairs, and her neighbor's stables. |
| Mary Emerick— Mary was inspired as a child to work with color, line, shapes, texture, fabrics and many other mediums by watching her mother and by receiving her encouragement. It became a way of life to express herself through art. Mary has studied under amazing artists such as Midge Stires, Jack Coggins, Tara Grim, Merri Woolley and extensively, with Judith Krieger, It is her life long desire to continue to learn, practice and create art. Watercolor and stained glass are Mary’s favorite mediums, yet, it is color that makes her heart sing! |
| Linda Henry |
| Joseph Hoover—As a result of Joe’s decision to make painting a focus of his retirement years, his calendar is now highlighted with an expanding list of art shows—juried, non-juried, group, and solo. He is a member of the Pottstown Area Artists’ Guild, Berks Art Alliance, and Chester County Art Association and has received various awards fro his water media paintings. |
| Linda & Carl Horner—Twenty years ago Linda and Carl were dining in a Greek restaurant where they were inspired by the wood lath artwork that decorated the walls. Carl said, “I can do that”, and that was the beginning of their adventure with wood lath. Carl collects, cleans and recycles the old plaster lath from buildings that are being torn down. He fits the wood lath frames to fit Linda’s paintings. Linda paints subjects that reflect their interests in nature while traveling, hiking, birding, gardening, and fishing. Linda is a member of the Berks Art Alliance and the Art Circle of Morgantown |
| Charlene Jobe - Charlene was raised in rural Indiana. She studied art in college but did not receive a degree in art. Charlene began taking her art more seriously after moving to Pennsylvania and has painted ever since. Her art has taken her to different avenues of self-realization where she can be reflective, humorous, sensitive, powerful, playful, nostalgic, and heal. Charlene's art has been the source of healing, comfort and a constant trial of why things have gone this way and what direction now. "I can't say that my work has changed but my commitment has deepened and focused. It's exciting though there are times when I am like the cat that doesn't want to give up it's position of comfort." |
| David Knoecklein |
| Barbara Lerch—Barbara paints in a variety of styles including abstract and non-objective subjects using watercolor and mixed media. She is constantly experimenting with new techniques to expand her field. It is hoped that her sense of joy and fun creating her artwork is evident to the viewer. |
| Kim McNamara— Kim, born in North Dakota, descended from a long matriarchal line of artists. Kim first showed her work at age 11. She attended Minot State University and USC, Berkley. A thirty plus year resident of Chester County, Kim has studied with local artists and her work can be seen in local galleries and in private collections nationwide. “I am in love with color, texture, shape, form, depth, and balance. The creation of art is, as in life, a joyous intimate adventure. Expressionism is a statement of my collective experience spiced with a little bit of soul; from chaos comes form, not a minor miracle.” |
| Janet Messersmith - Janet is a self-taught artist residing in Morgantown. She enjoys working in acrylics and oils and has won several awards in both mediums. |
| Cynthia Mindy - Cynthia lives in Berks County. She paints mostly with watercolors in a realistic style. Cynthia often depicts peaceful country style images and her favorite subjects include animals, plants, and her daughter. She is an art teacher for K-8th grades and loves to teach the students about art history and artists. Therefore, she sometimes dabbles with other mediums, textures, colors and styles. Because of her Christian faith, she often includes a Biblical reference in her paintings. |
| Trudy Moore—Trudy is a self taught artist living in Berks County. Her watercolors and acrylics appear in various businesses and homes int the states of Pennsylvania, New Your, Vermont , Connecticut, Florida and California. TRudy's portraits of businesses, homes and pets make lovely, thoughtful gifts. Her birds, floral themes and lighthouse portraits are also extremely popular, and in some circles, she is known as "the bird lady." Trudy is also known for her “Santas with Style.” The dolls are now created only by special order. She is also gaining recognition for her original designs on hand painted wooden boxes that are sold in stores from Lancaster County to Virginai Beach. Trudy was last year's featured artist. |
| Jill Moyer—This is the fourth year that Jill has been working with clay. She continues to work at Chester Springs Studio and has taken a workshop at the Google Works. All of the proceeds from the sale of Jill’s pottery will be donated to Rotaplast. Rotaplast provides cleft lip and palate surgery to third world children through the teamwork of medical professionals and Rotary volunteers. |
| Ellie Pfautz—Ellie holds a B.A. from Penn State in Graphic Design. Retired from a career as a graphic designer, she is now pursuing "real art". Ellie enjoys working in pastels and acrylics. She studies, exhibits, has won awards and is in many private collections. |
| Barbara Post - Barbara is a Berks County artist who enjoys painting with a focus on collage and mixed media. She teaches at the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts as well as in workshops both locally and in other areas. A past president of the Berks Art Alliance, she continues to be very active in that group that is open to all interested artists. Barbara particularly enjoys speaking before community groups on various aspects of art. |
| Lisa Prinzo—Lisa works in a variety of media and is inspired by her environment and places she visits. Most recently she has been experimenting with night scenes in watercolor. Annually, She participates in the Birdsboro, Warwick, Flying Colors, and Artists Circle Shows. |
| Chris Ripnak | Maria Ruoff - Maria was born when a loaf of bread was 11˘. She has been painting on and off most of her life. Her passion is art that makes you "smile and think"! "My style is kind of "funky". If I must paint, by commission, a true-to-life version of something, I don't feel free. I like to sit and GO - no sketching - and just add something that maybe shouldn't be there. I love all colors, and what pops into my head usually goes on the canvas." Maria's work is in private collections and she has bee accepted in juried shows both locally and in other states. |
| Nicholas Santoleri |
| Amy Schade - Amy is a graduate of West Virginia University with a B. F. A. in Graphic Design, emphasis in Photography and Visual Communications. She offers adult instruction, Art: Search & Self Discovery for Twin Valley Community Education Foundation and has exhibited in juried, non-juried and group shows including Pennsylvania Women in the Arts, Allegheny County Pars Art Exhibition, Berks Art Alliance Show, Philadelphia sketch Club, Plastic Club, Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, and Great Lakes Regional Art Exhibit. Amy is a member of the Berks Art Alliance. |
| Joanne Schlosser - Joanne graduated from West Chester University with a B. F. A. in Studio Arts. She received the Robert Dant Alumni Award for outstanding printmaking for her reduction relief print titled, Juno's Triptych, Peacock I, II, III. In 20o2 she actively returned to creating art, and she received Best in Show at the BAA/RACC juried show in 2003. Her pen and ink, Hen House is part of the permanent collection of Reading Area Community College. Her relief print Chicken Scratch was exhibited at the Francis Harvey Green Library in the fall of 2007. On August 5, 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer art critic Victoria Donahoe cited her oversized pen and ink work Anticipation of Hatchlings at the Brownstone Gallery emerging artist exhibition. In September 2007, Joanne was on of the artists in the Three Women Show at the Reading Jewish Community Center. Joanne has said, "Each work empowers me as creator of my view of the world. I am my work and my work is me . To me, creating art is to fully live." |
| Marilyn Shafer Bush - Marilyn is best known for her work with The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Her limited edition print of a young mountain gorilla was sold worldwide by the fund. Celebrities, dignitaries, and area residents have the gorilla print in their collections. The prints are now sold out. Marilyn is proud to have helped these endangered animals through her art. Using watercolor or acrylic, she finds inspiration in a wide variety of subjects, while paying close attention to detail. Marilyn gives private instruction to children ranging from 7 years old to seniors in high school and is a life long resident of Royersford. |
| Pauline Shniper—Pauline was born in Australia, became a high school teacher, and taught for a year in New Guinea. She came to the United States in 1970 and received a masters degree in Earth Sciences. Potter making started as a hobby that grew and Pauline has been making pottery and teaching others to make pottery for over the past thirty years and for the last fifteen years has been teaching Adult education Classes for Owen J. Roberts High School. |
| Don Shoffner—Don grew up in Chester County amid the old buildings and barns that fill his works. His challenge it to try and capture their utility, texture, and integrity before they disappear from our landscape. He is a graduate of West Chester University and also studied textile design at Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences. Don is a member of many local and New England art associations, and is a participant in numerous juried shows. His work is found in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. |
| Gloria Urban - Gloria is a native of Berks County. The serene gentleness of her impressionistic transparent watercolors are created, at time, from the use of mixed media. Her subjects are local lascapes or scenes from vacations, as well as, still-lifes and florals. Gloria has also expanded her talents to hand painted furniture. |
| Nola Wagner - When Nola and her husband Robert retired from their business, she began to practice drawing. She now works in watercolor, oil, pastels, color pencil, pen and ink, graphite, charcoal and acrylics. She continued art projects for the four years that Robert fought colon cancer. Although Nola could not even pick up a pencil for a year following Robert's death, she has regained peace of mind allowing her to produce anything of a creative nature. |
| Robert Withers—Robert was born in 1927 in Los Angeles. At an early age he exhibited an unusual interest in drawing ships, locomotives, airplanes and such. His interest in mechanical things led to an engineering career, from which he retired in 1989. Robert’s love of drawing led to his taking up oil painting in 1945 while recuperating at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Some art instruction was provided by his uncle, Ted Wither, a professional artist, and he took classes at the Flemish Art Studio in North Hollywood. In 1993 Robert made painting his second career. He attended Albright College and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). Robert has exhibited at PAFA student exhibitions, the Daylesford Abbey Show, Chester Springs Studio Shows, Wayne Art Center Juried Art Exhibitions, and PAFA Fellowship Exhibition. His work has been displayed and sold by Gallery 20, Reading, the Windy Bush Gallery, New Hope, and the White Swan Gallery, Elverson. Robert maintains an active studio in Geigertown. Visit www.robertpwithers.com. |
| Gum Ran Youse—Gum Ran enjoys painting Oriental Art for its simplicity and calligraphic beauty. She exhibits in many local and juried shows. Her sensitive and colorful watercolors bring us a flavor of the exquisite art of her native China. She is very active in the Berks Art Alliance and the Sumi-e Society of America. |
| Annie Yu - Annie was born and raised in Korea and received a degree in Textile Engineering. Since 1990, America has been her adopted country. For 3 years she studied with a group of Korean Ceramics artists and received a prestigious SeungSan award for her work. Annie has her own ceramics studio at the Fine Arts People Gallery in Exton. Her work shows a distinct Korean influence in the texture, colors and patterns engraved. |