2010 Art Show Program

 

Carol Beard Jere Brady Mary Button Arline Christ Ray Clouser
Susan Doll Mary Emerick Loretta Gable Englerth Joseph Hoover Carl & Linda Horner
Charlene Jobe Dennis Johnson Ann Keen David Knoecklein Chris Lanser
Barbara Lerch Joseph McGraw Janet Messersmith Susan Moore Trudy Moore
Jill Moyer Diane Peterson Ellie Pfautz Barbara Post Barbara Rezxnick
Maria Ruoff Amy Schade Marilyn Shafer Bush Don Shoffner Lynn Strayer
Susan Styer Gloria Urban Steven White Robert Withers Gum Ran Youse
Carol Beard - Carol is inspired by color and realistic images motivates her.  She paints with spontaneity, quickly capturing the essence of an image with bold strokes.  Her reward comes when the image comes to life on the paper, not exactly as it was but reproduced by her brush.
Jere Brady—Born in the picturesque village of Scarlet’s Mill, Jere was enthused about aesthetics from an early age. Jere leaned toward drawing and painting. After fifty years of gathering facts and stories about old buildings and ruins, he published a book entitled Sketches of Scarlet’s Mill. He then published Sketches of Early Schools of Twin Valley. Many of his paintings are local.
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.
Arline ChristArline Christ is a retired art teacher from Boyertown.  Since 2001 she has been painting animals for the forthcoming Carousel at Pottstown. Watercolors and plein air painting in acrylics have become serious pursuits in recent months.
Ray ClouserExcept 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.
Susan DollSusan is a native of Berks County who studied at the Philadelphia College of Art and the Wyomissing Institute of Fine Art.  She has been painting professionally for over 30 years and has been included in many regional invitational shows.  Susan has received numerous awards including a purchase award at the Pastel Society of America Show in New York.
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!
Loretta Gable EnglerthLoretta is a self taught artist who uses her talents to impart a claming and nostalgic feeling to her viewers through her artwork.  While having a personal love and expertise in watercolor, her broad range of mediums include pen and ink, pastels, acrylics and oils. She has worked to further and develop her natural talents by studying with and under many Chester County artists , including Pearl Slobodian and Dennis Minch.  Loretta's paintings have been presented in numerous juried and corporate shows as well as local galleries.  Her paintings are included in many private collections. She teaches children in small groups, presents seminars in local schools, and provides classes to senior citizens. She does commission work of house portraits, both historical and private, which are often given as gifts by family members.
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."
Dennis JohnsonDennis was born in Philadelphia.  He received an associate's degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, a BFA degree from Tyler School of Fine Art, Temple University, and M Ed degree in art education from Kutztown University, and an MFA degree from Syracuse University.  He taught graphic and advertising design, illustration, and drawing at Moravian College, and graphic design at the Baum School of Art.  He was a full professor at Kutztown University where he taught for seventeen years in the Communication Design department.   He is now a painter, mostly of marine art, done in pastel.  He exhibits his work locally and regionally, and his work is part of public and private collections in the US and in Europe.  Several of his pieces are part of Kutztown University's permanent collection.  He is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists
Ann Keen - Ann is a life-long resident of Chester County and a member of the Pottstown Area Artist's Guild. She is basically self-taught except for a few lessons as a teenager.  Painting on and off all her life, Ann has worked in oil, watercolor, and recently, entirely in acrylics. Her paintings are done in realistic style, featuring a variety of subjects, with a preference for "preserving" structures of a historical nature. She does commissions and participates in local shows.
David Knoecklein - David was born in Stamford, Connecticut. David studied with Freda Dreany and Ruben Nakian in Stamford, Ct., and Brice Mardin and Robert Mangold in NYC.  He studied fine art at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, Yale U., San Francisco Art Institute, Illinois State U., PAFA, and in Florence and Rome, Italy.  David has a MS in painting and an MA in philosophy. ‘Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers Award’, ’03,’04. First Award Mainline Arts, First Award at the Malvern Arts, Award of Excellence at Chester County Art Association, Jurors Award of Excellence at MAGOPA. PAFA exhibitor, Painting and Drawing Instructor at Chester Springs Studio.  
Chris Lanser - Chris is a self-taught artist who began painting, just three years ago, in an attempt to capture on canvas his boyhood home and neighborhood.  That "one-time painting" ignited his creative fuse.  Using the medium of acrylic paint, he calls his emerging style, "Nostalgic Realism", as he attempts to bring together the pleasant memories of yesteryear in an "American style", coupled with a gentle realistic touch.  Creation and community, family and tradition are the threads running through Chris' work. "When you view my work, I hope it elicits a smile and a good feeling inside." Visit Chris's website at www.lanserart.com.
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.
Joseph McGraw - Joe was born and raised in Philadelphia and now lives at Tel Hai Retirement Community.  He earned a Master of Science degree from Central Michigan University and a PhD from Greenwich University.  Since retiring as a university administrator, Joe has found time to devote to oil painting and more recently water color.
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.
Susan Moore Susan is a 65 year old Grandmother of 5, who has been interested in The Arts since childhood.  She took courses at Tyler School of Art and was invited to join the Germantown Pottery Guild and then took classes with Maria Spies at the Chester Springs Art Center.  Susan's latest pleasure has been to teach joyfully what her mentors have shared so generously with her.
Trudy Moore—Trudy is a self taught artist living in Berks County. Her watercolors and acrylics appear in various businesses and homes in 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 Virginia Beach. 
Jill Moyer— Jill has been making pottery for five years and has taken classes at Chester Springs Studio.  She now makes her pottery in Lancaster County.
Diane Peterson - Diane crafts garden inspired pottery in her Thorton, Delaware County home studio. Her recent shows include Chester Springs Holiday Sale, Chaddsford Days, and Mount Gretna Summer Craft Show. Diane has drawn inspiration from the beauty of the natural surrounds while studying at Peters Valley Craft Center and Chester Springs Studio.
Ellie PfautzEllie 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, wins awards and is in many private collections.
Barbara Post - Barbara is a Berks County artist who works in a variety of mediums including acrylics, oils, watercolor and mixed media.  She continues an interest in exploring collage, often mixing materials in an abstract presentation.
Barbara Reznick Barbara, of Geigertown, creates in both watercolor and acrylic.  At present, she is in transition from the realistic into the abstract.  Her works feature dynamic shapes, lines and colors interacting to form energetic, forceful compositions.  Barbara has recently studied under Mary Todd Beam and Skip Lawrence. Her Grandfather Mountain was exhibited in the 2008 BAA juried show at the Google Works.
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.
Marilyn Shafer Bush - Marilyn is a self taught artist most inspired by area landscapes, snowscapes and barns.  She works primarily in acrylic.  Her work is in many juried shows, as well as private collections and is represented by the Chadds Ford Gallery, Chadds Ford, and Tyme Gallery, Havertown. Marilyn appeared with Tyme Gallery owner Edna Davis on the TV show  Speak Up Philly which airs on the CW Philadelphia station.  She discussed her past and present work.  Marilyn has given private art instructions to children for 15 years.
Amy Schade - Amy is a graduate of West Virginia University with a BFA in Graphic Design, emphasis in Photography and Visual Communications.  She offers adult instruction, Art : Search & Self Discovery for Twin Valley Community Education Foundation and The Wyomissing Art Institute, and has exhibited in the following juried shows:  Pennsylvania Women in the Arts, Allegheny County Parks Art Exhibition, Berks Art Alliance, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Plastic Club, Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, Goggleworks, York Art Association and Great Lakes Regional Art Exhibit.  Member Berks Art Alliance, Art League of Ocean City, and Art Plus Gallery.     
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.
Lynn Strayer - Lynn's love of photography as a teenager led me to take courses in Basic and Advanced Photography, Black and White and Color Developing.  He then shot his first wedding in 1975 as a part time photographer.  Three years ago his wife Patricia and he started their photography and videography business - Top Class Productions LLC.  They use professional cameras from Canon and Sony for digital photography and high definition videography. Both media are used to record weddings, corporate events, training videos, etc.  Lynn's website is www.GoTopClass.com
Susan Styer - Susan is a contemporary fine artist, painting abstracts in the non-representational style.  She also paints representational subjects from her rural surroundings in Northern Chester County.  Painting directly, spontaneously and intuitively, using fresh colors and responding to her emotions, she builds a painting which seeks to excite and awaken the viewer.
Gloria Urban - Gloria 's inspiration comes from nature using transparent watercolors or oils as her mediums.  Her favorite subjects are floral, landscapes, her dog and scenes from sailing vacations in the Caribbean.  She constantly strives to improve her skills by experimenting with new techniques and continues to study with local and nationally known artists. 
Steven WhiteSteven is a self taught artist painting primarily in transparent watercolor. His traditional landscape paintings of Pennsylvania farms and woodlands, The Adirondack Mountains and Schuylkill River Heritage areas have awarded him with regional and national recognition.  Steven has been a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society since 1995. Steven believes that before an artist can paint he needs to learn how to see! An artist's gift is his ability to see something special in an otherwise ordinary scene and a burning desire to put it on paper.
Robert Withers Robert was born in 1927 in Los Angeles, California. At an early age he exhibited an unusual interest in drawing ships, locomotives, airplanes and such. His interest in things mechanical led to a career in engineering, from which he retired in 1989. His love of drawing led to his taking up oil painting in 1945 while recuperating at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He pursued painting off and on over the years. Some art instruction was provided by his uncle, Ted Withers, a professional artist, and painting classes at the Flemish Art Studio in North Hollywood .In 1993 Robert decided to make painting his second career. Seeking further instruction he attended Albright College in 1993 and then the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) from 1994 through 2001.He has exhibited paintings at nine PAFA student exhibitions, the 23rd Daylesford Abbey Show, three Chester Springs Studio Shows, several Wayne Art Center Juried Art Exhibitions, and the 101st PAFA Fellowship Exhibition. In addition, his work has been displayed and sold by Gallery 20, Reading, the Windy Bush Gallery, New Hope, and the White Swan Gallery, Elverson. Robert currently maintains an active studio in Geigertown, Pennsylvania.
Gum Ran YouseGum 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.