Author Archives

The Art of Abstraction with Jane Zisk

Join us on Wednesday, November 17, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. as Jane Zisk presents “The Art of Abstraction”. Learn how to distill the essence of what you see and feel, opening the door to personal discovery. See beyond reality and open your eyes to the world of pure color, form, texture, and line.

Jane Zisk has been a painter for over 30 years, whether it is plein air works created on location or abstractions created in the studio. “All art whether it is representational or abstract is a spiritual and healing path,” says Jane. “My Art reflects nature and its basic elements. Archetypal images appear and reappear throughout. The energy that moves throughout the meridians of self transforms into color and form on the flat surface of the paper. The art speaks through me. I am merely a voice.” Jane will describe her own individualist approach to abstraction as well as touch on more process-driven methods.

In 1995, she established the Connecticut Plein AIr Painters Society which currently enjoys national status as one of the “finest plein air groups” in the country according to American Artist and Plein Air magazines. Her work is found in the permanent collections of hospitals, foundations, corporations, and colleges throughout Connecticut. Jane paints landscapes in the plein air tradition as well as nature-inspired abstract work.

Charcoal Portraits with Sam D’Ambruoso

Join Sam D’Ambruoso as he demonstrates the tools and techniques for creating “Charcoal Portraits” on Wednesday, October 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Please note that the Community Center requires that facemarks are to be worn in the center. See Covid 19 protocols for the Center.

Capturing the essence of mood and maintaining a good likeness of the subject are Sam’s objectives as he develops a portrait in charcoal. “I’m continually searching for the play of darks against lights, the light becomes the drama, the feeling, the truth, which moves the viewer.”

Sam has more than 20 years of experience teaching workshops in the United States and Italy and enjoys the process of revealing how to produce a successful piece of art, whether it is a portrait, landscape, or still life. Sam’s workshops in Tuscany, Amalfi, and Sicily as well as in the USA have been widely acclaimed by past participants. A graduate of Providence College, he studied with the internationally renowned landscape painter, Thomas Beuchner of Elmira, New York, advanced landscape painting with Skip Whitcomb of Fort Collins, Colorado, portraiture with the late Joseph Funaro at Paier College of Art, Peter Cox of the Art Students League, and with Laurel Stern Boecke at the Katona Art Center in New York.

Sam is a member of Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society, the Lyme Art Association and is an Elected Artist at the Kent Art Association.  He has been in regional as well as national landscape and figure shows.  Sam is listed as an official United States Coast Guard Artist. Current projects include original paintings of the New England, Tuscany, Amalfi, and Capri Italy as well as selected portrait commissions. He was elected a landscape-painting instructor at the Arts and Materials Show, sponsored by American Artist Magazine, in Pasadena, CA. Many of his paintings are in public and private collections worldwide.  His most recent landscape of the Connecticut River area was installed at the State of Connecticut Governor’s residence and now is included in the State’s Permanent Art Collection.

The Art of the Wave

Watch as Jacqueline Jones takes you through her basic approach to painting a wave in oil, online on Tuesday, April 6 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm.

Register for Jackie’s free online demonstration by emailing Glastonbury Arts at info@glastonburyarts.org.

Jacqueline Jones, Tidal Dance, oil

Working from a provided photograph, Jackie will demonstrate her step-by-step process. She will cover composition, value, color mixing and paint application creating the initial “block-in”, then apply thicker paint showing varied brushwork. Lastly the detail and that final sparkle which brings the painting to life.

Jacqueline’s paintings summon ephemeral moments and emotions inspired by nature. Her rich color palette and lively brushwork capture the scents and sounds of the land: the rushing streams, rolling surf, rustling grasses and salted winds of coastal New England as well as her many travels. Each summer, she paints out West (Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming namely) and has recently painted in Iceland and Norway.

Painting from life, Jacqueline finds her work is not only infused with the elements, but with the people she encounters along the way. Weaving voices and memories into her oils, she often engages the curious onlooker. “I love talking with people when I’m out in the field, taking time to share my love for the land and painting,” she says. “They become part of the whole experience. When I reflect on a painting later, I often smile, remembering special conversations and a shared humanity.”  Underlying this are scenes that offer strong abstract compositions and solid design. Jacqueline is an advocate of ‘form over content’. “Whatever the subject matter, I’m energized by the way light reveals essence and form, each creation a unique journey that carries its own emotive signature,” she explains.

As a child, Jacqueline studied with local artist Joseph Gionfriddo of Gilead. A former student of Guy C. Wiggins and James Goodwin McManus, Gionfriddo instilled in her a love of traditional oil painting. Jacqueline went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art as well as an Associate Degree in Illustration from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

Her influences include the American Impressionists of the Old Art Colony with a special affinity for Matilda Brown, William Chadwick and Willard Metcalf. She has participated in Telluride Plein Air, Painter’s on Location in Knoxville, Tennessee and Hudson Valley Plein Air. The recipient of numerous awards including “1st Prize for Outstanding Work” 2017, 2nd place in the Nautical Exhibition 2018 at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and People’s Choice Award from the Brinton Museum, Big Horn, Wyoming in September 2020. Recently, Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut acquired a number of her paintings for their permanent collection.

In addition, Jacqueline is an instructor for the American Academy of Landscape Painting hosted by the Lyme Academy of Art and teaches painting at the Lyme Art Association, Glastonbury Arts as well as drawing at the Hillstead Museum. In the winter months, she works in her lakeside studio, painting larger pieces inspired by her plein air studies.

Jacqueline’s professional memberships include American Artist Professional League, American Society of Marine Artists (Signature Member), American Women Artists, Oil Painters of America, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, The Connecticut Academy of the Fine Arts, The Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society, The Salmagundi Club, Glastonbury Arts, Essex Art Association, Lyme Art Association (Elected Member), and the Mystic Art Center.

Jackie will also teach an online workshop on April 13 & 14 where you can learn to paint the shoreline. More info on her workshop.

Painterly Florals in Pastel

Join Karen Israel online Thursday evening, February 18, 2021, from 6:20-8:00 pm as she demonstrates painting florals in pastel, using water mediums as an under painting. She will describe her process, methods, and techniques. Karen will be happy to answer your questions throughout the online demonstration.

Register for Karen’s free online demonstration by emailing Glastonbury Arts at info@glastonburyarts.org.

Karen Israel, Harmonics, pastel

Karen Israel’s pastel paintings are defined by their dynamic and unique viewpoints. She is influenced by the light and mood of the subject and lets those elements dictate her approach. Karen enjoys teaching pastels almost as much as she enjoys painting.

Over the years, Karen’s work has won numerous awards in national and international juried exhibits. In 2019, Karen’s work won Best in Show at the Pastel Society of the West Coast’s National Exhibition and the Flora Giffuni Memorial Award with the American Artist’s Professional League.

Karen serves on the Board of Governors of the Pastel Society of America where she has earned the title of Master Pastelist. Karen’s work is honored with its inclusion in exhibiting at Pastels of the World in Bourbonnais.

Her professional designations include:  American Artist Professional League, Fellow Maxima Cum Laude, Connecticut Pastel Society, Signature Member Past-President, International Association of Pastel Society, Master Circle, Academic Artist Association, Elected Member, Salmagundi Club, NYC, Artist Member, Pastel Society of America, Master Pastelist, Connecticut Academy of Fine Art, Elected Member, Allied Artist Association, Associate Member, Lyme Art Association, Elected Member, Audubon Artist Association, Elected Member, and New Haven Paint and Clay Club, Elected Member.  

www.artbykarenisrael.com