Janice Wood

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Medium Lavender Mint Soy Candle

NaturallyintheWoods was started in October of 2012 right out of my home in Wallingford, Ct. My love for candles and scents was a natural pairing – I was so nervous – not knowing if I would have the time to pursue my dream.

With my husband, Steve and two children Jen and Kyle behind me I firmly planted my feet and dove in full force.

I can’t believe it’s has been almost 6 years since I started – I’ve traveled around CT. doing craft shows and fairs meeting wonderful people along the way. All of my candles are made with pure soy wax and natural oils. I’m now in 6 artisan stores – Rings and Things in Colchester, Tesoro’s in Middletown, Stacey T’s Treasures in Wallingford, Finders Keepers in Glastonbury, Pondering Creations in Terryville, and showcased at Spectrum Art Gallery. Without my customers encouraging me – none of this would have been possible. I’m still working full time planning shows every year and busy keeping the stores stocked. It’s been a fun journey! I have learned to always stay true to myself, be creative and listen to everyone along the way. I look forward to seeing you in my travels – Janice Wood owner of NaturallyintheWoods.

Beth Terhaar

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Spring Into Pink Necklace

Beth Terhaar (Bagged by Beth Studio) of Danbury, CT and Jensen Beach, FL was raised in a home with an artistic mother that encouraged creativity with her children. During Beth’s 25-year tenure as a schoolteacher, Beth did floral arranging, made boiled wool purses, and painted glass. She and a friend would turn her house into an annual two-day holiday boutique that drew 500+ customers. The boutique included themselves along with 20 other artists. As Beth retired from teaching, she was introduced to polymer clay by her sister, a prominent pottery artist. That’s where Beth really settled into her niche of polymer clay jewelry artistry. She loves the endless possibilities of colors, textures, and shapes that this medium offers her. While participating in art shows throughout Florida and Connecticut, Beth is often sought out to combine her talents of teaching and polymer clay jewelry making and teaches private classes to others.

Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut. Beth recently participated in Spectrum’s Summer outdoor Art Festival on the Essex Green.

Stasia Penkofflidbeck

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Thai Forest Earrings

Annika McKenna

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Charlotte Earrings, Sterling Silver, 1.5in drop

Annika McKenna is a second generation silversmith and the owner of SeaSalt Design Jewelry.

She creates unique collections of handmade Sterling Silver jewelry inspired by nature. Annika is well known for her vibrant colors, coastal lifestyle jewelry, and floral designs. Techniques include: hand forging, precious metal clay, mill rolling, oxidizing, beading and wire work in her jewelry designs. Materials range from Semi-precious gemstones, pearls, crystals, and other natural elements, to found objects such as seaglass and rare beach shells. As an example, each sterling silver leaf, flower, or seed pod is handmade by her from the one she finds in nature. The focus is on simplicity of design, classic style, and enhancing the beauty of each piece.

As an Artist, her work is inspired by the incredible beauty I find in the natural world around her; whether it’s the golden fall foliage, the particular shape of a small stone, or the unique color of a piece of sea glass. Her jewelry is continuously influenced by the simple complexity of nature.

Accomplishments
2013 Best in Show Old Saybrook, CT Arts and Crafts Fair
Featured Artist for New Britain Museum of American Art
Featured in Bride and Groom Magazine 2015
Cushing Academy Alumni Event featured Artist 2016
Consistently chosen to participate in coveted juried art events across New England.

2015/2016 Highlighted Events
Dogwood Festival Fairfield, CT; Virtu Art Festival,Westerly, RI; Old Saybrook Arts and Crafts Fair Old Saybrook, CT; Mystic Outdoor Art Festival Mystic, CT; Guilford Expo Guilford, CT; Scituate Heritage Days Scituate, MA; Mattapoisett Harbor Days Mattapoisett, MA; Harwich Cranberry Festival Harwich, MA.

Will Wilde

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Custom, handmade wooden puzzles

Will Carswell handcrafts his heirloom-quality, eco-friendly, wooden jigsaw puzzles one at a time from start to finish in the foothills of Western Massachusetts. With each new puzzle he creates, he strives to give you the most memorable, unique, jigsaw puzzling experience possible along with an enjoyable opportunity to slow down amidst a fast-paced world. Enrich your life with the challenge and charm of his wonderful whimsical pieces, the beautiful imagery of Carswell’s puzzles, and the devious trickery he has designed into most of his puzzles, such as false borders and false corners! Enjoy tranquil solitude or togetherness with family and friends as you discover the nuances of each new puzzle you choose for your collection! Zen Puzzles™ and Peapod Puzzles™ also make the perfect, unique, giftable keepsake! You can find Carswell’s eco-friendly jigsaw puzzles at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Andy Teran

Portfolio Categories: Wood.

Calm Waters Loon

Growing up in New York City, Andy attended Parson’s School of Design at 17. He worked at finding a medium that fit, trying collage, sculpture, and painting. Eventually he became a carpenter and spent many years since doing art in various mediums as a hobby. He always enjoyed working with collage, wood sculpture, jewelry making, assemblage, and paint. Recently he found his roots again in driftwood, returning to a love of wood established in his first career as a carpenter.

Andy’s wood sculptures are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Jean-Luc Godard

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Bubbles Light Impression

Jean-Luc Godard is an emerging artist who mainly works with sculptural lighting. Originally born and raised in France, he moved to the United States in 1990. He is a self-taught artist that favors wood and metal in his creations. His work on sculptural lighting focuses on organic designs and futuristic concepts. His signature work consists of sculpted nature inspired elements. His works directly respond to the surrounding environment and uses everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point.

By focusing on techniques and materials, Jean-Luc tries to approach his work in a simple and yet elegant way, likes to involve the viewer in a way that is sometimes physical and believes in the idea of function following form in a work.

Creativity is the only guide in his endless exploration of materials, forms and designs.

Jean-Luc Godard currently lives and works in West Granby, Connecticut USA.

Godard’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Lina Wilder

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Chandelierings Earrings, Argentium sterling silver and multi-color tourmaline

Lina Wilder focuses on hypoallergenic materials, clean lines, and natural shapes. Once upon a time, she was an opera singer; currently, she teaches courses in Shakespeare and Renaissance literature at Connecticut College. Idle Gauds is named for a line from _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_: “My love to Hermia, / Melted as the snow, seems to me now / As the remembrance of an idle gaud / Which in my childhood I did dote upon.”

Robert Aiudi

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

Blue Mexican Scarf, wool and acrylic, 60in L x 12in w

Robert Aiudi started weaving and spinning at around age 10. His great-grandfather from Province of Marche, Italy was a master silk weaver and the stories of him inspired Robert to learn the craft. In his later teen years, he studied textile arts at Wesleyan Pottery in Middletown, Connecticut where he met other mentors and artists who inspired him. While living in New York City for nearly 20 years, he continued to weave selling handwoven items at the Farmer’s Market at Amsterdam and 81street and into several private collections.

Robert is a linguist who speaks several foreign languages and heads a consulting firm working in the field of Speech Recognition. He studied at the University of Connecticut and Yale University focusing on Mandarin. He has lived and traveled extensively around the world meeting and getting to know many handweavers and spinners.

Aiudi’s fiber art is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Megan Emily Ely

Portfolio Categories: Prints.

Blank fine art cards, boxed set of 10 with envelopes

Megan Emily Ely is a surrealist & fantasy artist based in Colchester, Connecticut and NYC. She is inspired by fairytales, mysticism, nature, dreams, and magic. Her work is primarily oil paintings, but she also utilizes mixed media techniques.

Megan views her art as a medium to add beauty and light in a world that can sometimes be challenging and dark. Her art is meant to spark magic, wonder, and mental well-being. She studied art & design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, and also attended the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine for two summer studios. In her past career she was a design director at Estée Lauder for 10 years and continues to consult in product design. She is affiliated with several artist communities, including the Greenwich Arts Council and the Essex Art Association. Her work has been shown in galleries including a recent show at the Bendheim in Greenwich, Connecticut and is scheduled for various upcoming shows at galleries throughout 2023/2024 including Spectrum Gallery, in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Gloria Nilsson

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Berry Crystal Swirl Earrings

Gloria Nilsson is a professional teaching artist. She received her degree in Graphic Design from Pratt Institute. After working as a graphic designer for several years, Gloria turned her concentration to the fine arts, exploring pastels, oils, watercolor, and acrylics.

Nilsson is currently painting on silk, where she applies a variety of techniques to fine art paintings and scarves. In 2015, Gloria’s silk painted illustration, Chapter 11: Spellcheck, created for the serialized storybook for young readers, The Mystery of the Great Connecticut Caper, was published by Connecticut Humanities/Connecticut Center for the Book.

Gloria also developed her own unique artisan crafted jewelry line. Her designs are created with woven, sculpted, and wrapped wire techniques, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, polymer clay, precious metals, art glass and pearls. Nilsson teaches the Fashion Illustration program for Summer Fashion Weeks, and she also provides a variety of fine art and mixed media lessons for the Nature Camp program, both at the Arts Center Killingworth. Gloria’s recent work is featured at Spectrum Gallery, Centerbrook, CT, and other indoor/outdoor venues.

Samantha Barlow Beamer

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Samantha spent her life Exploring rocky beaches and daydreaming in the lush forests of New England. A family trip to Monhegan Island in Maine sparked her love of Fairy Houses. Samantha forages for bark, leaves and shells in Connecticut, Vermont and Maine to use for building her sculptures. Samantha later added jewelry and beaded accessories to her portfolio utilizing an assortment of freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones.

Samantha originally studied performing arts as a vocalist, actress and dancer in Hartford and later shifted her focus to marketing and business at the University of Phoenix online. She combined her interests and catapulted herself into New York City after competing on American Idol in 2011. For nearly ten years Samantha used her creative thinking and fearless approach, while working with executives in the Fortune 500 working as a Consultant for a UK Based company with an office in New York City. Samantha focused on growing small business by introducing them to her clients which included leaders from IBM, Amazon, Converse, Citi, Google and Ipsos. After developing and launching software for a consulting firm in Iowa, she moved back home where she met her now husband who acknowledged her lofty dreams of creative expression through art. Since 2020 Samantha has tinkered her way through the early days of homeownership and motherhood with her bark, leaves and shells in tow. The “Falling for Fall” exhibition at Spectrum Gallery is Samantha’s premier into the Art Community.

Enchanted Magic Wand, driftwood, semiprecious stones and shells from New England

Mystical Earrings, labradorite, glass on 14K gold-filled French hooks

Whimsical Fairy House, shells, bark and moss gathered in New England

Maria Johnson

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Avalanching Words, acrylic on board, 48in h x 48in w

Maria Johnson works in so many mediums that her business card reads “Girl’s Got To Focus!”

With a degree in painting from Hartford Art School and a range of exhibits and awards behind her, she nonetheless has only recently begun showing at outdoor art fairs, most recently the 2022 Summer Arts Festival in Essex, CT.

Her success there — selling everything from earrings to paintings to ceramics and more — has encouraged her to

keep at it!

Johnson’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

T. Willie Raney

Born T. Willie Raney in Washington, D.C., Raney received a B.F.A. from Ithaca College in 1979. During the 1980’s and 90’s she has exhibited in New York City, Port Chester, Silvermine Guild, Norwalk and Essex, Connecticut. She was invited to participate in two shows featuring the works of African Americans at Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. In 1990, she graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Master’s in Art Education and began a career as an art educator in the public schools where she has won numerous awards. She joined the artists of Gallery One CT in 2012. Her work seeks to create both physical and spiritual balance using influences from objects found in nature, especially those with texture, light and rhythm. Her current work combines printmaking, watercolor and collage with a focus on layers, text and illumination. “I’m always trying to push the boundaries of underlying structures and how layers can be defined.” Raney’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, CT.

Tatiana Ferraro

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Sunrise Over the Mountain Top, watercolor, 17in h x 21in w

Tatiana Ferraro was born in Poland and came to the US when she was four years old. She spent her formative years on the Lower East Side, attending St. George Grammar, and High School of Performing Arts where she majored in ballet and studied at the Third Street Settlement Music School. She earned her degrees in Political Science and Administration and Supervision from St. John’s University. Upon graduation she went into teaching, spending 22 years as a high school Social Studies teacher and 16 years as a principal. Although interest in art came rather late and was originally used as an activity to release the stresses of being an administrator of an elementary school, watercolor painting assumed a more prominent role in her life. Her instructors, Lynn Schulman, Janice Cianflone, Dimitri Wright and Elissa Gore encouraged her interest and work with watercolors. Her hobbies of gardening and travels offer inspiration for painting.

Ms. Ferraro lives with her husband in Yorktown Heights.

Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Robert Dietz

Bob Dietz Decided to get back to his roots after retiring from the electronics industry as a chip designer, then a custom home builder, and finally as a home inspector. He began sketching portraits of his grandchildren in graphite. He investigated painting with watercolors and then gravitated back to his “first love,” pastels.

Dietz works from photos, most of which he takes himself. His paintings are inspired from trips to Cape Cod, Nova Scotia, Maine, upstate NY, Europe and the Connecticut shoreline. Seascapes and landscapes are his favorite subjects and his skill with pastel has brought him numerous commissions including portraits. His work has been exhibited locally in Connecticut, the Madison Art Society, Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester, the Valentine H. Zahn gallery at Middlesex Hospital in Westbrook, Spectrum Gallery, Centerbrook, and at the Lyme Art Society, Old Lyme. He has been accepted into several juried shows where he has won numerous awards. Many of his pieces are now in private collections. Bob is a member of the Connecticut Pastel Society, Lyme Art Society and is an Elected Member of the Madison Art Society.

Patti Maher

Portfolio Categories: Note Cards.

As an artist, Patti Maher is interested in simple, elegant lines…in shadows and negative space. She works in pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, and sometimes combines these media. Maher’s work is very quiet in nature, taking the subject matter down to its core substance. Her work is intended to provoke deep thought and a feeling of peace.

Maher was born and raised in West Texas. She studied English and Art at Principia College. After marriage, she lived in Illinois, Nebraska, California, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. She now resides in Connecticut and finds New England to be the most naturally beautiful place that she has ever lived.

Maher has worked at various jobs including bank teller, instructional aide, cabinet-maker’s apprentice, and piano teacher. She’s met people from all walks of life and seeks to find the thread that connects them all. Her work expresses her experiences, including her love of music, children, and nature. Maher’s work is currently available at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Nancy Gladwell

Nancy Peel Gladwell has been an active artist, working in CT for almost 40 years. After earning a BFA from George Washington U, Gladwell continued her studies in Florence, Italy at the Academia delle Belle Arte and Studio Simi. After returning to the states, Gladwell joined the greater New York Gallery scene exhibiting her work and began teaching art at CW Post, Long Island University. While classically trained in drawing, painting, Gladwell brought the great Renaissance genre of narrative art into a contemporary vernacular. Formalism crept into her compositions as color-shape relationships became more abstract. Teaching for over 28 years at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Gladwell introduced color theory into the college’s curriculum. Her fascination with color has led Gladwell through a life-long investigation of the emotional richness of this element its subtle mysteries.

Gladwell’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Molly Waite Lund

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Molly Waite Lund is an analog collage artist who lives in Essex, Connecticut. As a self-taught artist, Lund is continuously experimenting with color, shape, relationships, and negative space. She is compelled to repurpose vintage papers as a reminder of the history that has shaped her life. In her collages, the world that Lund imagines is a place where the familiar becomes unfamiliar, and the impossible becomes ordinary.

Lund is active in the online collage community, frequently joining challenges to create collages around themes or prompts. These interactions have resulted in Lund’s work being selected for publication in books, magazines, and on a deck of cards; for inclusion in national and international public displays of collage works; and exhibition at local art galleries in Connecticut and New York. Lund’s work was also displayed in a solo show at South of Main Art Collective during June, July, and August 2022. Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Lip Service, collage, 14in h x 11in w framed

Time Passages, collage, 12in h x 9in w on cradled board

Time Pieces, collage, 12in h x 9in w on cradled board

Linda McCarthy

Linda McCarthy uses the power of color as an important aspect of the way her work portrays the dreams and reality of life through images both real and imagined. Her work often uses nature to portray the darkest and brightest moments in life… the forcefulness and tranquility of water and wind, the everchanging light and motion of all living things. Her large acrylic and oil paintings explore our feelings about what we see, sometimes giving you just a hint of reality and letting your eye or your imagination fill in the rest. She is a member of many local Art Associations including Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance, Madison Art Society, Clinton Art Association, Guilford Art League, Shoreline Arts Trail and Lyme Art Association. Her work has been shown in many local juried shows and galleries throughout Connecticut. Linda’s paintings are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Rosemary Gates

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Hoping for Peace, oil on canvas, 16in h x 20in w

Rose Mary Gates graduated from SCSU with a BS in Art Education and an MS in Art Education as well as an MS in TESOL. As a student, she had work selected for the Three College Art Exhibit representing Yale, Quinnipiac and SCSU. During her early years she worked with pencil and charcoals and did several hundred commissioned portraits and historical homes. Rose Mary worked as an Art Teacher for the Middletown School district and worked as a Teacher in a HOT School which incorporated the arts into the curriculum.

The last several years have given her the opportunity to focus on doing art on a more consistent level after retiring from teaching. She’s had her work exhibited at Mystic Museum of Art, CT Academy of Fine Art, The Artist’s Cooperative of Westerly, SUNY and at Lyme Art Association. Rose Mary’s paintings are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Ron Bence

In her dreams mixed media assemblage 14×24 inches

Ron Bence is an assemblage artist and photographer. His passion is assembling separate and distinctive objects into a larger visually stimulating collaborative. Finding a balance within his puzzle pieces of material his art blends metal, wood, and found objects rescued in his travels. Whether it be sculpture or wall hangings, His work is distinctive and unique in its textures and perspective.

Assemblage is an artistic form of combining distinctive elements scavenged by the artist. It is a form of sculpture often comprised of found objects. By creating works from discarded and found materials, the intention is to open the conversation around the human relationship to the natural world.

Bence’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Marianne Dietz

Portfolio Categories: Notecards.

Floral Fancy Art Card

Marianne Dietz hails from Long Island, New York. She and her husband, Bob, came to Connecticut 43 years ago, settled in Madison and raised two children. Marianne worked as an Executive Assistant in the business and academic world for more than 40 years. Most recently, at Yale Law School for close to 20 years. Marianne was an Executive Assistant to three Deans of the Law School. Prior to that she served as Executive Assistant to the Headmaster at Choate Rosemary Hall, and the executive in marketing for an international mining company. She has taken classes in business at Middlesex Community College and Wesleyan University.

Marianne discovered the joy of art during Covid. She took an art class on Zoom, where she was introduced to several mediums. She applied what she learned to creating her own designs. She particularly likes to create whimsical art, which is meant to bring a smile to your face.

Marianne is a member of Madison Art Society and is on their Board of Directors as the event coordinator, where she organizes art demonstrations and lectures for the public. Dietz’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Molly Waite Lund

Portfolio Categories: Mixed Media.

Type 3, collage, 12in h x 9in w

Lund is active in the online collage community, frequently joining challenges to create collages around themes or prompts. These interactions have resulted in Lund’s work being selected for publication in books, magazines, and on a deck of cards; for inclusion in national and international public displays of collage works; and exhibitions at local art galleries in Connecticut and New York. Lund’s work was also displayed in a solo show at South of Main Art Collective during June, July, and August 2022. Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Ann Kelly

Colorado River Bluffs, oil, 20×20, wrapped, Tuscan Village,oil,14×18, wrapped, Peggy’s Cove,oil,14x18framed,

Ann Kelly is an artist now living in Madison, Connecticut after recently moving from Holliston MA where she resided for 32 years. She was born in New Jersey and was given her first set of oil paints in 1960 at the age of 9 years and is mostly self- taught in both oils and watercolors. She studied Life Drawing at Kean University in New Jersey and Painting at the Danforth Museum in Massachusetts.

She paints landscapes, portraits, animals, still life and westerns in a representational style and bold colors. Her works are held in private collections in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Also in New York, New Jersey, California, Ireland, Iceland and England. Ann has had Solo Exhibitions at the Holliston MA Public Library 2014, 2016 and 2018; Amazing Things Art Show, Framingham, MA 2017 and The Center for Arts Natick, MA, 2019.

Kelly is currently a featured artist in Spectrum Gallery’s Autumn Art Festival on the Town Green in Madison Connecticut.

Marc Dutko

Chess Board side view as a game board, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Yellowheart Wood & CT Black Walnut with juice groove & side grips, 15x21x2, Storry Board, Purplehart Wood & Ct Ash with juice groove & side grips, 14x14x1.75

Marc has had a lifelong passion for woodworking and cooking. Degrees in both Architecture and Education as well as experience in the professional kitchen have provided a unique foundation for creating both useful and artistic versions of kitchen related tools and accessories. When he’s not woodworking, Marc has been cheffing it up for the past decade at various establishments around CT.

Marc and Mary’s artistry is currently available at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, CT, and in select retail shops along the CT River Valley.

Lois Warner

PARADISE, acrylic on canvas, 24inX24in, JOY, acrylic on canvas, 36inx36in, COLLAGE #1,acrylic, paper on canvas, 20in x 16in

Lois Warner is an emerging artist based in Newtown Connecticut. While she has been creating beautiful art for her family and friends for over 30yrs, her recent retirement has allowed her to pursue her passion fulltime. Originally from the Caribbean Island of Antigua, her ancestral home is often the influence for her creativity. Using many different mediums such as watercolor, acrylic, inks and dyes, her pieces are strikingly bold and bright. Lois seeks to inspires joy and happiness in those who view her art. Her style is eclectic showcasing abstracts, geometric designs, collages, and botanical prints. Her work has been exhibited in several juried art shows in New York and Connecticut.
Lois Warner’s Artwork is currently featured in Spectrum Gallery’s Autumn Art Festival held on the green in Madison, Connecticut.

Lisa Conti

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Phyllis Nolan

Green Nantucket, wrapped seaglass pendant, Blue Dancer, wrapped seaglass pendant, Around the World, wrapped seaglass pendant

Phyllis Nolan lived on St.Maarten, where she organized an international jewelry making club. What began as a social activity soon evolved into a passion for making beaded jewelry and wirewrapped seaglass. Living near the ocean made sense to focus on wirewrapped seaglass, where she has taught jewelry making for over 10 years,

Phyllis has taught wirewrapping seaglass and seashells at Suncoast Technical College, in Fl., Sarasota School of Glass, in Fl., and recently, classes through Branford Park and Recreation Department. She feels her jewelry teaching helps people find enjoyment and a feeling of accomplishment. Clearly a form of art therapy.

Phyllis’s jewelry has been shown at arts and crafts shows in the Venetian Gulf and River Club, Venice, Fl., art festivals at Suncoast Technical College,Sarasota, Fl, and arts and crafts markets in Venice, Fl.

This past summer, her jewelry was at the Madison Art and Antique Show, Clinton Library Arts and Crafts festival, and the Madison Art Society show at Scranton Library in Madison,CT. Nolan’s jewelry is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Maria Johnson

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Maria Johnson works in so many mediums that her business card reads “Girl’s Got To Focus!”

Her success there — selling everything from earrings to paintings to ceramics and more — has encouraged her to

keep at it!

Johnson’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Ceramic earrings, glazed stoneware

Ceramic ornaments, glazed stoneware

Thrives planter, glazed stoneware

Marc Dutko

The Spring Board, mixed exotic woods and North American hardwoods, beeswax and mineral oil finish, 22in L x 10in w x .50in thick; Checker Board Chopper, cherry, rock maple, beeswax, mineral oil finish, 16x16x2.5in thick; Yellow Brick Road Chopping Board, yellowheart, black walnut, beeswax, mineral oil finish, 21in L x 15.25in w x 2in thick

Artistic, Expressive, Useful and Durable best describe the pieces that are created at The CT Board of Chefs. Marc and Mary are a husband and wife team with a passion for fine woodworking, fine food and beautiful photography. Through combined artistic skill and vision, they have been creating unique, artisan, heirloom quality kitchen woodenware since 2021.

Mary is currently the creative and marketing force behind CT Board of Chefs. Having spent 30+ years as a Floral Designer and Instructor, with a Degree in Graphic Design, and a good sense of color and balance, Mary applies those skills into her woodworking as well as her photographic designs.

Their woodworking is currently featured in Spectrum Gallery’s Summer Art Festival held on the green in Essex Connecticut and is available in select retail shops along the CT River Valley.

Sabely Peralta

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, ink, watercolor & acrylic, 12in h x 16in w

Sabley Peralta is a self-taught artist that started painting 4 years ago. Born in New York but spent many years in South America (Guayaquil, Ecuador).

Peralta has always been interested in working with her hands. As a child, she was excited about textiles and ceramic crafts. Today, Sabley enjoys painting because it fills her soul with happiness and color. Peralta’s paintings are influenced by Ecuador, New England, Mother Nature, and her imagination. Her favorite technique is to use acrylic paints, and acrylic paints and textiles. Currently, Sabley is working on making her paintings digital using NFTs.

Peralta’s paintings are currently exhibited in UMASS, Christina’s House, in several churches and Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Carol Courtney

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Dusk

Carol Courtney began her professional pursuit in art in 1974 at the University of New Haven, completing an AS in Commercial Art in 1978. After a few decades working outside of her passion, Carol was finally able to resume her studies. While working in administration at the University of Hartford, Courtney was championed by both professors and peers to complete her BFA, which she earned in Painting (2020). Courtney’s advisor Cat Balco, Professor of Painting, was fascinated with Carol’s work in alcohol ink and encouraged her to use this medium in her senior thesis. Carol chose subjects that are organic and apply the unpredictability of this medium to obtain its unique results. In 2021, Courtney retired to fulfill her
lifelong goal of becoming a full-time artist.

Recent shows include Windsor Art Center Members show, 2020, 2021, 2022; Spectrum Gallery, Centerbrook, CT 2022; Redux 2020 & 2021 University of Hartford Alumni show, W. Hartford, CT. 2022; Lost Acres Vineyard, Granby, Ct 2022; Women Artists Collective, Windsor Art Center, Windsor, CT. 2022- 2023, and Women Artists Collective, Mandell Jewish Community Ctr. West Hartford, Ct 2023.

Carol’s work was exhibited in a Solo show at Worthington Vineyard & Winery, Somers, CT 2023.

John Murray

Book and Bottles, watercolor

See John’s work available for purchase online

John Murray was born in New Haven Ct. Throughout his life has pursued a love for Art and design. Spent over forty years in the packaging industry in the Design Department has several Patents and received many awards in the Packaging Industry. He has been involved with watercolor art for over twenty years.

His passion for art is matched by a natural talent to paint a wide variety of subjects, highlighted by expressive coastal scenes, intimate woodland pictorials and seasonal treks through the countryside.

“I want to produce art that pleases me for many personal reasons. Then, if it pleases the viewer, I’m glad. I’ve always had a fascination for art. My family have always been very supportive of my career as well as being my best critics.”

Murray’s watercolors are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Tom Swimm

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Winter Shadows, oil on canvas, 22in h x 18in w

Tom developed his self-taught painting methods by experimenting with various techniques and by studying the great works of Van Gogh, Hopper, Gaugin, Cezanne and Monet. Born and raised on the East Coast, he had a successful career as an advertising commercial artist in New York, then resettled in southern California with his wife and son in 1982. Inspired by the light and landscape of Laguna, he renewed his passion for painting and was accepted for his first solo exhibition in 1988.

His paintings soon became recognizable for their exceptional use of light and color. With numerous exhibits and awards to his credit, his work is internationally collected and is also included in many important private and corporate collections. He has been the featured cover artist for American Artists and Southwest Art magazines. His methods have also been published in art instruction books and he has illustrated three children’s books.

Tom currently resides in East Hampton, Connecticut with his wife Rosemary and Charley the Schnoodle. His work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Tammy Blais

Big Green, oil on linen, 8in h x 10in w, Our Town, oil on canvas, 12in h x 24in w, Fun Time Tugs, 16in h x 12in w, oil on board

Tammy Blais is a local CT artist who specializes in coastal art oil paintings. Her days are spent on her professional photography career and uses painting as an additional creative outlet. Most of her work is a whimsical view of things she loves or sees in living along the coast. Being self-taught, she lets her imagination control her creations and paints in soft color tones. Blais works on stretched canvas of various sizes and linen paper. Her work is original, and she puts special care into each piece of art she creates.

Tammy’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Scott Camphausen

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Scott Camphausen is an award-winning photographer who draws his inspiration from the ocean and nature around him. His love of the water can be seen in in his dramatic seascapes and the creatures found below the waves. He earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University. He draws on this background to showcase the world from a different perspective. He does this to challenge the viewer to see the world in a new way, to see the world as he sees it. Since Scott first exhibited his work in the spring of 2019, he has won first place in the Milford Art Council Seascape Exhibit, best photo in the Milford Art Council Members Only Exhibit and an honorable mention in Shoreline Alliance Images Exhibition. He has also exhibited in several prestigious juried exhibitions and his work is exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut. Scott is currently a featured artist in Spectrum Gallery’s Autumn Art Festival on the Town Green in Madison Connecticut.

Octopus, fine art photograph on aluminum, 11 x 17

Splendid Toad Fish, fine art photograph on aluminum, 11 x 17

The Arch, fine art photograph on aluminum, 11 x 17

Robert Thomas

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Robert Thomas’ background in engineering allows him to utilize the ever-changing technology of digital cameras to capture moments that mirror his artistic vision. He has learned not just to document, but also to apply, the creative aspects of composition and the freedom offered with digital image processing. This allows Robert to create a more engaging representation of his field of view.

His body of work is inspired by urban and rural landscapes, and the imagery captured in reflective surfaces, weathered and worn structures, as well as the beauty and fragility he finds in nature. Robert has documented his world since the mid-twentieth century as he has had the opportunity to travel the globe and live in Europe, Asia, and South America. He has been inspired by the religious, architectural, and cultural diversity and has been fortunate to define these through his lens. Robert’s photographic themes present a unique vision in his body of work of the decades from the 1960’s through to the present. Thomas’s Photography is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Kent Falls, fine art photograph, limited edition, 1 of 5

Mornings Path, fine art photograph, limited edition, 1 of 5

Upper Lake Guilford, fine art photograph, limited edition, 1 of 5

Edwin Lopez

Long Island Sound, oil on panel, 29.5in h x 29.5in w; Sunset, oil on panel, 14in h x 13.5in w; Abandoned Boat, oil on panel, 23.5in h x 17.5w

Edwin Lopez is a self-taught artist. Born in New York City, he currently resides in Connecticut. Lopez is a passionate and expressive painter who draws upon his urban and rural experiences as inspiration for the settings and subject matter in his paintings. Working on both canvas and wood Lopez adapts the size of the piece to fit into found vintage frames that he refurbishes and reuses.

Lopez’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

https://spectrumanytime.com/product-tag/edwin-lopez

Diane Rubacha

Portfolio Categories: Mixed Media.

Last Light. Relief Print. 9×12

Diane Rubacha of Middletown earned a degree in fine art from Middlesex Community College, a degree in art education from Central Connecticut State University, and has taken workshops in painting, collage, and printmaking.

Working primarily in watercolor and relief printmaking, her work depicts subjects observed locally and during her travels. She enjoys painting regularly with The French Connection, a Middletown-based plein air group, is an Elected Member of the Essex Art Association, and exhibits her work locally.

She was honored to have been chosen as the October 2008 Artist-in-Residence at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Her painting, “Return of Old Glory,” is in the collection of the Park. Her relief print, “Pileated Woodpecker,” was chosen as one of three Best in Show at the 77th Annual Connecticut Artists’ Exhibit at Slater Museum (2021). Rubacha’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.