Artists

Co-Creation

By Ruth Anne and Jason Wood

Ruth Anne is Pebble Hill Gallery alumni, having last shown in 2000. Her last show featured an abstract collage series featuring the five elements; Earth, Metal, Wood and Fire, influenced by her background in Oriental Medicine.

Her current works are acrylic paintings on canvas ranging from portraits, landscape, still life and abstract. Her work has been featured in her Scripting For Success mentoring newsletter and office.

Jason Wood is a photographer working with individuals, non-profits and corporations, newspapers and magazines. He has photographed images locally in Bucks County as well as internationally in over 17 countries. Most recently, he as fused his love of photography, travel and fashion with his newest creations –original clothing or wearable art.

Jason and Ruth Anne have displayed their art together in two shared office spaces within the heart of the Doylestown Cultural District. Their collective work has been featured in Bucks County Art Tour and other local community art events.

Jason Wood

Butterfly Effect

By Jackie Cooper

“The term “Butterfly Effect” has the power of transformation, giving the viewer an opportunity to discover a part of him or herself through these images. As I change through creating art so do others as spectators, eventually changing the world.” -JC

But-ter-fly ef-fect

Noun
1. (with reference to chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.

As an artist I explore my spirituality and inner self through diverse mediums. My initial inspiration for this work that I present today “Butterfly Effect” was my creation of diverse butterflies to understand their appearance as messengers at this time of my life. As I explored with acrylics on folded paper to create wings for these butterflies, I realized these were much more than colorful wings, these were worlds within worlds tapping into the subconscious energy and giving space for creativity to be channeled and to flourish. The term “Butterfly Effect” has the power of transformation, giving the viewer an opportunity to discover a part of him or herself through these images. As I change through creating art so do others as spectators, eventually changing the world.

Jackie Cooper

Jacqueline Cooper began her studies with a fellowship at Casa Candina in 1988 under ceramists Jaime Suarez and Toni Hambleton. In 1995 she obtained a BA in graphic arts from The School of Visual Arts in San Juan, PR. The following year she joined the faculty there teaching sculptural ceramics. In 2004 she became to work as Toni Hambleton’s assistant and offered classes from her studio to adults. She recently has been teaching workshops connecting spirituality to the creative process as a healing tool. Her work has been shown in Puerto Rico and abroad, including Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Croatia and the Dominican Republic. She has participated in international fairs such as Art Basel, Photomiami and Circa, Puerto Rico.

The World of Altered Art and Mixed Media

By Margarete Makkay Naperski

It’s always a pleasure to find an artist who abandons tradition and works outside of the box: Enter a world of whimsy and float into layers of mystery and emotive color-scapes! Margarete communicates her creative spirit thru painting, collaging, working in clay and most of all producing magical art assemblages and books from recycled materials. I invite you to explore her spirited art pieces and loose yourself in the ample layers of mystic color and texture. 

Margarete spent several years perfecting pottery making skills while pursuing a Fine Arts degree at Mercer County College, but her love of clay began a decade prior to that when she interned for a year at a ceramics studio at the Jersey shore, learning the trade of mold-formed low-fired earthenware.

At Mercer County College, her focus was on wheel-thrown and hand-built stoneware while developing a line of high-fired porcelain sculptures in her studio in Trenton. Mold-making, 3-D design and glaze formulations broadened her scope.

Her next step was working in the fast-moving and unpredictable results of raku firings while also going back to more primitive pit and alternative firing methods which she is able to experiment with at her son’s farm in PA.

Margarete began painting and collaging later in life, benefiting from excellent instruction via several teaching artists and art organizations. Her education includes ongoing workshops and personal study, while frequently teaching collage, assemblage and clay classes.

Currently, Margarete juggles her time as a mixed-media artist; making pottery, painting, sewing, creating altered art assemblages and books from recycled materials. She is also still active in the dance community after 40-plus years, teaching and performing with her students as Tehani MidEast and Polynesian Dance Co.

Margarete says a fear of boredom pushes her to learn ever more. She says, “I’m always looking for illumination or a new understanding in what I express in the story I tell. I work with multiple layers in multiple mediums, adding and subtracting fragments, leaving behind layers and found objects that suggest the old and familiar, but asking the viewer to see my message thru a new light. It could be said that it is testing the boundaries between artwork and viewer– between raw and formed environments.”

“Everything has a story, and collage is a favorite way to visually tell that story. All my work asks the viewer to look past the obvious surface, to burrow into the layers for various statements and attractions, or, as in the sculptural pieces, to let the accumulated bits speak of possible options in views.”