Art isn’t just about canvas, carving and colors; pottery, paints and palettes. It’s also about inspiration, rejuvenation, and relaxation.
That was the message from the artists at the “A Mid-summer Night’s Art Gallery,” an exhibition of diverse media, at Hendrickson’s Corner, on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12.
Fourteen artists from the Bayonne area not only showed their work and sold their originals and prints, but they also opened a window on how and why they chose what was for some a cathartic and life-altering avocation.
Works included photography, oil painting, watercolors, charcoal and colored pencil, bar napkin art, and mixed media.
Bayonne resident KristieAnn Fitzpatrick’s art is about spreading her message of inspiration and a zest for life. Through her business, Shuuzz Angel Designs, Fitzpatrick creates jewelry and other pieces which she hopes will lift the spirits of not only those who buy and wear them, but the family members, friends, and coworkers who see them as well.
Fitzpatrick and friends write and donate cards with positive messages to Bayonne Medical Center and other area hospitals in the hope that art and a strong will can help defeat illness and other setbacks in life.
Show manager Kevin Delaney’s bar napkin art is a way of coming back from the horrors of the 9/11 attacks, which he encountered firsthand while working in New York City’s financial district.
For Ann Tedeschi of Bayonne, a psychotherapist, art is a welcome respite from the stresses of her profession.
“It’s a great relaxer,” she said.
Tuan Tran, owner of Bee’s Art Studio, studied art in school in his native Vietnam. His works help him remember his home country.
“Art brings happiness,” he said.
Lauren Ferguson of Elizabeth is a music teacher who lets her nonmusical creative juices flow through photography, sketching, and mixed media.
Bayonne resident Bill Zbylut’s paintings of Jethro Bodine of the “Beverly Hillbillies,” Otis Campbell of “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Honeymooners” Art Carney as spaceman achieve his goal of making people happy through a good dose of nostalgia.
“My art is something I don’t take seriously,” he said. “It’s kind of lighthearted.”
Other artists
Other exhibiting artists were Elom Boman, William Bunn, Tom Hart, Erin Kachmar, Nick Macchia, Vito Moscato, Patty Mulligan, and Jeff Ware.
Future shows
“I think it’s great for the community and its local artists,” said Hendrickson’s Corner co-owner Robert O’Neill Jr. “People get to see and purchase their creations.”
Mid-summer Night was the restaurant’s second art show, following one last fall which will become an annual event, according to O’Neill. The successful summer show may also become a yearly event.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.To comment on this story online visit www.hudsonreporter.com.