Bonnie McGown

I was born a northern girl on Long Island in New York. When I was in elementary school my family moved to sunny Miami, Florida. Lucky for me, Miami was a wonderful place to grow up. I always loved art and even had some private painting lessons in grammar school. Following my passion I went to college as an Art major. I studied with such noted artists as Duane Hansen, who stressed the importance of drawing and learning the basics.

A job transfer in my twenties landed my small family back up north. We settled in the Highlands town of Ringwood in the Ramapo Mountains of New Jersey. Heaven!! Still having the desire to create I traveled to NYC and studied at the Art Student's League with various artists, including Michael Burban for figure drawing and anatomy.

As exciting as the ASL was I began looking for something with an easier commute. Lucky again, I found the Ridgewood Art Institute. I studied traditional oil painting with Arthur Maynard, John P. Osborne and my beloved friend, Betty Kaytes. The RAI gave me the foundation I needed to build on my pursuit of capturing the flow of light in my still life, floral and landscape paintings. I have taken many workshops and traveled to many wonderful locations in Europe, Canada and the US to paint en plein air.

My luck continues, giving me a wealth of subject matter right in my back yard. Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor and Greenwood Lake have served as my inspiration on many painting excursions with my favorite pochade box.

Sal Reale

Mr. Reale’s love of art has taken him in many directions, yet the figure in its many forms appears constantly, entertaining his eye and fulfilling his need for excitement and variety. His use of positive and negative space is constantly fresh.

Salvatore will vary between realism and abstract expressionism but never looses sight of the figure in its many manifestations. “Texture and what I call happy accidents are what I look for in my work. I look to have fun and enjoy the experience”.

When looking at his work the enjoyment is evident, among the intertwining bodies and color combinations. Yet there is a serious side to Mr. Reale. His figures can just as easily move among a dark and mysterious tragic 911 world, leaving you questioning the realities of our very own existence.

Denise de Marco

Denise received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parson’s School of Design in 1989. She studied in both New York City and Paris and majored in illustration. Since then she has had a varied and successful career in the fashion industry, illustration, fine art and now in designing murals and decorative painting.

Some of her local public art pieces include a mural at Peter Cooper Elementary School in Ringwood, the Ringwood Florist, Goldberg’s Bagels in Pompton Lakes and the Wanaque Public library; however the majority of her work resides in private homes. Denise is a self employed artist specializing in decorative painting, faux finishes and murals for homes, restaurants, and offices as well as furniture restoration and refinishing.

Fine art paintings on canvas are sold on a commissioned basis and can be made to fit any décor and price range. Beginning in April, her paintings and hand painted furniture will be on display at a delightful store in Caldwell NJ called D. Marie Home. Denise’s home studio, The Magic Cottage, offers individual and group art classes.

In warm months the classes take place in a wonderful outdoor studio surrounded by beautiful gardens and the sounds of a waterfall and koi pond. Private lessons are also available in your home.

Websites: www.denisedemarco.com & www.magic-cottage.com Contact information: 201-602-4147