“Everywhere you turn today as you drive through our beautiful landscape, another swath of farmland has morphed into a grand housing development permanently replacing the seasonal crops of green, and then gold, as well the majestic cows and livestock, with vast acres of identical “homes at the beach.” The classic (and rich in history) architecture of barns and outbuildings eliminated. Marshlands and their ecosystem filled in and replaced with retail. Hotels and Wawas usurping the skyline of once charming towns. This exhibition will illustrate, and perhaps preserve some of these lost, and disappearing landscapes in contemporary paintings.”

“My work is primarily focused on landscapes. As a local artist, growing up here as well as living and working here as an adult, the beaches, marshes, farmland, and all the beauty of the Delaware bay watershed have constantly beckoned to, and inspired me. I always begin with a specific place in mind, working both from photos, and from direct observation, but my philosophy and technique embrace that the painting will evolve in its own way, having a life of its own. It is this “life” that I seek to capture, and preserve, especially in this exhibit. “

Image Credit: Michelle Marshall-Johnson, Serenity, acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 48″