The Stories We Tell

Laura Rutherford Renner, from Collingswood, NJ, enjoys painting figures engaged in the experience of their environments. Her work has been recently described as "Bold, brave, and a true voice." Renner states: "Capturing contemporary life snap shots in two dimensions is an exercise in problem solving and creativity. I enjoy mixing pure colors, keeping my palette simple to create authentic observation. The quiet engagement of brush to palette and brush to board provides daily calm and purpose". Laura, an occupational therapist for the past 27 years, has recently retired from this important work. She lives with her husband, their child, and their snarky, beloved cat, Lulu.

Alla Podolsky's work lends itself to storytelling. "I am a chronicler," Podolsky says. "My work is narrative, visually and thematically. I find stories in everything I observe, and painting is how I tell them. Beyond depiction, I try to convey experiences that are both universal and intensely personal." A native of Kiyv, Ukraine, Alla Podolsky traces her love of psychological painting to that ancient city's iconography and rich narrative traditions. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design and The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her work is a combination of her European sensibilities and her American experiences.