Anticipation

Laura Rutherford Renner, from Collingswood, NJ, follows the narrative with shade, shadow, and color. 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, a retired occupational therapist of 27 years, also works as a job coach with young adults with disabilities. She lives with her husband, their child, and their snarky, beloved cat, Lulu.

“I am a narrative painter, essentially, a storyteller” says Philadelphia artist Alla Podolsky. “I paint what I wish to keep forever. People I loved and lost, experiences that stayed with me, events that I want to revisit again and again—my work is a way of saving them as they were, as I experienced them. I aim to use color and light as powerful triggers for memories and recognition. I want people to connect to my paintings emotionally, to link what they see to their own experiences. I view my work as both intensely personal and largely universal.” A native of Kiyv, Ukraine, Alla Podolsky traces her love of psychological painting to that ancient city’s iconography and rich narrative traditions. Her work is a combination of her European sensibilities and her American experiences.