2020 Senior Art Show

The annual Union County Senior Citizens Art Exhibit showcases original work created by county residents aged 60 and above. The virtual art exhibit in 2020 comprised 124 works of art, entered by both professional and non-professional artists.

Made possible by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Eileen Bonacci was awarded First Place for Oil Painting by a Professional artist for this painting, titled “Afternoon in Amsterdam.” This work was also awarded Best of Show among all entries by a Professional Artist. This colorful painting depicts a picturesque Amsterdam canal scene on a sunny day. A canopy of leafy trees fills the entire top half of the painting. The yellowish-green color of the leaves indicates that it’s springtime. At the lower left, green-blue water in the canal reflects the blue sky in lovely shades of teal. Our vantage point as viewer might be from a bridge directly over the canal. The focal point is two handsome red-and-white canal boats in the lower right foreground. Beautiful, iconic row houses line the canal. This work is painted in a crisp, realistic style.

BEST IN SHOW by a Professional
Eileen Bonacci
Afternoon in Amsterdam
1st Place
Oil Painting, Professional

Dante Bonardi was awarded First Place for Watercolor by a Professional artist for this striking painting, titled “Going to Church.” In this quiet winter scene, a small house painted a vivid leafy green is centered in and fills most of the composition. Snow covers the steeply pitched roof and most of the ground. The house has two front facing-windows, painted white with white shutters, one on each side of the front door. A smaller section of the house, without windows, is set back from the road. A light-blue sky contrasts with bare tree branches in the foreground and background. Ice on the branches reveals that it’s very cold. A girl (or maybe young woman) walks in front of the house, facing left, her profile silhouetted against the front door. Her face is cast slightly downward. She wears a white bonnet, ankle-length dress, black shoes and a royal-blue cape. The girl’s old-fashioned clothes invite us to wonder about her and what time period is depicted.

Dante Bonardi
Going to Church
1st Place
Watercolor, Professional

Lynda DuBois-Jackson was awarded First Place for Craft by a Professional artist for this quilt, titled “Church Ladies.” Her quilt has a thick outer border of brown-patterned fabric, and a thinner inner border of contrasting blue-patterned fabric. In the center, the striking figures of two women appear on bone-colored background fabric. They are women of color, dressed for church in bright-colored outfits and heels. The artist crafted the figures using a variety of fabrics. Real buttons are sewn onto their outfits. The woman on the left side wears a skirt and jacket of golden hues, and a wide-brimmed hat. She holds a purse – its handle made of real beads. The woman on the right wears a skirt and jacket of blue-purple printed fabric. Her hat is adorned with real feathers, bright blue and purple. At the center of the quilt, she holds a church bulletin that reads “Shiloh Baptist Church.”

Lynda DuBois
Church Ladies
1st Place
Craft, Professional

Marcia Haller was awarded First Place for Acrylic Painting by a Professional artist. Her painting, titled “A Villa Borghese Muse,” is a close-up view of a single pale-pink flower, fully open with its wide, curvaceous petals nearly filling the canvas. A very dark green background sets off the luminous colors of the flower, which is painted with subtly gradated colors of pale pinks blending into yellow-pink hues. The flower is very brightly lit, with its own petals, pistil and stamen casting crisp shadows onto the petals. We also see a few droplets of water on the petals.

Marcia Haller
A Villa Borghese Muse
1st Place
Acrylic Painting, Professional

Janice Metzger was awarded First Place for Printmaking by a Professional artist for this work, titled “Rapa Nui Festival.” Held annually on Easter Island in Polynesia, the Tapati Rapa Nui is a cultural festival including dancing, singing and traditional sports. This monoprint is a portrait of two women (perhaps Polynesian) wearing large, broad head-coverings. Their facial expressions are somewhat serious. The women stand behind large green leaves shown in the foreground. Their upper bodies fill the center third of this vertical composition. Behind them, water is represented with horizontal dark-blue, wavy brush strokes. The woman at left wears an indigo garment and bright-yellow head covering. The other woman’s clothing and head covering are wine-colored. All the colors are subtle, muted hues.

Janice Metzger
Rapa Nui Festival
1st Place
Printmaking, Professional

Nancy Ori was awarded First Place for Photography by a Professional artist for this work, titled “Glass Ceiling.” Using careful positioning of the camera, this straight-on color photograph is also an abstract work. The composition is filled with crisp, bold, geometric shapes and lines, layered and overlapping in complex ways. Our view is cast towards a ceiling in a sleek, modern building. We look through a black catwalk-like structure dominating the foreground — its flat vertical plane occupying the center third of the image. The catwalk structure (perhaps steel and cast iron), is edged with thick-black verticals, parallel to many thin cables. It has thick horizontal bars and two X-shaped diagonal bars. In the background, sections of pale-blue sky appear through a series of windows. Set in diagonal rows, the windows form a huge overall circle shape. At the top of the image, above the windows and behind the catwalk, subtle gray shadows cast shapes and lines onto a white surface, defining that surface as curved. This photo invites us to explore perspective, color and light.

Nancy Ori
Glass Ceiling
1st Place
Photography, Professional

Leona Seufert was awarded First Place for Digital/Computer Art by a Professional artist for this work, titled “Life Goes On.” In this work, we see a cemetery, with gravestones and trees appear in the distance. In the foreground, a cluster of gravestones is grouped underneath a leafy tree that fills much of the composition. One of the gravestones faces us, with the surname “SCHOTT,” clearly inscribed in large capital letters. The focal point of this composition is a large gas mask, hanging from the tree. The imagery is mostly black and white, but the sky is a dark, bright red and the gas mask is accented with the same bright red color. The front of the gas mask displays a bio-hazard symbol, black on a bright red circle.

Leona Seufert
Life Goes On
1st Place
Digital Art, Professional

Barbara Uhr was awarded First Place for Pastel by a Professional artist for this work, titled “At the Shore.” Her pastel captures a colorful sunrise over the ocean, seen from a beach, with sunlight reflected on the water and beach sand. The ocean is calm, except for foamy waves crashing onto the shore. Our vantage point is the water’s edge. The top third of this vertical composition is a peach-colored sky, where the sun glows bright yellow on the left side. At the lower left, light-brown beach sand is tinted peach by the sunlight. At the center, the ocean is shown in luminous shades of turquoise and silvery blue. There is white foam and white spray where the waves break, near shore. The sun’s golden reflection extends towards us, illuminating the entire left side – the ocean, waves and sand – resulting in a complex range of colors that are skillfully rendered.

Barbara Uhr
At the Shore
1st Place
Pastel, Professional

Roberta Zlatkin was awarded First Place for Mixed Media by a Professional artist. Her work, titled “My Sanctuary,” is a collage of Japanese craft paper on board. The papers have a variety of textures. Some are partly translucent. This work is abstract, but some shapes may conjure representative elements to the viewer. On the left and near the top, green and pink shapes suggest colorful flowers, stems and leaves. Much of the lower portion is coarsely textured blue paper. In the center near the bottom, a white shape has two “legs” extending from beneath an oval — an abstraction or perhaps suggesting an animal. To its left, black paper cut into overlapping circles are grouped like a small pile. Pieces of paper, patterned in green and gold, appear near the center, perhaps implying a bird in flight. The top corners are covered by white paper containing textured concentric circles.

Roberta Zlatkin
My Sanctuary
1st Place
Mixed Media, Professional

Anne Castellano was awarded First Place for Pastel by a Non-Professional artist for this work, titled “Precious Pup.” It is a portrait of a beloved dog who sits calmly, facing the viewer. The long-haired dog has an engaging face. This pastel portrait is done entirely in shades of black, white and lots of earthy reddish-sanguine brown (possibly using conte crayons). It is skillfully drawn with detailed strokes defining the dog’s curly hair. The dog resembles a terrier-schnauzer mix: curly hair—lighter around the forehead, nose and chest area. A black nose. Gentle, black eyes. The background is solid reddish-sanguine brown, contrasting with the lines that defining the curly hair.

Anne Castellano
Precious Pup
1st Place
Pastel, Non-Professional

James Colangelo was awarded First Place for Craft by a Non-Professional artist for this work, titled “Ruby,” that depicts a colorful bird in flight. It was created using wood lathe, cedar, acrylic paint, a scroll saw, and a band saw. The bird is seen in profile with its wings spread and tilted upwards. The bird’s body is teal-blue, with a magenta blaze on its face, a white breast, and navy-blue edging on its wings. Its beak is very long and thin. The bird is mounted on natural-colored, unpainted cedar wood, creating a stark contrast with the bright paint used for the bird’s body. This piece has a pleasing simplicity.

James Colangelo
Ruby
1st Place
Craft, Non-Professional

William Connolly was awarded First Place for Drawing on Paper by a Non-Professional artist for this work, titled “It Rains in Brooklyn.” Carefully drawn in pencil, this work presents a charming scene of two elderly men seated outdoors playing chess, as a third man stands in the center observing the game. All three men are focused on the chessboard, and all three hold an open umbrella. The three large umbrellas over the men’s heads are prominent in the composition. The umbrella handles point towards the chess board, where the man on the left takes his turn, about to grasp a piece. The subtle background shows just enough that we see this is a park in an urban setting. The chess players wear overcoats and hats. The man observing wears a bowtie and jacket with lapels, as a waiter might wear, suggesting he is passing by.

William Connolly
It Rains in Brooklyn
1st Place
Drawing, Non-Professional

Stephanie Dexter was awarded First Place for Oil Painting by a Non-Professional artist. Her painting, titled “Lever du Soleil à l’Océan” (Sunrise at the Ocean), shows us a close-up of a small ocean wave rolling into shore. It is sunrise or sunset, because the water reflects intense golden reflections and the wave itself casts a dark shadow. The colors of the rippled ocean water are painted with mostly intense orange-gold reflections that contrast with dark shades of neutral gray-blue-black shadows. The moving water fills the entire composition except at the lower left corner, where a small strip of dark, wet sand is about to be covered by the incoming wave.

Stephanie Dexter
Lever du Soleil à l’Océan (Sunrise at the Ocean)
1st Place
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Nancy Fine was awarded First Place for Mixed Media by a Non-Professional artist for this artwork titled “Beautiful Tree,” created with air-dry clay and acrylic paint. A leafy tree is centered in the square-shaped composition. The tree’s elegantly curved roots wrap a mound of earth at the bottom. Our view is zoomed in, because the tree is cropped at the top and sides, and rendered with very large leaves. The tree is sculpted in low-relief, emphasizing veins of the leaves and bumpy tree bark. The low-relief shapes and textures are emphasized by reflective paint. The tree trunk is painted in shades of silver. The strongly delineated leaves and roots are painted in shades of shiny gold. Background behind the tree is painted in gradations of matte yellow that contrast with the vibrant, metallic paint used for the tree.

Nancy Fine
Beautiful Tree
1st Place
Mixed Media, Non-Professional

Robert Gasson
Untitled
1st Place
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

BEST IN SHOW by a Non-Professional
Deborah Mainiero
Abstract Flower
1st Place
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Anne Occi was awarded First Place for Watercolor by a Non-Professional artist. Her work, titled “Shells & More Shells,” is a painting of a mass of sea shells clustered together. Clam shells, scallop shells, and other shells of different sizes overlap each other in this wide-format work. The dimensions are 23 inches wide by 8 inches tall, like a wide-angle photo. The shells are skillfully rendered with exquisite detail. The colors are subtle, including many shades of gray and brown, with some purple hues and a few gold highlights.Anne Occi
Shells & More Shells
1st Place
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Catherine Varnelas-Smith
Doors Before Corona: Hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, numerical order
1st Place
Digital Art, Non-Professional

David Weisbrod was awarded First Place for Photography by a Non-Professional artist. Titled “Night Owl,” his photograph shows a nearly deserted boardwalk on a dark, rainy night. The boardwalk is almost devoid of people, except one man walking away from us, his profile made sharp by street lights just beyond him that cast a bright reflective glare on the wet boardwalk. Even if shadows in the distance are people, the lone man is the focus. The lower half of the composition is dark-grey, soaking-wet boardwalk planks. The overcast sky is dull and gray. On the left side, boardwalk businesses are closed for the night. Signs for pizza and ice cream. On the right, a ramp leads off, maybe towards the ocean, and a blurry hint of dune grass can be seen in the foggy darkness.David Weisbrod
Night Owl
1st Place
Photography, Non-Professional

Tina Berlin
Young Lady
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Dolores Chadwick
Nineteen
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Patricia Conneen
Bull Ring @ Mijas
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Patti Costanzo
Burano, Italy
2nd Place
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Sally Fenichel
Basking in Shore Sun
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Mary C. Gensicke
Pandemic Panda
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Marion Goldberger
Early Spring
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Josephine Hernandez
Cookie & the Magic Carpet
3rd Place
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Gary Hutchens
Raccoon
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Edward A. Irwin
Enjoy
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Karen Kelly
Oregon Coast
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Al Kruper
Backyard Squirrel
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Laurraine Lemond
Doe with Fawn
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Joseph Lockerman
Cosmic Time
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Margaret Irwin Montemayor
Floating Bubbles
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Genadiy Rozhkov
The Daylight Bird
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Deborah Stamm
Abandoned Diner
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

James Temple
Winter Scene
Acrylic Painting, Non-Professional

Velinda Canty
Weekender Tote with Pouch
Craft, Non-Professional

Judy Harris
Chasin’ the Blues (picture frame)
Craft, Non-Professional

William Homiak
Why Dragons No Longer Exist
Honorable Mention
Craft, Non-Professional

Toru Ishiyama
Sunrise at Lake
2nd Place
Craft, Non-Professional

Lillian Muse
Fascinator
Craft, Non-Professional

Cheryl Quince
Honoring the Vets
Craft, Non-Professional

Ruth Sager
Bucket
Craft, Non-Professional

Steven Saltzman
Mostly Red
Craft, Non-Professional

Annie Singleton
Untitled
Honorable Mention
Craft, Non-Professional

Sue Sinsical
Remembering Mom
Craft, Non-Professional

Andrew Sivick
The Night Fisherman
Honorable Mention
Craft, Non-Professional

Theresa Taylor
Necklace with Earrings
3rd Place
Craft, Non-Professional

Mazie Wormley
Necklace
Craft, Non-Professional

William Gardner
Belmar Pier
3rd Place
Digital Art, Non-Professional

Joe Manzella
The Mason Cottage at Christmastime, Cape May, New Jersey
2nd Place
Digital Art, Non-Professional

Phyllis Bernstein
Mixed Up
Drawing, Non-Professional

Deborah Littman
Slick, the Rescue Dog
3rd Place
Drawing, Non-Professional

Joseph Smith, Jr.
Old Covered Railroad Bridge
2nd Place
Drawing, Non-Professional

Lynn Gaines-Shereshewsky
A River Runs Through
2nd Place
Mixed Media, Non-Professional

Vicki Parker
Bliss
3rd Place
Mixed Media, Non-Professional

Diana Vanderclute
Hope & Sunshine
Mixed Media, Non-Professional

Gail Driscoll
Lilacs
2nd Place
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Julia Isidron
Angels among Butterflies
3rd Place
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Illsoo Kim
Walking Around Orange Reservoir at Sunset
Honorable Mention
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Susanne Kuneman
Irish Flowers
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Marjorie Picard
Basket of Joy
Honorable Mention
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Laura Sobocinski
Jersey Girl
Oil Painting, Non-Professional

Rosalie Saltzman
Alaska – Glacier & Blooms
Honorable Mention
Pastel, Non-Professional

Libby Reiss
The Bird Family
Photography, Non-Professional

Renate Bieber
Fern Reflections
Photography, Non-Professional

Maryjean Butler
GH Nocturnal Seascape
Photography, Non-Professional

Greg Cummings
INFINITY
2nd Place
Photography, Non-Professional

Joanne Devine
BLM
Honorable Mention
Photography, Non-Professional

Natalie Gregorio
Misty Spring Morning
Honorable Mention
Photography, Non-Professional

Wendy Kaplowitz
Sunrise in South Africa
Photography, Non-Professional

Roberta Kuperman
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA
Photography, Non-Professional

Michele Mackey
Rainy Night
3rd Place
Photography, Non-Professional

Cathy Merritt
Turtle
Honorable Mention
Photography, Non-Professional

Sara Parmigiani
A Glimpse of the Past
Photography, Non-Professional

Rhonda M. Ricco
Summer Flowers
Photography, Non-Professional

Roger Stamm
Winter Scene
Photography, Non-Professional

Helena Waldmann
Most simply put, the embodiment of love
Photography, Non-Professional

Barbara Wirkus
Driftwood Reverie
Photography, Non-Professional

Jeff Young
Seeds Awaiting Wind
Honorable Mention
Photography, Non-Professional

Nettie Bizelia
Family BBQ
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Ron Brown
The Graduate Covid Minion Sisters Join the POP Art Exhibit
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Luciano Felicio
Scrap Metal Rooster
Honorable Mention
Sculpture, Non-Professional

James Kieffer
Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars
2nd Place
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Dolores Stewart
Gabriel
3rd Place
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Carol Sussman Skalka
A Warm Embrace
Honorable Mention
Sculpture, Non-Professional

Linda Barton
Lake Surprise
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Frances Carter
Colonial Williamsburg
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Suzanne Doliber
Olde Yardley Library
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Kim Eckstrom
Here’s Looking at You
Honorable Mention
Watercolor, Non-Professional

William Eckstrom
Portland Head Lighthouse
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Lorenzo Ferreiro
Venezia
2nd Place
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Nicholas Florio
Bermuda Blue Blessings
Honorable Mention
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Harriet Jacobs
Joyful Bloom
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Beth Simonelli
Carolina Sunset
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Rosanne Snarski
Flamingo Smoothie
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Diana Wilfrid
Trees
3rd Place
Watercolor, Non-Professional

Douglas Allcock
H.P. Trapps
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Professional

Jose Castro
Un Amanecer (A Sunrise)
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Professional

Bob Yurochko
Miles Davis: King Tut Sarcophagus
Honorable Mention
Acrylic Painting, Professional

Johnnye Hansford
Fascinator
Honorable Mention
Craft, Professional

Ellen Pease
Washed Up
Honorable Mention
Craft, Professional

Indira Govindan
Land of the Free / Home of the Brave
3rd Place
Mixed Media, Professional

Lydia Watson
Emotions
2nd Place
Mixed Media, Professional

Arlene Carallo
Waiting
2nd Place
Oil Painting, Professional

Julius Carallo
Magical Mill and Peppers
Honorable Mention
Oil Painting, Professional

Lawrence Gulmi
The Quiet Pond
Oil Painting, Professional

Avi Kiriakatis
Curtsy
Oil Painting, Professional

Heda Matiejunas
Sunflowers in Confit Jar
3rd Place
Oil Painting, Professional

Joseph J. Schott
Books for Sale
Honorable Mention
Oil Painting, Professional

Thomas Wacaster
Pensive
Oil Painting, Professional

Linda Howe
Listen to Love
2nd Place
Pastel, Professional

Millie Lubas
Scenic View
3rd Place
Pastel, Professional

Diana Taliaferro
2020 Nevermore
Honorable Mention
Pastel, Professional

Sam Awad
X Marks the Spot
2nd Place
Photography, Professional

Marilyn Espinoza
God is Watching Us
3rd Place
Photography, Professional

Constantine Kiriakatis
Wrath of Life
Photography, Professional

Mumtaz Mekhaiel
Hotel
Photography, Professional

Agnieszka Solawa
Redeemer
Honorable Mention
Printmaking, Professional

John Curch
A New York Feast
2nd Place
Watercolor, Professional

Angelito David
Homebound
Honorable Mention
Watercolor, Professional

Debra Hargiss
Uncle Monkey
Honorable Mention
Watercolor, Professional

Dianna Strom
Gondola Love
3rd Place
Watercolor, Professional