By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — Each painter has his or her own technique of spreading watercolors on a page to produce an image.
Some of the scenes that emerge are familiar, like those of the Parsonage Barn or Brainerd Lake in Cranbury, or the one of Stonehenge. Others are more abstract like “Canyon Impression” and “Spring Fields,” yet all are generated by one group that meets monthly to critique each other’s work on a new subject — Watercolorists Unlimited.
Bernice Fatto, of Hillsborough, and Wilma Shimer, of Cranbury, who retired from the group two months ago, founded Watercolorists Unlimited in April 1987.
“There were only about 20 members and we were inspired by a teacher — Lucile Geiser,” Ms. Fatto said. “After she stopped teaching, we formed our organization.”
Mostly the members, of which there are now 12, inspire each other to develop in new areas. They assign a different subject to paint each month in hopes of helping each other grow as artists.
One of Ms. Fatto’s pieces in the exhibit is a painting of a railroad crossing in Manville before the development of the underpass. She painted the image when the subject of the month was “wheels.”
“My husband took photos in Manville as a kid,” she said. “The painting is a composite of six pictures.”
Her other piece is a painting of the Sonoran Desert complete with saguaro cacti.
Eleanore Newell, of Monroe, one of the group’s newest members, said, “Every painter is different and everyone has a different style. It inspires you.”
Susan Stults Ewart, who grew up in Cranbury but now lives in Pennington, likes the atmosphere she can create with watercolors. She applies the wet technique to generate impressionistic free-flowing images. Her oceans and fields have more of a dreamlike quality than Barbara Cox’s paintings of New Jersey’s Benny’s Landing and nearby Mercer Farm. Ms. Cox, of West Windsor, teaches painting, and said the group, which meets once a month in each other’s homes, “keeps us honest because we critique each other’s work.” She added that the criticism is constructive and is always delivered with a means to fixing problematic areas.
Lisa Walsh, of Cranbury, who has been a member of Watercolorists Unlimited for 15 years, said the group definitely explores different techniques in painting.
“Each month we have an assignment, such as creating a dripping painting, and it pushes you out of your comfort zone,” Ms. Walsh said. “Experiencing other techniques helps you grow as an artist.”
This will be the third year that the group has had an exhibit in the Gourgaud Gallery. The “Works by Watercolorists Unlimited” exhibit will be on display from June 7 to June 26, with a reception Sunday, June 7, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Gallery hours are Sundays, June 7 and June 21, from 1 to 3 p.m. and weekdays Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Artists will be available to share and discuss their work with the visitors at the reception on Sunday in the gallery, located in Town Hall, 23-A N. Main St. in Cranbury. There will be light refreshments.
The artwork is for sale, with 20 percent of each sale going to support the Cranbury Arts Council and its programs. Cash or a check made out to the Cranbury Arts Council is accepted as payment.
See www.cranburyartscouncil.org for more information.
