Meet the Artists - Tatiana Turchin

A native of Russia, Tanya started her watercolor studies with Peggy Dressel and Pamela Legate, then with Joel Popadics. She is now studying with Eli Rosenthal. She has participated in many art shows, and her paintings are in private collections in Oregon, New York, Michigan, and Russia.

Meet the Artists - Natalie Saunders

Natalie's painting passion is flowers. She also enjoys painting seascapes. Her favorite medium is watercolor, but she also paints in pastels and acrylic. Most of her work is traditional, but often she combines this with a non-traditional approach.

Meet the Artists - Lorrie Pallant

Lorrie's watercolors of landscapes and flowers are an expression of her passion for the play of light and color in natural settings. She finds watercolor a natural medium for painting the places and things she loves. She is "never lonely with a paint brush in her hand".

Meet the Artists - Nan Michelmore

Nan started her art studies in her native Australia, then England, and now in the US. She enjoys working with sculpture, pastel and oil, but loves the flexibility and portability of watercolor. She has taken workshops in Ireland, Vermont, and Provence, and also paints in Martha's Vinyard and the Hudson Valley. She is represented by Drue Chryst Gallery in Lake Mohawk. Her paintings are in private collections in Australia, England and the US.

Meet the Artists - Michelle Himes

Michelle has been exhibiting and winning awards for her close-focused watercolor florals for several years. She also enjoys painting landscapes on location on her visits to Maine. She is a member of the Northeast Watercolor Society, the Ridgewood Art Institute and Community Arts Association.

Meet the Artists - Anna Fronte

Anna loves painting the landscape, but will enjoy painting flowers, still life, and animals. She also enjoys painting semi-abstract and non-objective art. She has won many awards for excellence and her art hangs in private collections.

Meet the Artists - Monique Paige du Bois

Monique is currently a member of the Ridgewood Art Institute, The Community Arts Association, and the Art Center of New Milford, where she has been elected to be part of their exclusive ACWA (Art Center Watercolor Affiliates). Marveling at the beauty of this world, she expresses her feelings in her vision of Mother Nature.

Show Update

Well, our inaugural show is over, and the paintings have been picked up. I'm really proud of talented little group. Five paintings sold in the show - not a huge success by any means, but not bad for our first exhibition. I hope those of us who didn't sell this time won't be too discouraged. We have a couple of leads for future places to show, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we all do next. Job well done, girls!

Our first show

Our first group show is being held at the Gallery of the Franklin Lakes Presbyterian Church in Franklin Lakes, NJ. The exhibit continues through the month of November.

As you can see, our exhibit contains a variety of subjects and styles, including florals, landscapes and seascapes, and some of us even venture into abstracts and collage. (You can click on any of these photos to make them larger).

Les Belles Artistes

Les Belles Artistes, a group of seven award winning artists, met ten years ago while studying watercolor painting at the Ridgewood Art Institute in New Jersey with Joel Popadics. They have continued their friendship and recently decided to exhibit together as a group. The artists are l. to r. Lorrie Pallant, Monique du Bois, Anna Fronte, Michelle Himes, Natalie Saunders, Tanya Turchin and Nan Michelmore (not shown). All of the artists have exhibited in various juried shows and solo shows in North Jersey. Their paintings are in private collections in the United States, Australia, England and Russia.