Send off summer with an explosion of colorful petals for our September exhibition, “Modern Bouquets.” Blooming on the gallery walls from September 6th to the 28th is a collection of stylized contemporary floral paintings that transport viewers to a lush botanical garden right here in downtown Lewes. This new show brings together perfectly pristine perennials from four artists: Allison Cosmos, Charlene Jobe, Lisa Katharina, and Cindy Kaufman.​

 

     Allison Cosmos, a resident of Hockessin, DE, is a visual artist and designer known for her richly layered compositions that blend natural history, storytelling, and the decorative arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Over the past 30 years, her work has gained global attention, appearing in Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda, HGTV, and Architectural Digest. Allison’s contemporary bouquets include hyper-realistic acrylic paintings of native plants. Her work employs smooth, solid backgrounds that lend a contemporary clarity to the pieces, striking a balance between tradition and modernity. 

 

     Charlene Jobe is an artist who specializes in plein air landscapes, florals, and image-based abstracts. She studied at the Norton School of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts. She has exhibited in art shows up and down the East Coast and is a member of Oil Painters of America and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters. For this exhibition, Charlene is exhibiting five blooming pieces, crafted in acrylic and grounded in an abstract expression. Her brush strokes effortlessly blend bold, contrasting tones to create lively, flowing petals.

 

     For 15 years, Lisa Katharina taught art in the classroom and at The Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Barnes Foundation. She worked at The PMA as a Museum Educator and a Facilitator in the museum’s Teacher Resource Center, where she assisted classroom teachers with incorporating art into curriculum development across diverse subject areas. Like Charlene, Lisa also crafts her contemporary florals with expressionistic marks. Her paintings — which are presented in pastel, ink, and acrylic — are abstract with large swaths of color evoking the movement and texture of flowers. 

 

     Cindy Kaufman worked in architecture and interior design for three decades before moving into art. With design, she was rigid and detailed, meticulously planning every aspect to create a harmonious environment. But in her art, she breaks free from the constraints of design guidelines and expresses herself in a new way. Cindy sees her art as a reflection of her personality: filled with joy, whimsy, and a love for nature. Cindy’s “Modern Bouquets” collection features 15 illustrative floral scenes that depict sun-soaked blossoms. Her acrylic paintings appear to be alive, virtually jumping off the canvas and immersing the viewer in a magical world.