Robert Forrey : More Colors

Robert Forrey is bringing his latest collection, More Colors, to the Mulberry Ballroom at Mulberry Art Studios this May. More Colors consists of large-scale acrylic paintings loaded with color, designed to pull the emotion out of the viewer. The public is invited to come out and meet the artist at a First Friday opening reception on May 2nd from 5:00pm until 8:00pm. Two Sunday receptions will be held from 1:00pm until 4:00pm on May 4th and 11th.

Forrey states his inspiration simply, “The ability to create art. The passion to create art. Art for art’s sake.” Forrey has been creating art since he was a child. His formal education took place at Millersville University, where he discovered the "Colorfield Painters" and works of “Contemplative Abstraction” that sparked his interest in exploring color in the context of space.

"The mission of discovery while painting is both exciting and tedious as I attempt to create harmony on the surface of the canvas. It’s a beautiful thing," says Forrey.

Judith Rempel Smucker : The Daily Paper

Judith Rempel Smucker's collection of collage work, entitled The Daily Paper, will be exhibited throughout the month of May in the North Gallery of Mulberry Art Studios. The public is invited to come out and meet the artist at a First Friday opening reception on May 2nd from 5:00pm until 8:00pm. Two Sunday receptions will be held from 1:00pm until 4:00pm on May 4th and 11th.

The collages in The Daily Paper are made up of photographs, vintage fabric scraps and newspaper clippings. Judith says she includes the clippings because, "Newspaper headlines confront us daily. Much of the time we don't think about them unless they affect us personally or promise to inform or entertain. Typically, headlines act as a tool to draw the reader into a story that already exists. But what if the story needs to be created by the reader? What if there is more to the protagonist than meets the eye? These whimsical, sometimes philosophical image combinations are bound together by their very randomness, suggesting unexpected statements about life and how we interpret it. When unlikely subjects collide in a new context, energy is born."

Judith, who is originally from Manitoba, Canada, sites her rural upbringing and recent times spent on a sheep farm in Germany as some of her inspirations. Judith received a BFA from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and a Master of Fine Arts Equivalent from the Basel School of Design in Switzerland. She has taught graphic design, typography, and design fundamentals at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and is currently a freelance graphic designer and artist.

Lancaster Camera Club : The Presidents' Exhibit

The Lancaster Camera Club's Presidents' Exhibit will be displayed in the Louise Gallery at Mulberry Art Studios throughout the month of May. Lynn Strayer, the Immediate Past President and Charles Heisterkamp, the current President of the Lancaster Camera Club have collaborated to create this stimulating new exhibit. The public is invited to come out and meet the artists and enjoy refreshments during the First Friday opening reception from 4:00pm until 8:00pm on May 2nd. A Sunday reception will be held on May 4th from 1:00pm until 4:00pm.

Lynn Strayer has been passionate about photography since his teenage years, and cites photography as the common thread throughout his life. In 2004 Strayer decided to pursue photography as a full-time career and, with his wife Pattie, launched Top Class Productions, a photography/videography business that caters to weddings and corporate events. "Becoming a professional photographer has enabled me to develop my skills into an art form to convey a message, a feeling that not only records a moment in time, but also provides an essence of what life has offered for all of us to enjoy," says Strayer.

Charles Heisterkamp also became very interested in photography in his early teens. Two major interests of his include "street" photography, images of both people on the streets and the architecture lining the streets, and nude photography, preferably in the classic or Greek statue mode. With encouragement from his grandfather, a very talented photographer himself, Heisterkamp also learned the pleasure of both candid and informal portraiture. "With the spontaneity of the informal and candid portrait, one often captures something of the ethereal essence of a person, maybe a little of their soul, unlike the formal portrait where the person wears a mask, however translucent," Heisterkamp explains.

The combination of the work of these two photographers creates an interesting and exciting blend of styles and topics.