Mixed Media Artist

Studio 4

Instagram

Mixed Media Artist

Mama Artist trying to balance motherhood and creativity.

Studio 12

Instagram

Painter

I'm Aja. Growing up, I was super imaginative, which led to my love of art. Taking that passion for creativity to college, I graduated with a BFA from Syracuse University, majoring in Illustration. My first jobs were graphic design based. I dabbled in jewelry making and ceramics along the way. Afterwards, I freelanced, completing murals, artwork for restaurants and commission paintings as I was raising my three kids in Media, PA. With years of experimentation, my work has evolved from semi-realistic, to a more abstract approach, but it is ever changing with how I am feeling in that moment. Nature and the human experience are often found in my subject matter.  Besides art, getting out into nature, listening to music, going to the beach (where I grew up) and spending time with friends and family are some of my interests. I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life!

Studio B

Gretchen Ann Fine Art

I’ve done many things “out of order.” I became a mother before marriage. My husband proposed with a ring three years after we had already eloped. We held a big wedding celebration 13 years after saying “I do.” And I earned my fine art degree in my 30s and 40s, studying alongside 18–21-year-olds.

I don’t follow the beaten path—and for a long time, that left me anxious and uncertain. But looking back, I see how those choices gave me a story and a perspective that are uniquely mine.

When I became a mother, I chose to stay home, but I still wanted something that was just for me. That led me to art classes, and eventually—after 17 years of stopping and starting to make room for family life—I earned my degree in fine art. It took persistence, patience, and a willingness to keep showing up, even if progress came slowly and I felt unsure.

Now, as my kids step into their independence, I have the space, confidence, and courage to create and sell my work. My paintings reflect the same qualities that have shaped my life: layers of experience, reworking what doesn’t fit, building texture from the past, and finding balance in the present.

As I head into my 50s, I no longer question whether my path is the right one. It’s mine, it’s messy, and it’s beautiful. I belong exactly where I am..

Studio E

Website / Instagram

Realistic Landscape, Still Life, and Figurative Painting

Artist Statement: Realism has held its own through centuries of changing styles and movements. Though representative, it melds the artist’s state of mind with what is visually perceived. The apparent human touch, the small areas of imperfection compel the viewer to see through a different lens, to connect with the artist on new journey of perception. The apogee of realistic art is the portrait, which was my specialization for many years. A portrait is a holistic representation of the individual and serves as an example of the period in which he or she belongs. Times have changed, and I am currently seeking to engage in a more impressionistic and contextual approach to the human figure.  It does not lessen my attention to detail but allows for a more playful approach in its final expression.

Increasingly, painting landscapes has become rewarding in a different way. I find greater freedom to experiment with color and form, to reveal my perception of what I find magical. My favorite medium has always been pastel for landscapes; only recently has this preference morphed toward oil. Landscapes are first created then sold, not the opposite as in portraiture. And they don’t require absolute adherence to the particulars of a given scene. Landscapes continue to fascinate with moments in time that almost approach perfection if you can capture them. I do not have to go far to locate Philadelphia area scenes that rivet the eye, hold centuries of history and invite a desire to render in paint.

Studio 8

Website / Instagram

Painter, Sculptor, and Founder of Heron Studios & Gallery which is now Aston Mills Arts

Mary Gordon 

Studio D