ARTery Galley’s new exhibit explores ‘The Language of Beauty’

The ARTery Gallery recently announced that two of its members — Marie Liu and Liza J. Smith-Simpson — will be featured in the October exhibit, titled “The Language of Beauty.” According to the Gallery’s announcement, “both artists are well versed in paintings of beautiful and meaningful images that focus on the beauty of the world around us, here in the tri-state region.”

Marie Liu, longtime member and current director of the ARTery has been painting images of the Poconos, its unique landscape and history, for over a decade and is well-known for her depictions of the many waterfalls in the region. A number of her pieces have been conceived with the help of inspirational phrases and excerpts from literature, including Rumi, Jesus, Yann Martel and Gifford Pinchot; then translated in paint through local scenes, flora and fauna.

She stated, “Finding inspiration for paintings of the place I call home is easy. Applying a deeper meaning to the imagery, through literature, seems like a natural progression and allows those paintings to represent a larger idea. My hope is to encourage the viewer to seek the magic and mystery of life within their immediate surroundings, however seemingly mundane. I suppose that is the essence of both art and life.”

One of her major paintings to be presented at this, her 14th featured exhibit at the ARTery Gallery, is a view of the Delaware River Valley from Staircase Natural Area in Pike County, manipulated to illustrate a passage in a book by Yann Martel – “Daylight has reached its last hour. The earth and the trunks of the trees are burnished red by the setting sun. Sweeping across the land comes a wind, a most gentle of cavalry charges... Riding upon it is the collective news of all nature...”. The full passage is incorporated into the frame surrounding the painting. “It took me years to find the right image that could visually express this beautiful passage. I planted the seed and it finally sprouted – sometimes that’s how the creative process happens.”

Liza J. Smith-Simpson grew up in an artistic household. She sold her first oil painting of a vase with daisies at the age of 9, but her curiosity also led her to an interest in the spatial relationship of abstract collage, which she still creates with her “Flight Paths” and “Pieces” series, using vibrant handmade collage pieces and acrylic skins. She also creates paintings in various mediums of flora, fauna, landscape and seascapes/skyscapes.

While pursuing a degree at in psychology, she also studied art with Professor Hyo Chong Yoo, both at Upsala University in West Orange, N.J. She worked at an insurance company for 13 years, calculating insurance premiums, and then for healthcare for six more years. She was accepted into Northwest NJ Respiratory Care Consortium in 2005.

She has participated in many art demonstrations and workshops over the years, including in 2019 with poet and collage artist, Joan Hall. In 2015 she was enrolled in classes with California-based artist Robert Burridge. Recent awards include: a first-place award for “Autumn Mood” in 2022, an honorable mention for “Ascending Order” in 2020, second place for “Buttermilk Falls NJ” in 2019, and an honorable mention for “Flight Paths IX” at the Tewksbury Historical Society Show.

The public is encouraged to attend the wine and cheese reception on Saturday, October 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. to meet the artists and see the work of the other members of this cooperative gallery in the historic Forest Hall Building at 210 Broad Street, Milford.

The show will run from October 10 to November 4. The Gallery is open Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit arterygallerymilford.com.