RAHWAY, NJ — Rahway seniors are making the world more colorful.
The 20th annual Senior Art Show’s opening reception recently took place at the Rahway Senior Center. Featured work by senior artists was created using watercolor, colored pencil, charcoal, pastels, acrylics and oil.
There was also work from the memoir writing class, instructed by Mary Ellinger, and quilt making, instructed by Sharon Young.
Laura Brown, art instructor and show coordinator, said, “Every year I say the same thing; this is the best year ever!”
Ann Quigley is the oldest senior artist this year at 103. “I just love it,” she said. Quigley has been an artist her whole life. Her favorite medium is oils and watercolor. She says she’s inspired from within.
Tina Paonessa has been taking art classes at the senior center for the past three years. “I love it,” she said. “You can blend colors. You can mix colors to get a new color. You’re free to do what you want.” Paonessa works in both watercolor and acrylic. “It’s very relaxing,” she said.
Valerie Richardson works in mixed media. Her featured painting was of a Chinese pagoda. “I always wanted to go to Asia,” she said. “I’m learning Japanese in hopes of going one day.” Richardson started taking classes at Rahway Senior Center two years ago. She said she’s been dabbling in art since childhood and is inspired by Monet. “I like a lot of unknown artists, too,” she said.
Bill Buchan has been taking art classes at the senior center for a couple of years. He said he paints “whatever grabs me at the moment.” He said he likes landscapes and seascapes. American artist Winslow Homer is one of the artists who inspires him.
Louise Campanelli said she likes to paint cats in watercolor. “I love the gushy faces,” she said. “Cats are my thing.” She’s been painting for five years. “I paint anything,” she said. “It’s just so much fun. It is therapy. I love my class. We feed off each other. We take each other’s advice.”
Catherine Dow has been taking classes at the senior center for three years. “I never had school,” she said. “I have a little talent. The teacher, Laura Brown, brings it out of me.”
Pam Scott started drawing in 2020, then she went on to watercolor. “I never did it before in my life,” she said. “I enjoy it.”
Sharon Young, the quilting instructor, said her students work at their own pace at simple projects. But she’ll challenge them if they’re experienced.
Charlotte Jackson has been quilting for four years. She showed off a quilt she made for her son-in-law, who is in a fraternity. “I still have a lot to learn,” she said.
Rosann Tremarco was one of the participants in memoir writing. Her piece was called, “If I Could Live My Life Over Again.” She wrote about a trip to Peddler’s Village and riding the carousel that she didn’t 30 years prior. She said the memoir group met every week and the teacher gave them a subject matter, allowing the participants to reach back and write about something in their lives.
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta