Art in the Park in Maywood, NJ

Just over two weeks ago I had all my paintings and prints on display at Memorial Park in Maywood, NJ for their first Art in the Park event. My husband, Jon, helped set up the tent and was my faithful assistant for the day. (Thanks Jon!)

Being that this was the second outdoor event I've participated in and the first time this event was held, I wasn't sure what to expect. Art in the Park ended up having a little something for everyone. Many different types of handmade items were for sale by local artisans: wood-turned bowls, trinkets such as doll accessories and sun catchers, and of course, paintings.

Me in my tent at the Maywood Art in the Park

The only real hiccup we had was it was very gusty during the day - the canopy of my tent blew off at one point! Other than that, it was a really beautiful, sunny day, and there was an excellent turnout of people.

A closer look at my setup

My husband, Jon, manning the tent while I take pictures

I met two awesome artists during the Art in the Park event. The first is Mike Dziomba, whose work is quite diverse, from traditional serene landscapes to the surreal, as if Dr. Seuss met Salvador Dalí - whimsical and imaginative. When I asked Mike how he comes up with the ideas for his surrealistic paintings, he replied something to the effect that a martini usually helps.

Mike Dziomba with his paintings

Mike's medium of choice is acrylic paint, which is quite impressive because acrylic dries very quickly and because of this, can be difficult to blend. His paintings are so smooth, they look like they could have been done in oil. Actually, I couldn't believe they weren't oil when I saw them. My husband and I loved his work so much we purchased Four Kings (3 cards with beer bottle over green background, middle-left of the below image).

A closer look at some of Mike Dziomba's paintings

The second artist I met is Ovi Paulter, a Lithuanian artist living in northern NJ with a love for all things still life. Her medium of choice, like myself, is oil paint, but she paints very differently than I do. You can see each brushstroke made and feel the emotion in each painting. Her work is bold in its application yet delicate in its subject matter of flowers and vases.

Ovi Paulter with some of her paintings

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See more these artists' work on their websites: Mike Dziomba: https://thefineartofmikedziomba.com Ovi Paulter: https://www.ovipaulterart.co/