Join us for First Friday Scranton.
New artwork on display each month.
MAY 3, 2024 | 5PM-9PM
This month’s show is entitled, “Wonder”, featuring art work by Allison, LaRussa, Eric Bussart, Christine Smith, and Rena Hottinger.
To learn more about our featured artists, simply click on their image below.
Artists interested in participating in Urban Co-Work’s First Friday may complete and submit our form below.
Allison LaRussa
ARTIST'S BIO
Allison was surrounded by creativity as a child and has been painting since she could hold a paintbrush. She didn’t fully realize the profound impact of creativity until her young adult years when she struggled with mental health and substance use issues. Allison’s work explores the inner intricacies of nature, as well as a free flowing abstract release which brings her serenity and peace. Her work aims to create a space where individuals can find calm, connection to themselves and the world around them, as well as a release from the confines of life.
Allison grew up in Scranton, PA and graduated with a BA from Marywood University. Allison is also a Registered Yoga and Fitness instructor.
Eric Bussart
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Illustration is among the purest forms of expression, a fascinating craft that I have devoted my life to perfecting. Unlike most visual mediums it carries an obligation to convey a specific concept, and cannot be left entirely up to audience interpretation. I have always loved drawing. When I am fully immersed the process becomes meditative, time falls away, and the mind and body work in seamless concert towards a single end. Every project starts with a vision, a mental understanding of a visual solution, the challenge is then sculpting it on the page. I find that I am never quite able to depict the impossibly vivid image held within my mind's eye, always falling slightly short. As my technical abilities improve, so does the ever elusive image that flickers on the backs of my eyelids. I am constantly striving to push the limits of my artistic abilities, this process of perpetual refinement is profoundly thrilling. I believe that it is only in this righteous pursuit of improvement that one can truly come to know themselves.
Christine Smith
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My name is Christine Smith. The catalyst behind this style was quitting alcohol and immersing myself in abstract painting. The technique is layering acrylic paint on canvas and using my palm and a brush to blend the colors. To create movement throughout the painting I turn the canvas frequently while working on it. For this show, I played with the layers of colors on top of each other. Some paintings have very gentle watered-down layers and others have many layers of thick paint.
This show is a reminder to play, have fun and not be so serious.
My hope is that the viewer lets their imagination run free.
Rena Hottinger
BIO.
Rena was born and raised in Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY, and now lives in the Poconos of PA. She utilizes multiple media for free-style self-expression including acrylic & impasto, oil & cold wax, glitter paint with sand and chipped rocks, soft pastel, charcoal, ink, marker & crayon, collage, clay, floral design, and photography. Appreciating Buddhist philosophy, she explains that “creating art” is a virtuous activity and contributes to a meaningful life that benefits all.
Rena contends that everything happens in the moment—including creating and appreciating art. Since 2016, she has been learning from and reproducing works by Old Masters in her own style and interpretation. The latest is “Returned, from The Canada Series, after Joan Mitchell” who is an American Abstract Expressionist painter from the mid-1900’s. In March of 2023, Rena honored female artists including Joan Mitchell and Georgia O'Keeffe in “Women’s History Month” group art exhibit in East Stroudsburg PA. Before choosing a painting to reproduce, she reads and studies about the famous artist. Then during the actual creation of the artwork, Rena sometimes thinks that she can feel the energy and emotions of the artist coming through the creative process of the painting!
She adores the world of the abstract and seems to get lost there. Creating larger scale abstract paintings is something she is drawn to and thoroughly enjoys. When she begins a painting such as this, there may not be any planned idea as to what to paint — mainly she follows the impulse and feeling generated, perhaps related to chosen colors and shapes. Rena states, “It’s always a thrill to discover what an abstract painting is all about, only after it is completed and viewed from each of its four sides.”
Past First Friday Installations
April 2024 | “Symphony in Hues” | Featuring:
- Christine Smith
- Rena Hottinger
- Carlo Savo
- The Artist SACHIKO
March 2024 | “Vivid Impressions” | Featuring:
- The Artist SACHIKO
- Carlo Savo
- Sunday Olaniyi
- Nate Holden
February 2024 | Featuring:
- Sunday Olaniyi
- Nate Holden
- Jesse Clemente
January 2024 | “Tearing down your reality” | Featuring:
- Jesse Clemente