Arts & Entertainment

'Just Painters' Share Camaraderie, Art Tips

Area painters meet at an Ivyland art teacher's studio for weekly sessions.

They watch each other. They laugh and learn. They critique. But, mostly they paint. 

Once a week 20 area artists–from Bristol, Newtown, Washington Crossing, Elkins Park, Huntingdon Valley and beyond–crowd into Miriam Warfield's Ivyland studio to learn from their master, share ideas and take each other's feedback as they take paintbrush to canvas.

The informal "Just Painters" group was born about a decade ago after Warfield's then-regular class at The Painters Nest in Upper Southampton was forced to take a hiatus after the studio's closure. 

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"It's a nice class," the semi-retired Warfield said during one of her two weekly classes. "I love it and they've become good friends."

But, even friends critique one another to ensure that fellow painters are always offering the best brush strokes possible. 

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"It's a wonderful form of therapy," Richboro painter Jolynn Grindrod said of the class' feedback.

For Linda Ritter, one of five Upper Southampton artists in the Just Painters group, seeing how each artist adds their own personal flare is fascinating. Recently, the group was tasked with painting a barn fashioned after a fairly basic sketch that Warfield provided. 

"Some are winter. Some are spring," Ritter said of the differences among the group. "It's interesting to see what each person came up with."

Ritter tried her hand at painting in 2001 after spending her childhood drawing and, in later years, doing crafts and sewing. 

"I always worked with my hands," said Ritter, who enjoys painting flowers and landscapes. 

Under Warfield's tutelage, Ritter said she has come to "learn what works and what doesn't." Apparently, Ritter's paintings are a reflection more often than not of what works. Since her early days of painting, Ritter said she has sold at least 90 of her paintings in various shows, including the most recent Tamanend Park Art Show.

"It was wonderful," Ritter said of the first painting sold. 

While painting a vivid purple flower, Mary Ann Mamegonigle of Holland shared that it was with Warfield that she learned a watercolor texturizing technique with table salt

"I have all kinds of things in my repertoire," Mamegonigle said.

But, more important than the painting tricks she's learned are the friends she's made through Warfield's class.

"It's a great class with wonderful people," she said. "We come here even when we don't feel good."

New Hope painter Judy Newman said she had difficulty finding an art community in her hometown. During a visit to Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Newman said she made the lucky discovery of stumbling onto Warfield's work at a gallery there. 

Her immersion into Just Painters soon followed. 

"The group makes all the difference," Newman said. "Sometimes you can't see it in yourself."


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