Artists | MiddlesexCreates.com

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Olga Mercedes Bautista

Visual Artist; Sculptor

Colombian-American sculptor Olga Mercedes Bautista has been awarded several certificates of appreciation from the mayors of Newark, Jersey City, and Perth Amboy. She worked for the city of Perth Amboy as a Founder-Director of the Perth Amboy Gallery, as a curator of art exhibitions, organizer of the Festival of the Andes, and art shows in the city for which she was in charge in securing grants. After receiving a Master in Fine Arts Education from Kean University, she became an art teacher at the Perth Amboy High School. Bautista has held this position for the past 19 years. Bautista holds a Studio Art, with a specialization in Fine Arts Master’s degree from New Jersey City University.

Lauren Curtis

Visual Artist

Lauren Curtis graduated with her BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, in 1988. She’s been creating ever since and now, as a full time artist, enjoys working in a variety of media, including oils, collage, pen & ink, watercolor and photography. Curtis is happiest when creating pieces that represent her love of nature, wildlife, travel and spiritual subject matter. The symbolism and mythology of ancient cultures are fused with the symbols from modern day , natural spiritual practices, to form a unique and eclectic style. These images are often portrayed through the woman’s perspective, showing the importance of “The Feminine”, which is sometimes over-looked. Travel is another major influence in Lauren’s work, usually photographs, created from these journeys helps the artist to convey the beauty found in diversity, as well as in the similarities, that run through various cultural belief-systems. Lauren has had artwork and poetry published by greeting card and crafter companies, magazines, children’s books and historical organizations, including the Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission. One of her pieces was selected for the permanent collection of the Joyce Kilmer Library in central NJ. Curtis’ work has been displayed in private collections, healthcare centers and galleries and was selected for a solo exhibit at Johnson &Johnson World Headquarters, July-August, 2009. She was a featured artist on the Science Channel‘s TV show Oddities (2011-2012), was also featured on Germany’s TAFF TV (2015), several NJ/NYC cable /YouTube TV shows and has done radio interviews as well. Lauren has participated in over 100 solo, group & juried exhibitions, won multiple awards and is a member of NJ Arts organizations. Her artwork has been sold throughout the US and abroad and she exhibits her work monthly in gallery shows, art festivals and cultural events. To keep updated on Lauren’s art schedule, please visit http://laurencurtisart.weebly.com where you can also sign her email list.

Cristina Hoyos

Educator; Visual Artist

Cristina Hoyos, an artist from Colombia, is a postmodern Surrealist who explores the theme of the “Witness” through the ubiquitous image of a mysterious eye in the sky that appears in many of her paintings, collages and drawings. Hoyos’ compositions are visionary journeys depicting fragmented figures in metaphysical spaces in luminous colors that enhance their dreamlike imagery. The addition of organic material such as leaves, in some of her smaller mixed media works adds to the poetry that makes Cristina Hoyos an appealing and compelling painter of “dreamscapes”.

Krishma Patel

Artisan; Visual Artist

Krishma explores the visual impact of Quilted Texture in her work. She is inspired by the bold use of colors found in Folk Arts from around the world as well as the simple geometric shapes found in Mid Century Modern Art. Krishma Patel was born in South India, a region famous for it’s exquisite textiles. Her mother, an avid dress maker, would hand Krishma scraps of fabrics and silk yarns to play with. By the age of 9 she was able to run a treadle sewing machine on her own. Throughout, her school and college years, she worked on and gathered knowledge of the various local textiles. She excelled in Free Motion Embroidery on the treadle sewing machine. She had not encountered Quilting until much later in life. By formal education, Krishma has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting & Finance. While she progressed in the careers of Accounting & Finance, she continued to nurture her love for textiles and yarns. A job move for Krishma’s husband brought them both to USA. Shopping for house wares in the spring of 2001 she was asked to peek into a room that had a traveling exhibit of award winning quilts on display. She was transfixed by the beauty of these quilted works of Art and there was no looking back. Today, as a self taught Professional Quilt Artist, Krishma Patel quilts on State of the Art Quilting Machines as well as on the Treadle Sewing Machines. She offers Quilting for Hire services and is also Commissioned by people to make quilts from design to completion to commemorate events, milestones & to enhance interior spaces. She has won many awards for her quilts as well as for her client’s quilts. She actively seeks, takes a lead & participates in Community Quilt projects.

Teju Reval

Designer; Visual Artist

Teju is a charcoal artist, Illustrator and Surface pattern designer. Her style is elegant and trendy, and mostly romanticizes contrasts- Black & white with color, simple with complex, mundane with extraordinary. She grew up in India and has lived in the UK, Hong Kong and US. Though she trained as a Computer Engineer and earned her Masters in Business Administration, her heart was always set on creative pursuit. She quit her job and became a full-time artist in 2013. Teju loves working with Charcoal. She is amazed at how that medium can be both loose and rigid at the same time, the possibilities are endless. She also enjoys working with different media like pen and ink, watercolor and gouache. She takes inspiration from her travels. She lives, dreams and breathes art everyday.

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