Ritu Khetan is a self-taught artist whose work is deeply inspired by her roots in Rajasthan, India. Captivated by the beauty of henna art, she wanted to extend its reach beyond traditional temporary hand designs by creating intricate, cone-painted patterns on candles, trays, and home décor that would last forever. From introducing the art of Henna to the students of Carnegie Mellon University to crafting three-feet pieces from scratch for her home, Ritu loves to share the joy of simply “creating” with all those around her. She is honored to work with the Maina Foundation and use her passion for art to raise awareness and support in the fight against breast cancer.
Lisa Miceli is a plein air painter and art teacher with a focus on expressionist watercolors and oils. Her path to becoming an artist was gradual, as she took classes and workshops whenever she could during her twenty + years working as a psychologist. Lisa has been able to devote herself full-time to art and teaching for the past five years and through art classes, demos, and plein air painting, has been able to share the joy of painting with students and with the community.
A significant influence on Lisa’s development as an artist was her grandmother, Lucille Gauthier, who was an illustrator, watercolorist, and a Works Progress Administration artist in the 1930’s. Lisa studied watercolor painting with British plein air watercolorist Ron Ranson who influenced her expressive watercolor style, and with Bob Noreika at the Lyme Art Association, Howard Park at the Mystic Museum of Art, and with instructors at Granite Street Gallery in New London.
Lisa has won awards for her expressive watercolors at the New England Watercolor Society Regional and plein air shows, at Mystic Museum of Art shows, and was winner of the JMW Turner watercolor competition at the Mystic Seaport; she also received a recent award for her plein air oil painting at Lyme Art Association. Her oil and watercolor paintings have been in galleries and juried shows throughout New England and in Oklahoma City.
Lisa teaches expressive watercolor workshops, and teaches plein air oil and watercolor painting with her colleague Howard Park at the Lyme Art Association, Mystic Museum of Art, Avondale Arts, and on Fishers Island, New York. Lisa is an elected artist at the Mystic Museum of Art, a member of the Noank 9 plein air painting group,and co-chaired the NEWS Brushes with Nature plein air painting program. Lisa’s work and plein air teaching videos can be viewed on her website at www.lmiceliart.com.
Howard Park attended the Masters of Fine Arts program at Tuffs University and studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA and continued his studies in France at L’Ecole d’Art Decorative de Nice, where he won a prize in Photography.
After a stint in the Merchant Marine, Howard returned to Boston to work as a photographer and art director, but his love of the sea eventually led him to Connecticut to manage a boatyard and raise a family. Ultimately, he realized his dream to sail around the world and paint. After restoring Comet, a 1946 Sparkman & Stephens 52’ yawl, Howard completed a circumnavigation in 2001. After his return from the voyage, Howard settled in Stonington, CT where he owned and operated the Four Starr Gallery and Frame Shop located in the Velvet Mill, Stonington, CT. He now owns HGPark Fine Art Conservation, focusing on restoration, fine art appraisals, including original oil paintings, works on paper, objects, etchings, murals and antique frames.
Howard co-teaches adult oil and watercolor art classes, workshops and plein air painting with colleague Lisa Miceli at the Lyme Art Association, the Mystic Museum of Art and the Community Center on Fisher’s Island, NY. He is the founder of The Noank 9, a group of local painters who meet weekly; and he is Co-Chair of the Brushes with Nature Plein Air painting program at the New England Watercolor Society.
Besides participating in group and solo exhibitions, Howard has won numerous awards from the New England Watercolor Society, the Mystic Museum of Art and the Lyme Art Association. Howard is an Elected Artist at the Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT and at the Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, CT, and a he is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA). His works hang in galleries and private collections throughout the world, including: Avondale Arts, Avondale, RI; Arnould Gallery, Marblehead, MA; Lyme Art Association,Old Lyme, CT; Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, CT; Louisa Gould Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and Stonington Gallery, Stonington, CT.
When not out in the field painting or teaching, Howard spends much of his time in the studio where he lives in East Lyme, CT, or at his shop at the Velvet Mill in Stonington. Howard’s modern-impressionist oil and watercolor paintings portray his love of the sea and the ever changing landscapes. Website: www.howardparkart.com | Workshop contact: [email protected]
Natalie is a self-taught artist who works with acrylic, watercolors and oil paints. Her inspiration comes from conservation of wildlife, traditional Indian art and lifestyles, serenity of nature, and different cultures of the world. She is passionate about children’s and women’s health. She has been involved for several years with Maina Foundation, whose mission is to increase awareness and to promote early detection of breast cancer in women around the world. She hopes that through her passion for art, she is able to contribute to the cause she wholeheartedly believes in. [Visit Website]
