The paintings of Nathan DiStefano.

Nathan DiStefano’s abstract expressionist paintings absolutely burst with life. In such works as “Soho,” “Storefronts of Times Square,” and “Walk,” he deftly conveys the thrill of stepping into the most electric urban landscapes. Vibrant explosions of yellow, orange, and red -- pushed onto the canvas with kinetic brushstrokes -- commingle with smooth, deep blues; purposeful lines, shapes, and slashes suggest towering skyscrapers, neon signs, tiny bits of nature nearly swallowed by the commanding manmade environment, streets teeming with taxicabs, and, of course, the mad rush of people. Even the comparably placid “Philadelphia Skyline,” or the quainter, more pastoral “Center of Town” still tremble and pulse with energy. The effect – especially when standing in front of canvases as much as nine feet wide—is dizzying and joyful, and DiStefano’s pieces feel wholly alive.

The Impressionist landscapes of Diane Hark

Walk into any Main Line gallery with Diane Hark’s work on the walls and you won’t be able to miss it: a collection of vibrant boats, bridges and buildings that drift against the reflective surface of waterways and scenic shorelines. With a little water and a lot of love, Hark brings to life the wonders that can come from ground pigments in her expansive collection of watercolors.

Melding old and new

More than 20 years ago, Jasper Johns remarked rightly of encaustic painting, “It’s an archaic medium, and few people use it.” Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he was virtually its sole practitioner, but since then, artists like Michelle Marcuse have been exploring the possibilities with the laborious medium that had flourished more than 2,000 years ago.

Bucks County’s Durham Press

The Durham Press, hidden in an old school house in the hills of Bucks County, is a fine art publisher of original works. Being more familiar with painting and sculpting, my knowledge of printing is admittedly limited. As I made my way down the twisting country back roads, I couldn’t help but wonder about the nature of printing as art. How original could it be if they can crank out on a printing press? 

The Furniture Designs of Robert Whitley:

Artistry. In an age of mass-produced, buyer-assembly required bookshelves and desks, it’s a term that is seemingly lost in the world of furniture. That is, until you see the work of Solebury’s Robert Whitley. 

Charity Art Auction to Benefit Philadelphia’s Mazzoni Center.

More than 20 years ago, artist Christopher Veit left his tidy suburban hometown of Media, PA, to pursue a life in the arts. Beginning with a four-year stint in art school in Baltimore, his passion for the arts has propelled him ever since, with little time spent looking back.

Making Art from Life:

Beautiful and full of dignity, Stacie Speer Scott’s mixed-media paintings have a decorative flair. In their accomplished play with materials and their obvious adherence to the spontaneity of Abstract Expressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism, they remain seriously contemplative. Scott’s style is playful, ambitious and unique, using molding, embossing, printmaking and sewing—all techniques that build up to a myriad textures and references with an underwater drowsiness to them. 

More Than Just Pen and Paper

Young American artists deal with political subject matter in surprisingly subtle and abstract ways. Such is the case in the small gouache-on-paper narratives of Christopher Davison, 28, a Philadelphia artist who has made a name for himself with his brightly colored, emotionally tense paintings and drawings. 

An introduction, an opportunity, and a point of cultural entry

The loft movement of the 1970s—an urban mentality where folks opted to live cheaply in large, raw, often formerly industrial spaces—led artists to inhabit the hinterland near the Delaware River called Old City. Independent (i.e. young money or no money) galleries arrived piecemeal throughout the decade, from veterans Larry Becker, Richard Rosenfeld and the Painted Bride, at their original Old City venues, to the seminal but short-lived Étage Gallery. As rent stayed cheap and space remained abundant, more galleries began to arrive, and some survive. With the creation of First Fridays in the mid 1990s, Old City truly, announced itself as a self-appointed cultural destination, considered by many to have signaled the arrival of a truly cutting-edge, truly vibrant art scene in this city. Except it wasn’t, exactly.