Valley Hospital in Ridgewood hosts art exhibit

 

Lovely watercolor scenes and dramatic photography make for a perfect summer show at the Valley Hospital Gallery.

 

Lisa DeMaria says the photos in this exhibit are exactly as she sees them through her lens. Most of her images are captured from nature, with a few portraits of "the beautiful creatures with whom I share my life." She feels that sometimes less is more – as long as it’s really big. "Whiskey Boy Up Close," the resulting photo of just a portion of the cat’s face, is much more dramatic and eye-catching than a full portrait would have been. A little girl saw the photo and exclaimed "I want a cat!"

 

In vintage "Cracker Jack," charms are enlarged to huge proportions, giving the photo a fun, carnival-like flavor. "Nesting Swan" drew the attention of several young girls as they walked through the gallery corridor on their way to Kurth Café. "My Friend Tom" is a photo of a huge turkey. "Lovely Manatee" was photographed swimming while "Resting Bird" is perched on a pine tree branch. Sunflowers are photographed in fields and up close. "A Gardenia for Honey" is amazing – large and white. DeMaria has recently devoted more time to composed pieces that she feels are playfully imaginative and fantasy-based.

 

A native New Yorker, DeMaria has lived in Mahwah for the past 25 years. Upon the birth of her daughter, she picked up a camera and has never put it down. Rolls of film later, she discovered a love and talent for the art. Several cameras later, she honed her skills in digital photography on the publicity team for a local school. Her work has been shown in New Jersey and in New York.

 

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