The Hues that Guide Us
The Hues that Guide Us is a dynamic exhibition that explores the impulsive and persuasive power of color, featuring artists Val Rossman and Sandi Neiman Lovitz. Both artists share an intrinsic connection to the language of color, using it as a conduit to explore and express deeply personal experiences. Rossman’s work is a blend of careful planning and unpredictable disruptions, where layers of painted shapes, empty spaces, and marks represent the constant interplay between control and chaos in life. Her process, filled with vibrant color and spontaneous gestures, reflects a joyful and adventurous exploration of the self, rooted in the belief that beauty, joy, and quietude are essential in navigating a turbulent world.
Lovitz, similarly, channels the transformative power of color to create expressive, spontaneous works that embody hope, happiness, and empowerment. From her early infatuation with a robin’s egg blue to the revelation of abstract art by Franz Kline, Lovitz has always been driven by color’s ability to transcend the limitations of words. Her paintings are layered with rhythms and bold bursts of color that invite the viewer to engage in a conversation of their own, tapping into feelings and stories beyond the surface. In The Hues that Guide Us, both artists celebrate the unexpected and transformative possibilities of color, inviting us to embark on our own visual journey, where intuition, emotion, and creativity merge.
Sandi Neiman Lovitz
She/Her
Bio:
Sandi Neiman Lovitz graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor"s degree in Art Education and taught art in the Pittsburgh Public School for a number of years before moving to Philadelphia.
Sandi continued to teach private classes and exhibit her paintings. Her passion for art led into various businesses that all involved the creative process. "Plastic Fantastics" was started with a friend, where they designed and manufactured acrylic functional art pieces. This, combined with her desire to keep doing art to make a living resulted in her decision to learn sign painting as a trade. She did free style hand lettering on windows, tractor trailers, paper and wood for approximately 10 years. Following that she developed a line of hand painted clothing that was sold throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area, did murals in personal and commercial areas and also created a line of hand-painted furniture which was represented by several galleries in the area. During this whole time Sandi continued to exhibit her paintings in various shows and and was part of the Merrill Collection, a gallery in West Chester, Pa.
She was of President of the Tri-State Pennsylvania Artists Equity for two years on the board of DaVinci Art Alliance. She is also involved in ARTsisters, a group of women professional visual artists that not only support each other, but also reach out to women and children in the community. Sandi was juried in to the Centennial exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum by John B. Ravenal, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was also juried in to the Berks Art Alliance at the Reading Art Museum and was awarded an honorable mention by Lisa Tremper Hanover, former CEO of the Michener Museum. She participated in the Square Foot Art Basel Miami and was awarded the Nolan Painting Award at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, Pa. by celebrated artist, Moe Brooker, was awarded feature artist on Artsy Shark, founded by Carolyn Edlund, Executive Director of the Arts Business Institute, and was juried into “ Art of the State 2021” at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg and was invited by curator Lauren Nye to show at The Susquehanna Art Museum. Sandi now paints full time in her studio and teaches at Wayne Art Center.
Artist Statement:
I was only five years old when I started my journey as an artist. The color of that gorgeous blue robin's egg passed through me like a lightning bolt and opened up my passion for color. My box of crayons became my treasure chest. My subject matter is hope and happiness and my inspiration is color.
That lightning bolt struck again eleven years later when I saw, in person, an abstract painting by Franz Kline at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The power and expression of that painting gave me the freedom and permission to see beyond the traditional realism I had been taught and explore and push boundaries I never realized were possible.
I paint spontaneously. I react to that first burst of color that I put on the canvas. Further marks and colors are influenced by my visual language, which empowers me to go where words cannot in expressing who I am at my core. I set thoughts and words aside and connect my feelings of empowerment and excitement to the canvas in front of me.
I paint layers of colors and rhythms that breathe life into my paintings and open up stories for the viewer's imagination and curiosity.
When I paint I feel alive and connected not only to my true self, but to the mysteries of the universe.
Val Rossman
She/Her
Bio:
Val Rossman’s career as a professional artist has spanned over 40 years. She has had more than 28 one-person shows and been in numerous group shows in Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey, Florida, Vermont and New York. She has won several prizes, including the Award for Excellence at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and at the Cheltenhan Art Center Annual Painting Show.
In addition to her studio practice she currenty teaches at Wayne Art Center and Woodmere Art Museum. She has lectured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, did a demonstration at the Barnes Foundation and led a workshop at the River Arts Center in Vermont. She received the artist in Wilderness Grant in Aspen, Colorado. Her work has also been seen on Bravo Cable Television.
Rossman’s work has been collected by both individual and corporate clients in the U.S. and abroad. Some of these include Blue Cross of Greater Philadelphia, AT&T, United Pacific Life Insurance, MasterCard International, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank, Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, Hebrew University and Lankenau Hospital.
Rossman has been creating drawings and paintings in her studio in Philadelphia for the last 40 years. Her work has gone through various stages, however, her wonderful sense of color combined with a lyrical and often whimsical mentality have always infused her drawings and paintings with a lush and personal aura. The combination of rich and unexpected hues and gestures with sometimes questioning formats give the work an unforgettable presence. Her work is a blend of careful planning and unpredictable interruptions; an apt metaphor for life. She is intrigued by the process of using accidents which ultimately morph into something more important.
Artist Statement:
My work is a blend of careful planning and unpredictable interruptions. For me this is an apt metaphor for life. As much as each of us tries to script our lives there are often “curve balls” that take us by surprise. This concept is incorporated into visual representations which consist of multiple layers of painted shapes, empty spaces and a variety of marks to create a lush and deep surface. I am intrigued by the process of using accidents which morph into something more important. I want to lose myself in the world of creating as I jump, glide, and saunter around the surface and beyond.
My love of color has always been a driving force in my work. I continue to pursue this love and create places of pure joy and exuberant aesthetic relationships. This applies whether I am using acrylic paint or soft chalk pastels. The dialogue between seemingly random gestures, textures, and shapes provide a visual adventure. My process is dynamic and “in the moment”….a conversation with the piece. I believe that the journey is as important as the destination.
As we edge into a turbulent 2025 in my art practice it is my wish to look both outward and inward to assert the importance of beauty, joy and quietude – these are all qualities that are much needed in our world!
