Watercolors and photos on view at hospital’s gallery

Eileen Georgas’ watercolor paintings and Elzbieta Kaciuba’s photography make for an attractive exhibit at the Valley Hospital Gallery during the month of March.

'Midnight Mist' by Elzbieta Kaciuba

Kaciuba called her collection "Intuitive Light" and "Reflection" series "because that is how I envision my images through light as well as looking at the world through a different perspective in ‘Reflections.’"
She calls the images an integral part of who she is. "It is important to me to translate what I see with accuracy and honesty, from the darkroom to the computer, to the fine print."
Kaciuba came to the United States from Poland in 1976. She attended Passaic High School and the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art. It was there that she fell in love with photography. She was drawn to black and white photography because she has an affinity for pencil and ink drawing. "The tones, the shadows, the contrast, the highlights within black and white images excite me and I’m more comfortable within its presence," said Kaciuba.
She started freelancing as a photographer upon graduation from Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in 1992, and started her own business in 1998 documenting social events, both private and corporate, and creating heirloom quality portraits.

'Reading with 2 Cats' by Eileen Georgas

She has also studied at the International Center of Photography in New York City and at the Visual Arts Center in Summit.
There are a number of her award-winning photos on display including "Midnight Mist" showing a park in Bloomfield, which won second place at the American Society of Media Photographers Photo Competition in 2009. "Chapel" is another black and white archival pigment print which was photographed at Sarby Village in Poland and was also an award winner at the American Society of Media Photographers 16th Annual Juried Fine Art Photo Competition (honorable mention) in 2010. Another award winner at the American Society of Media Photographers was "Woman with Umbrella" Wall Street, N.Y.C. She won awards at Ringwood Manor for "Morning Rush" Krakow and "Girl on Bench" New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Many of the photos give the viewer insight into her homeland including "The Path," "The Professor" and "Freedom."
Local photos include: Liberty State Park in Jersey City, "Glasses, Fork and Knife" N.Y.C., and "Café" Bloomfield, N.J. Also photographed in New Jersey are: "The Bride" and "Ornament." "Oasis" was photographed in Puerto Rico and there is a shot of the "New York City Skyline" photographed in 2010.
She was in a group exhibit September and November 2010 at the Paper Mill Play House in Millburn.
Her freelance client list at Bill Blanchard Photography and Sal Benedetto Photography include: Bergen Community College, Seton Hall University, Valley Hospital, and William Paterson University.
Kaciuba was a Maya Angelou Speaker at Bergen Community College and photographed Governor Christie and Governor Corzine at the Steve Adubato Show.
Watercolor artist Eileen Georgas has lived in Upper Saddle River for 40 years. She began painting in 1971 when her youngest child was one-year-old.
Her teacher, Denise Collins, had a studio in her home in Upper Saddle River, and so began Georgas’ love of watercolor painting. She studied with Collins for eight years and then moved on to lessons in Ramsey with Billie Samuelson for a number of years. "Denise Collins and Billie Samuelson gave me a good start," said Georgas. Then she studied at the Ridgewood Art Institute with Ferd Petrie. She moved on to study figure drawing with Paul Wood in Queens. "Paul Wood allowed me to draw the figure any way I wanted," said Georgas. She currently takes clothed model classes at Fair Lawn Community Center on Thursday mornings.
Georgas described her exhibit as shapes and strong color – "It’s what I do. I just sit and paint. I don’t do watery watercolors – my method is stronger color and hard edges and shapes.
You have to allow everything (the paints) to dry before you go on to the next color." She works on four or five watercolor paintings at a time, waiting for one of them to dry.
When she started in watercolors she did lots of flowers and still life. "Now I love to paint people and groups of people – I try to do past and present images of people." One of her paintings on display shows immigrants. "It’s from an old photo and I did my thing," said Georgas. "Small Combo" shows a group of musicians – it’s out of my head. "I like musical instruments, the shapes are wonderful."
"Shoes and Bags" and "Sneakers" are just fun," said Georgas.
"The Reading Room," "Two Librarians," and "Reading with 2 Cats," are incredibly detailed watercolors. "When I see something in the news and magazines, the shapes strike me and I go off on my own," said the artist.
She calls watercolor a challenge. "The way I paint now I have more control."
She uses her dining room as her studio – "You can leave everything out." Georgas has received awards from New Jersey Watercolor Society where she is a member.
She has also been accepted into an American Watercolor Society juried show and Allied Artist of America, Inc. in New York City. Georgas has also taken workshops with several nationally recognized artists, including Serge Hollerbach and Charles Reid.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork benefits the hospital’s nursing scholarship. The Valley Hospital Gallery is located adjacent to the gift shop at the Kurth Café entrance at North Van Dien and Linwood avenues.
E-mail: laforgia@northjersey.com