BLACKWELLS MILLS: This painting by Barbara Della Peruta pictures a cow relaxing in front of an old barn at the Delaware and Raritan Canal’s Blackwells Mills.

New Jersey artist Barbara Della Peruta is showing 35 original artworks at the Pennington Ewing Athletic Club (PEAC), 1440 Lower Ferry Road, until the end of August.

Delicate brush strokes, serene, rustic scenery, and tranquility characterize Della Peruta’s paintings. Her color palette expresses subtle, earthy, and naturalistic tendencies. She delights in capturing scenes of all four seasons and immerses the viewer onto a timeless journey through nature, farms, small towns, New Jersey beaches and coastal Italy. Her ballet slipper series and the Japanese geishas exude a touch of feminine sensitivity. Barbara’s compositions are skillfully designed and well planned, up to the minutest detail. She is a self-taught, multimedia artist moving effortlessly between acrylics, oils, pastels, and watercolors. The artist draws some of her inspiration from the walks along the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

Barbara is passionate about the history of New Jersey. She is the President of the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association, where she manages a group of volunteers taking care of the bridge tender’s house. The group organizes a variety of monthly events, including an annual plant sale, lectures, house tours, and a summer Bluegrass concert. Barbara’s art, benefiting the association, is displayed there each November.

PEAC is open Monday through Thursday 5 a.m.–10 p.m., Saturdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sundays 7 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information about the exhibit, visit www.peachealthfitness.com.

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