“PEONIES IN THE SUNROOM”: This oil painting by Christine Seo won Best of Show in the West Windsor Arts Council’s “2021 WWAC Member Show: Floral Persuasion,” now on view at westwindsorarts.org and in the gallery by appointment through May 14.

The West Windsor Arts Council now presents its “2021 WWAC Member Show: Floral Persuasion,” online at westwindsorarts.org and in the gallery by appointment through May 14. A virtual opening reception is Friday, March 19 from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Perhaps one of the most universal and timeless subjects in the history of art, botanical themes offer a world of possibility for artists. Evidence of floral art and design dates back over 2,000 years, starting with the ancient Egyptians, and remains immensely popular today. Artists have used flowers for their symbolism in history, evocative qualities, and their ability to represent everything from decay to passion.

During this spring 2021 season of rebirth and renewal, West Windsor Arts Council invited artists to share floral-themed ideas and visions. Jurors Thomas Kelly and Megan Uhaze are commissioners from Hamilton Township Cultural and Performing Arts Advisory Commission.

The exhibition was an open call to WWAC members and featured prize winners, chosen by the jurors.

While describing the show, Kelly said, “The West Windsor Arts Council members show is a floral theme. What a heartening idea in this long winter we have been having. The submissions were full of joy and color! We had some difficult choices and were very happy to see so much quality work from the WWAC members. To see the interpretations, some distant vistas, and some close-up details, truly says that we all seem to be anxiously awaiting spring and all that it brings. Kudos to the members who have been busy working on their art during these trying times. Congratulations.”

Uhaze added, “It was a pleasure to judge this body of work, the variety and skill we saw was a true testament to the enormous talent of West Windsor Arts Council’s members.”

Highlights of the many works in the exhibition include those by Christine Seo, who works in both watercolor and oil. Her oil painting titled Peonies in the Sunroom won Best in Show. While painting she feels free and loose, utilizing these natural feelings to develop sharp contrasts in both color and details throughout her works. She explores the nature of color whilst her passion for equine inspires her with dynamic energy. She also enjoys painting floral, landscape, and portraits with rich and intense color.

“DAWN”: This work by Hetal Mistry won Best Use of Medium in the West Windsor Arts Council’s “2021 WWAC Member Show: Floral Persuasion.” A virtual opening reception for the exhibit is on Friday, March 19 from 7:15 to 9 p.m.

Also included in the exhibition is Hetal Mistry. Her work of art titled Dawn consists of ink, pencil colors, and acrylics and won Best Use of Medium. Mistry has spent over 15 years as a local artisan in Princeton. Her unique style is inspired by her understanding of healing colors and love of nature. She utilized a self-taught ink-drop technique throughout her works. The pigments in water form surrealistic vibrant backgrounds for her works. From these abstract frameworks, she is able to create diverse subject matter using various media.

Exhibiting artists include Zakia Ahmed, Sherri L. Andrews, Clara S. Beym, Tom Chiola, Connie Cruser, Jayme Fahrer, Janet Felton, Michael F. Graham, Jeanette Gaston Hooban, Joy Kreves, Lori Langsner, Sonya Legg, Eleni Litt, Concetta A. Maglione, Hetal Mistry, Abelardo Montano, Tatiana Oles, William Plank, Maia Reim, Martin Schwartz DDS, Christine Seo, Deirdre Sheean, Margaret Simpson, Sally Stang, Zina Umyn, and Janet Waronker.

The West Windsor Arts Center is located at 952 Alexander Road, West. Office and gallery hours are by appointment. For more information, call (609) 716-1931 or email info@westwindsorarts.org.