Sheila Finkelstein
A Passion for Nature and Self-Discovery
"I first started 'playing'
with Nature and Art while fulfilling my Master's Degree in
Creative Arts Education at Rutger's University.
Using pieces
of wood, stone, shells, sponges, and other natural objects,
collected in the woods and on beach walks, I started holding
these "treasures" in one hand, drawing with the other.
I created
them as places and 'beings' in fantasy environments, then
added watercolor to enhance the 'worlds.'
Today I use my eye and camera
to 'collect' and to provide the color, and I continue to 'play'
in the seeing and the drawing.
Thank you for the privilege
of sharing a little of my world with you. It would give me
great pleasure to learn that, out of the experience of these
pages, you start 'seeing' more in your worlds.
Please feel
free to write and let me know how these images have stirred your imagination."
From an interview in her community newspaper -
"Shortly
after moving to Old Bridge, NJ Sheila got passionately involved in
establishing a public library there. She returned to college, got
a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts Education from Kean College,
and while teaching Art in public schools, achieved a Master’s
Degree in Creative Arts Education from Rutgers University! An over
-abundance of Art teachers and a decline in enrollment caused Sheila
to enter the world of sales and marketing, where she remained for
many years.
OK, where does the Nature stuff begin...right now. Sheila’s
passion for taking pictures were originally inspired by Sam’s
talents along those lines. His support and Sam’s hours of work
in his darkroom, printing Sheila’s black and white photographs
of students’ art work set her on the course that led to her
life’s work, Nature and Discovery.
In 1995, during the course
of a major beach restoration project in the Laurence Harbor section
of Old Bridge, NJ, Sheila took 3,000 photos, documenting the construction
activities, equipment, nature changes surrounding the work, and the
many views of the sunrises over the bay.
Since that time, Sheila
carries her point-and-shoot and digital cameras wherever she goes.
Discovery and play resulted in her Photo/Drawing prints.
Walking, focussing on images in Nature, and making unique discoveries,
these are the things Sheila knows she can count on to enliven and
enrich her life. The Finkelstein’s move to Florida in 2002
brought them closer to their sons and their families and even closer
to nature.
Backyard birds consisting of snowy white egrets and other
tropical assortments surround her home and are constant
subjects of Sheila’s camera.
The discovery of the Wakodahatchee
Wetlands in 2003, just minutes away from her home,
have added to her pleasure. The wetlands, the tropical flowers,
the wildly growing plants, the birds, they all reflect in Sheila’s
work.
Sheila’s Photo/Drawing prints are wonderful, blowups of nature
scenes photographed by Sheila, painstakingly recreated with her
pen-line drawn on the existing photo to bring out the natural beauty
of each of her subjects. Colorful flowers, wildlife scenes, birds,
etc.
Sheila’s Photo/Drawing art is also adapted to tiles, beautifully
colored tiles that can be used to decorate any place in your home,
trivets or inlaid flowered tiled boxes for your jewelry or your
favorite things.
Besides the creative effort that goes into producing the items I
have described, there is the WITVA - Women in the Visual Arts -
Orchid Society Show Blue Ribbon First Prize winning print that hangs
proudly in her living room.
Many other framed pieces surround the
walls of their home. Sheila is also an exhibiting member of the
Delray Art League.
Recently Sheila started to concentrate on straight
photography with her digital camera, using images in nature to inspire
her creativity and relating to self and others in expanding ways.
She is in the developing stage of setting up eTeletours and has
already completed two Teleseminar focus groups.
Sheila is currently
working on discovering markets where her work will make a difference
in how people “see” their worlds. She says “suggestions
and referrals are welcome”. You can reach her at sheila.finkelsein@gmail.com.
Sheila loves people
and their stories, thus this Art Matters column was born through
her ideas. She tells of her reticence and introverted personality.
It still lingers when it comes to meeting and interacting with people.
That may be. I found her outspoken and very talented.
I leave you with one of Sheila’s favorite quotes by Raymond
Inmon:
'If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels
whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.'"
Joel Savitsky
