Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern

PAUL NEWLAND Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern with her painting "Arabesque." Below, "Caryatid." A visual lyricism fills the works of Shrewsbury resident, Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern. That's the mark of a woman who paints with the same passion with which she sings.

Both singing and painting share elements of pattern, rhythm and tonality.

"The other thing that's similar about singing and painting is the 'flow' or the 'groove.' When you're in there it's almost an altered state - you are in the process. It's just happening. The creative state exists and there is nowhere else my mind can be in the moment that I am in," she said. "I enjoy singing because it is a physical and emotional/psychological creative process [which is] very similar to my approach to visual art. I love to sing partly because I am learning all the time, discovering something new that I can do that I didn't know before."

Her latest, large-scale oil paintings are half of an exhibit, "Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern and Elizabeth Sowell-Zak" that will open March 7 at the CVA Gallery at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. An opening reception will be held March 10, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; the exhibit will run through April 8.

Ficarelli-Halpern is composing her visual art around the female figure, but these are not meant to be seen as portraits.

"I'm trying to see the forms, not the likeness. I'm trying to see the shapes of the body with the patterns of the fabrics - whether they be floral or paisley - and the contrasts and complements I discover as I am working," she said.

The same professional model is seen in each of the drawings and paintings on view. Ficarelli-Halpern composes this figure with drapery to balance her gestures, resulting in compositions that convey a feeling, a motif or a particular form, with titles such as "Reverie," "Arabesque" or "Caryatid."

In each instance, the composition works as a unified, essential statement, pure and complete.

"I've always appreciated the famous paintings in museums when you see the man or the woman in the lace collar - and it really looks like lace. But when you get up close it's just a bunch of squiggles. This sort of visual paint magic amazes and brings a major smile to my lips every time. I want my work to do that."

- Marie Maber

Elizabeth Sowell-Zak

Overburdened women have a champion in Elizabeth Sowell-Zak.

In her series "Daily Strength" at the CVA gallery, mothers are shown tiredly squiring their robust children in grocery carts, in prams, or otherwise in tow. The women appear dazed to the level of stupor while their children are vibrant with youthful vigor.

Overburdened women everywhere might recognize a little bit of themselves while viewing these works.

"Daily Strength" by Elizabeth Sowell-Zak

Sowell-Zak presents her view of motherhood from a cultural perspective.

"Women who sacrifice their individuality, in addition to their personal needs, to give the members of their families buoyancy and support are faced with condescending attitudes from much of the cultural mainstream, and are often taken for granted by their families as a result," Sowell-Zak explained.

Her paintings are large, almost life-size, and are painted in a painterly realist style.

"By working large, I am attempting to give a monumental view of the figures for the purpose of paying them homage and the respect they deserve. This view is also in keeping with the size of the mothers' sacrifice as well as the unappreciated influence they have on our culture," she said.

Sowell-Zak relies on her friends while developing her paintings.

"Most of the models are people I know well, but are not necessarily relatives," she said. "They are all women who are attempting to fight the wave of our cultural attitudes. With their daily struggles to keep strong, they are each attempting to make positive changes in their lives, gain or maintain their independence through various means, while each is supportive of their families."

When asked how others might approach viewing her paintings, Sowell-Zak replied, "My art is a cultural expression 'ism.' Although my art may have a political quality, it is intended to bring attention to the role women have in our culture, as I feel their efforts are not valued or acknowledged but are the underlying strength of our society."

- Marie Maber