West Windsor artist Mikkey Tarantino presents her first solo show in West Windsor on Saturday, July 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The exhibition featuring vibrant watercolor paintingsis being presented at the West Windsor Farmers Market through the West Windsor Arts Council, the group that honored Tarantino for her work, “Wabi Sabi,” at the Mercer Community College 2007 Artist show. “Mickey’s work has vibrancy and makes the ordinary speak out in extraordinary ways,” says Ruth Potts, WWAC president. “We are proud to share her work with the community.”##M:[more]##
“We’ve still an arts council without walls,” says Lisa Weil, a West Windsor Arts Council board member. The group has presented several art workshops at the market this summer. Weill is also a sales associate with the show’s sponsor, Gloria Nilson GMAC real estate. Tarantino, who was born and raised in Bayonne, earned a degree in arts education from Jersey City State Teacher’s College and has taught both children and adults. She began painting in oils as a young girl but put her brush down for many years. Through the years she taught art, worked in marketing with trade shows, and volunteered a lot.
She and her husband, Robert, the president of DataRam on Princeton-Hightstown Road in West Windsor, are married close to 40 years. They moved to West Windsor in 1967. Their children, who both graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, are Paul, who lives on Long Beach Island, and Mara, a music teacher in Virginia.
“When I told my husband ‘I’d love to paint again,’ he said, `If you want to paint you will.’” In 1994 she once again began painting with oils and in 1996 she turned to watercolors. “I studied with some good teachers including Nita Leland, Jean Uhl Spicer, Anne Pember, and Roberta Carter Clark,” she says.
At the time she thought that she would give herself until December to paint seriously. “My career has taken over so fast,” she says. “Much more than I ever thought.”
She was chosen as one of the top emerging watercolor artists by American Artist’s Watercolor magazine’s 20th anniversary edition. She became as associate member of the New Jersey Watercolor Society in 2002, was accepted as a full member in 2004, and received the medal of honor in 2005 for her work “Slicing Steel.” In October she will be part of a group showing also featuring works of Plainsboro resident Donna Senopolous and Patrice Sprovieri.
Tarantino spends a lot of time at her shore home on Long Beach Island, where she is a member of the Pines Short Arts Association. “Although it is a wonderful arts group on LBI, West Windsor is home,” she says.
“I’m a very realistic painter,” says Tarantino, whose exhibit at the farm market features all watercolor works. She will also present watercolor weaving using a process where one takes a watercolor painting, cuts it up, and weaves it into a sheet. “The two-dimensional works reflect all the years I’ve spent sewing and embroidering,” she says. “It is pure fun.” — Lynn Miller
West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, Vaughn Drive Parking Lot, Princeton Junction Train Station, 609-577-5113. westwindsorfarmersmarket.org. Saturday, July 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
