In Place
Paintings 2020-2022

March 8th - May 13th 2022

Opening Reception
Sunday, March 13th from 4-6pm

Hastings Village Hall Gallery
7 Maple Ave., Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706 - Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 830am-4pm

About the Work

The simple reality of daily life inspired my most recent body of work. The time I’ve have spent alone during the pandemic with family and close vaccinated friends, in my home and garden, or on nearby streets, have become my fascinating new subjects.

Living in this daunting new world, where a pandemic has limited our movements and many of our freedoms, where real or perceived danger lurks silently around every corner, I began to search for inspiration closer to home. I found that inspiration in the people and things around me -- in the profound contrast between their loneliness and the comfort I felt in my connections.  

I have turned my artistic pursuits to capture the simple pleasures that surround me. I’ve spent the past two years at home with my wonderful, supportive family, and have realized that my muses are right in front of me. I don’t need to leave home to be inspired.

Throughout my artistic practice, I have experimented with a variety of media including gouache, pastel, collage, graphite, crayon, and oil paint. It is through my use of oil paint, more than any other medium, that I feel a visceral connection between brush, paint and canvas. I strive to make my colors vibrate and my brush strokes move and swirl. I can achieve these technical goals best with oils, which allow me to capture the vividness and fluidity of my subjects.

I document the scenes that captivate me by painting them from life or photographs. Some scenes are sad and lonely, while others are filled with love and comradery. My goal is to capture the moments I have witnessed by painting them with immediacy, offering my viewers a glimpse into the world that inspires me.

Paintings reflect sense of place during the pandemic

By Jackie Lupo

March 11, 2022

From her house on a quiet street in the Ludlow Park section of Yonkers, artist Julia Eisen-Lester can enjoy the natural beauty of the Hudson River or stroll a few blocks to absorb a vibrant urban streetscape. During the past two years, home and neighborhood have also been creative refuges, as “sheltering in place” directives nudged her work in new directions…

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