Artist of the Month: Jean Mountford

Posted on February 5, 2020 by The Dunmorean

Jean Mountford is shown with one of her favorite paintings, “Lighthouse and Shallows.”

Jean Mountford of Scranton is the February, 2020, Artist of the Month at Dunmore Activity Hub. Her “Lighthouse and Shallows” painting, pictured here, is one of her favorites.

She states, “I love lighthouses and water scenes, finding them so tranquil and serene.”

Jean started painting decades ago, but transitioned into oil painting around nine years ago, when she started going to the Dunmore Senior Center art classes with her sister, Jan, last month’s Artist of the Month.

She enthusiastically commented: “The class is great fun! There is so much talent there. It is great inspiration just to see what everyone is working on, and the support is wonderful. Plus, Jill Swersie, our wonderful instructor, keeps a wide library of pictures on hand to help us with ideas.”

Jean says she finds inspiration in photos, cards, and just about anywhere. She enjoys painting, her class, and classmates and thanks instructor Jill Swersie as well as Allison Boga, the Center’s Director, for this valuable and fun opportunity.

Artist of the Month: Jill Swersie

Posted on December 5, 2018 by The Dunmorean

Dunmore Senior Center’s art teacher, Jill Swersie, is featured as Artist of the Years this month.

We are proud to feature the Dunmore Senior Center’s art teacher, Jill Swersie, this month and as our favorite Artist of the Years! Jill teaches weekly oil painting classes at the Dunmore Senior Citizen Center.

In addition to her talent and artistic credits, Jill is a very special person. She comes to class early and stays late and provides an additional drawing class, at no charge. She is constantly offering the Center exposure to additional media like charcoal, watercolor, sculpture, scratchboard, etc.

Jill personally connects to all of the students and is well aware of the trials and tribulations in their lives. She reaches out to her students in need with personal phone calls, handmade cards and greetings signed by class members, and follows up on their progress.

In class, Jill meets with us individually and offers us artistic advice in order to improve our pieces. She instinctively knows when a “dab of Alizarin Crimson” or ”highlights of Cadmium Yellow” are needed and passes along those techniques and that knowledge. Jill is our #1 cheerleader, encouraging us, promoting the arts, and arranging at least two art shows a year for us to exhibit our works.

She and her charming husband, Jack, even host an annual class picnic at her lovely home in the Poconos, and has provided en plein air classes for us in her area.

Professionally, Jill has been oil painting for over 35 years. Her work has been exhibited in art galleries and at shows in New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Her paintings have been seen at almost every local art venue, and her exhibition awards are numerous. Her first mural, “Art of the Dance”, can be seen in downtown Stroudsburg, and her latest mural greets patrons as they enter East Stroudsburg’s Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center.

As one of five artists selected for Adams Outdoor Advertising’s ArtPop Exhibition, a larger-than-life copy of her oil painting “Man’s Best Friend” was seen on billboards throughout the Pocono region in 2016.

More of Jill’s artwork can be seen at here.

Jill has become not only our teacher but also our mentor, our sounding board, and our friend.

Thanks, Jill, and Happy New Year from your devoted students.

Artist of the Month: Joyce Harrington

Posted on February 1, 2017 by The Dunmorean

Joyce David Harrington is shown with her featured painting, “Chickadee’s Quest.” She was inspired when she was watching chickadees eating sunflower seeds from a bird feeder.

Joyce Davis Harrington of Dunmore is February’s Artist of the Month at the Dunmore Activity Hub. Joyce began painting several years ago and has participating in the Dunmore painting group for about four years.

“Previously, I was into fabric design by sewing patchwork quilts,” Joyce explains. “I participated in hand quilting for 10 years with ladies at Christ the King Church in Dunmore.”

The retired teacher/counselor’s background includes 14 years of teaching, with 21 years as an elementary school counselor in Scranton School District.

Her featured painting, “Chickadee’s Quest,” was inspired by watching chickadees eating sunflower seeds at a bird feeder. “They are such sweet birds,” Joyce says.

Joyce gets most of her ideas by browsing through painting magazines, and from photography and art books.

“Everyone else is an oil painter except me,” she confides. “My medium is watercolor. I enjoyed several classes I took in watercolor batik at Abington Art Studio.” She also paints with watercolorists at Abington Senior Center.

“My philosophy for painting is learning from mistakes and building your experience,” she points out. “Attitude is everything! Be prepared for many paintings to fall by the wayside. We are all learning along the way, and it’s so much fun!”

She finds painting a great group experience, and credits Dunmore’s instructor Jill Swersie as being “outstanding and inspirational. Her dedication to her students and to her daily oil painting is unparalled.”

Asked about the Dunmore Activity Hub, Joyce said, “Our close-knit, supportive painting group is fortunate to meet in our beautiful facility here in Dunmore.

NOTE: For more information, visit the Dunmore Senior Center online.