Bay Head, NJ, Art Show opening reception June 8 from 6- 8 pm at the Grenville Hotel, 345 Main Ave, Bay Head, entitled Sirens and the Sea, by artist Susan J Roche, Point Pleasant, NJ. The original art show and sale will be exhibited until September 30th and is in galleries available in public access and restaurant areas, which may be accessible, depending upon events, during various hours.

Roche is interested in the ocean, the shore, and people who love water. Her art has a peaceful simplicity resulting from a complex process using several artistic media. Her monochromatic sense of color creates works with a healing, calm aspect to the pieces. Roche begins with a DSLR camera encased in a professional underwater housing, photographing entirely or partially under the surface in a saltwater pool or the Atlantic Ocean as a starting point for the work. The careful blending of images and testing study prints crafted on various acid-free fine art papers and canvases. A master printmaker working large scale using archival pigment ink, then enhanced with multiple materials, including gold and silver leaf, pastels, oil paints, cold wax, beeswax, and tree resin, she blurs the lines between photography and painting. The images are tactile and painterly while also being photographic by using thin washes of color and etching into the emulsion and adding impasto.

Roche worked for many years photographing playful family groups along the shore. The underwater fine art began after experiencing Superstorm Sandy, with peaceful works emphasizing the beauty of water after the devastation from the storm. She initially began showing the pieces in her Bay Head family portrait studio, and before long, they became highly desired by collectors and commissioners. The Sirens and the Sea exhibition in the Grenville Hotels' beautiful space seduce with its range of ethereal colors and serene and unexpected motifs.

"My work is about restoration, like being immersed in water and feeling calm. Studies offer hope after devastation and change, enhancing these elements and allowing me to satisfy my search for tranquility. Using monochromatic pigment inks on fine papers, pastels, oils, and art media with sweeping layered cold wax adds fluidity; sometimes, crystals and surface scratchings add perfect imperfections."(S.J. Roche)

For additional information contact susanjroche@me.com, 732-703-2752, susanjroche.com or thegrenville.com or call 732-892-3100

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