Accomplished, award-winning artist known for brilliant abstract paintings, murals and prints. Also, an experienced retail and fashion marketing executive recognized for spectacular international fashion prognostications and publications. Founder, The National Designers' Group.
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"Just Paint"
by Ellen Sherman-Zinn
Color, movement, rhythm, even melody, combine for me to create image. My youthful love of dance, the effect of one color juxtaposed to another, the mood of melody, created a need in me to express myself with paint. My mind moves my eye to my arm to my hand to the canvas. That's it; except when I get stuck and then I have to remember two words, "just paint."
I've been called an abstract expressionist, which through labeling alone has put me in association with that memorable and incredible group of artists of the 1950's called the New York School. People like Willem de Kooning originally from Holland, his wife Elaine, Jackson Pollock, Phillip Guston, Joan Mitchell, Franz Kline, Helen Frankenthaler. All different, but the thread that runs through their works is easily recognizable to the curious eye. Painters like Kandinsky, Gorky, Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns. Painters from all over the world for whom the elemental aspects of art were about form, movement and color. Imagery that could be made with "eyes wide shut" not because the image is absent, but rather transformed with varying degrees of abstraction.
Color moves me. I dream and think in color. I control the impulse to change my hair color every day. Even the absence of color (as they say) black against white is for me colorful. My work is seldom flat, but when it is, it is for its own sake challenging me anew with composition.
I've drawn all my life. When I was very little, I took refuge from a dysfunctional family and focused on a blackboard with white chalk. Creating amorphous connections with textured shapes. I'd pretend that I was making plans for important machinery. A little older, in kindergarten, when I drew people and other objects, I was thought of as an "excellent" artist.
I loved to watch my mother draw and paint, although she should have done more of it. When she and my father moved south when I was sixteen, I traded art for chemistry in high school. My teacher was a great stimulus for prompting me towards more serious study. I then studied at the College of Art at Syracuse University where I received a BFA in textile design. Many years later I had the privilege of studying under the late Leon de Leeuw at Montclair State University, where I received an MA in painting.
Perhaps my greatest inspiration came from Dr. Larry Bakke known for Bakkian philosophy throughout the country. His courses in painting and esthetics were central to my development. I still remember his encouraging words, "JUST PAINT". These words have become my credo.
SELECT EXHIBITS
Single Shows
| Post Logic, New York City |
| Palmyra Gallery, Bound Brook. N.J. |
| Johnson and Johnson, Invitational, New Brunswick, NJ |
| Everhart Gallery, Basking Ridge, NJ |
| The Tomasulo Gallery, Union County College, Cranford, NJ |
| Warner Lambert Invitational, Morris Plains, NJ |
| Invitational, Library Galley, Maurice M. Pine, Fairlawn, NJ |
| Straley Gallery, Livingston, NJ |
| Millburn Public Library, Millburn, NJ |
| Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ |
Group Shows
| Johnson & Johnson, Selected Abstract Artists choosen to stimulate employee imagination, Bridgewater, NJ |
| Everhart Gallery, Basking Ridge, NJ |
| Continental Airlines Presidents Club, Newark International Airport, NJ |
| NCJW, Focus on Art, Invitational, West Orange, NJ |
| Hadassah 37th Annual Art Show, Invitational |
| Somerset County / Bridgewater Library, Bridgewater, NJ |
| Continental Airlines, Presidents Club, Newark International Airport, Newark NJ |
| Everhart Gallery, Basking Ridge, NJ, Summer Show, Basking Ridge, NJ |
| NCJW, Focus on Art, Invitational, West Orange, NJ |
| Continental Airlines, Presidents Club, Newark International Airport, Newark, NJ |
| New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ |
| Montclair State University Alumni Juried Exhibition, Westbeth Gallery, Montclair, NJ |
| National Juried Show, Art Center of Northern New Jersey, Juror: Alison Weld, Assistant Curator Contemporary Art, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ |
| Hadassah 36th Annual Art Show, Invitational |
| The CAA Mid Lantic Open Juried Show, Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, NJ
Jury of Selection: Dorothy Cochran, Dorothy Dallas, Tim Gaydos, George Holloway, Richard Ochs, and Penny Mann |
| Art NJ Juried, Ben Shahn Gallery of William Paterson College, Curators: Ellen Harris, Director Montclair Art Museum, Michael Bisdak, Curator, Johnson & Johnson Art Program |
| Gallery Group Show, Everhart Gallery, Basking Ridge, NJ |
| Small Works, A.J. Lederman Fine Art, Hoboken, NJ |
| David Gary Gallery, Millburn, NJ |
| Painting: New Jersey Juried, Ben Shahn Galleries of William Paterson College. Curators: Richard Aunszkiewicz, painter, Zoltan Buki, Curator of Art, NJ State Museum |
| Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, NJ |
| NCJW, Focus on Art, Invitational, West Orange, NJ |
| NCJW. Focus on Art, Invitational, West Orange, NJ |
| 30th Regional Juried Art Exhibition, Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, NJ |
| Artist League of Central NJ, 8th Annual Juried Exhibition, New Brunswick, NJ |
| New Jersey Art and Science, Invitational, Pargot Gallery, Edison NJ |
| Syracuse University Honors Show, Lowe Art Center Syracuse, NY |
| Frame of mind, International Show, Miami, FL |
| L.A. Gallery and Frame, Greenbrook, NJ |
COLLECTIONS
| Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hausman, Narbeth, PA |
| Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY |
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Scheininger, Westfield, NJ |
| Solomon A. Berson Foundation, Long Island, NY |
Mr. Richard Morris, New York, NY |
| Lexus Corporation, Bridgewater, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. J. Weissglass, West Orange, NJ |
| Haber-Clausen, New York City |
Mrs. Charles Borkin, Short Hills, NJ |
| PFPC, Boston, MA |
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Haratz, Warren, NJ |
| Orloff, Lowenbach, Stifelman & Siegel, Roseland, NJ |
Dr. and Mrs. Sheldon Birnhak, New Vernon, NJ |
| Mr. and Mrs. Joel Siegel, Livingston, NJ |
Dr. and Mrs. Erno Hollo, Bernardsville, NJ |
| Maglin, Miskiv & Leipzig, CPA, Parsippany, NJ |
Ms. Nancy Everhart, Basking Ridge, NJ |
| Dr. Allen Cooperman, Millburn, NJ |
Mr. John Magiotto, Hastings on Hudson, NY |
| Dr. Linda and Mr. Michael Stone, Warren, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. S. Fromm, New York, NY |
| Dr. Linda E. Stone, Livingston, NJ |
Honorable and Mrs. Victor Friedman, Moorestown, NJ |
| Dr. and Mrs. Richard Lander, E. Hanover, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Kozberg, Watchung, NJ |
| Mr. and Mrs. Lior Bregman, Short Hills, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Shea, Medway,MA |
| Mr. and Mrs. Eliot Goldstein, So Orange, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs Christopher Creed, Warren, NJ |
| Mr. and Mrs Bruce Goldstein, Warren, NJ |
Dr. Michael Lavyne, New York, NY |
| Mr. and Mrs Gregory Giger, Oak Ridge, NJ |
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Clausen, Doylestown, PA |
| Dr. Suzanne Rose, Mt. Sinai Medical Center Med. Center NYC, NY |
Temple Har Shalom, Warren NJ |
AWARDS & HONORS
| Artist grant to the Vermont Studio Center, Artist in residence program, Johnson, Vt. |
| Recipient of the Kerygma Gallery for Best Contemporary Work, the CAA Mid Lantic Open-Juried Show, Jury Of Awards: Frank Zuccarelli, PSA, Joel Popadics, 1994 |
| Named one of NJ State's "Most Accomplished Women," NJW Magazine Collectors Issue; 1993-94 |
| Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Montclair State University, 1988 |
| Recipient of the Liquitex Fine Art Scholarship Awards; Jurors Bernard Chaet, Professor of Art, Yale University |
| Martin Prekop, Chairman of Undergraduate Division, Art Institute of Chicago, Barbara Rogers, Painting Department
Chairperson, San Francisco Art Institute, 1987 |
| Outstanding graduate student in painting, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ; Selected by Stephen |
| Westfall, Distinguished Visiting Professor and Art Critic, 1986, Art in America |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Who's Who In American Art, New Providence, N.J. R.R. Bowker 22nd Edition |
| Courier News, Ellen Sherman-Zinn Back On The Scene |
| Sunday Courier News, Everhart Exhibit Features Four Favorite, October 1996 |
| Mount Olive Chronicle, Warren Township Artist, Ellen Sherman Zinn’s "Studio," one of the many paintings featured at the Everhart Gallery. |
| Echoes Sentinel, The Works of Ellen Sherman-Zinn of Warren Township are on view at Everhart Gallery, April 1995 |
| Hanover Eagle, Region Weekly News, The Works of Ellen Sherman-Zinn are on view at Everhart Gallery…an Abstract Expressionist painter known for her “striking,” vibrant colors, April 1995 |
| Newark Star-Ledger, Ellen Sherman-Zinn exhibits her acrylic paintings such as “The Red Chamber” through April 30 at the Everhart Gallery, March 1995 |
| Sunday Courier News, Different Way of Viewing…Everhart Gallery of Bernards Township features Abstract Expressionist works of Ellen Sherman-Zinn |
| The Jewish Horizon, Ellen Sherman-Zinn Exhibits Paintings at Warner Lambert Art Gallery, Morris Plains, and at the Annual Art Show of Westfield Hadassah at Temple Emanu El, March 1994 |
| The Sunday Newark Star-Ledger, Eileen Watkins, "Home-Grown Artists Show Their Skills at College Exhibition," February 1994 |
| Echoes Sentinel, Hanover Eagle, Mount Olive Chronicle, Roxbury Register, Randolph Reporter |
| Observer Tribune, The Morris News Bee, Florham Park Eagle, Madison Eagle, Chatham Courier |
| Hunterdon Review-Oils and Acrylics of Ellen Sherman-Zinn of Warren are on view, November, 1994. |
| Newark Star-Ledger, Abstract Ideas – Ellen Sherman-Zinn of Warren shows her paintings November 24, 1994 |
| Alumni Life, MSU Alumni Association, Montclair State University, “Ellen Sherman-Zinn was named one of the NJW’s Best by New Jersey Women Magazine,” Winter 1995, Vol.43 No.6 |
| Newark Star-Ledger, Sherman-Zinn Works on View, November, 1994 |
| Syracuse University Magazine “True Calling,” Ellen Sherman-Zinn, Fall 1994 Vol.11 No 1, Pg.9 |
| Suburban Trends, “Juried Exhibit of New Jersey Art Featured at Ben Shahn Galleries,” February, 1994 |
| Courier-News, “Many Noticing Warren Artist’s Method of ‘Self-Discovery’,”January 1994 |
| Echoes Sentinel, Woman Leaves Corporate World to Fulfill Dreams as an Artist,” January 1994 |
| New Jersey Woman Magazine, Ellen Sherman-Zinn “Born to Paint,” July-August, 1993 (Cover Story) |
| The Journal, Painting Large Pictures of Life, July 1993 |
| Bernardsville News, Gallery to Host Garden Party, Ellen Sherman-Zinn Shows Large Abstract Canvases…,” September 1993 |
| Newark Star-Ledger, Eileen Watkins, “Bergen Exhibit Confronts Viewer With Bold Colors,” November 15, 1993 |
| The Record, Garden Gate and Post & Beam are among the works by Ellen Sherman-Zinn on view in Fair Lawn, November 6, 1992 |
| Burlington County Times, “Painting a Dark Portrait of a Gifted Artist,” October 1992 |
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
| Lecture and Workshop, Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, Edison NJ |
| Demonstration, Pingry School, Short Hills, NJ |
| Enrichment Program, “Painting From the Imagination,” Pingry School, Short Hills, NJ |
| Lecture and slide presentation for the Knitwear and Sportswear Industry, Pierre Hotel, NYC |
| Lecture and slide Presentation, NKSA, Cleveland, OH |
| Stylist, coordinator, promoter of “The Great American Idea” Fashion Extravaganza, Hilton Hotel |
| Lecture and Side Presentation, Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC |
| Lecture and Slide Presentation, Hotel Warwick, NYC |
| Lecture and Slide Presentation, Hotel Warwick, NYC |
EDUCATION
| Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ M.A., Painting, 1988 |
| Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY B.F.A., Textile Design. 1966 |
| International Center of Photography, NYC |
| Donald Stacy Studio, NYC |
| Parsons School of Design, NYC |
| Boston University, Boston, MA |
| Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ |
LINKS
