Meet Our Instructors

SUSAN DAVITTI DARLING hails from Marietta, PA with a degree in Commercial Art from Millersville University and studies at Pennsylvania School of the Arts. Her education positioned her to take on numerous projects, such as creating greeting cards and calendar art and several label designs for a local winery.

"My approach to painting and collage is playful. I work intuitively. Exploration and experimentation keep me company. Collage satisfies the collector in me. There is an endless source of materials to choose from. A smooth stone that I found on a walk, old library catalog cards, bottle caps and feathers join papers from discarded book pages to have a new life in my work. Reuse, recycle and reinvent are the words of the day. My inspiration comes from music, the rustling of fall leaves, poetry or the color of the evening sky. I am inspired by the company of friends and family, who love and support me. Making art provides me with Joy and Gladness. ART is the poetry of my world." http://davittidarling.com/

ELICIA FRAZIER Elicia's professional goal is to educate art students in finding their inner voice; becoming thoughtful of what they hope to purposely create; exploring how they are making art; and understanding how it speaks to other art connoisseurs. Her mission and dream is to give breath to each student's inner artistic evolution. Elicia's personal belief is that on-going, personal exploration and learning helps to shape a student's artistic gift.

Elicia's artistic pursuit is to continue studying color therapy and incorporate her understanding into color theory, to heal people through her artwork. She enjoys painting nature with it's many moods and concentrates on how light effects color and energy. Elicia hopes her artwork will speak to your soul on a deep level, to bring you peace, joy and serenity. She understands that color and subject matter can heal one's internal mind and spirit. Elicia continues to study realism, but like to incorporate some artistic vision to each piece of artwork.

"To know that my artwork brought forward a smile, a peaceful heart or a connection to your higher spirit, makes me feel successful." -Elicia

Elicia Frazier's art career began at Howard Community College where she received an Associates Degree. She was a scholarship recipient at the Maryland Institute College of Art and was showcased while painting abroad in Italy. Elicia received her Bachelor's in Fine Arts, and later, received a Master's in Art Teaching. She also received a National "Advanced Certification in Art Teaching K-12." Elicia furthered her art education and development at Zoll Studio, learning techniques and skills of the Old Masters. Elicia has studied a variety of art styles including diverse, and effective, teaching techniques. In addition, Elicia furthered her teaching knowledge as an assistant at Montessori Manor School, ages 2-13. She is also well-studied in all aspects of homeschooling philosophies, from "Classical" through "Unschooling."

MICA Cum Laude Master's Graduate; Former Baltimore County Public School Teacher; now teaching at Zoll Studio School of Fine Art and York Art Association. Home-school Teacher; Multi-faceted Artist and "People's Choice" Award winner; Also recognized for Plein Air Painting in Howard County Times Magazine. Currently teaching students of all ages in all art aspects, including Portfolio Prep.

EMILY FREY, is a retired middle school art teacher from Central York School District in York, PA and a 1984 graduate of the Chambersburg Area Senior High School. She has an associate’s degree of technology from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University. Through post graduate work, Frey obtained her teaching certification at Millersville University and a master’s degree from Wilkes University. Emily continued to pursue graduate level art courses through Shippensburg University and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, she enjoys studying painting and collage with popular regional artists such as Lynne Yancha, George Clark, Debi Watson and many other regional artists.
Emily Frey has been a member of the York Art Association for over 20 years. There, her work was recognized with an Award of Excellence in the 40th Annual Juried Show 2010. Her work has been featured in York Arts-Artist Market Place, Bistro 71 in Chambersburg, PA and in The Framers Gallery in York, PA. Most recently Emily’s work has been available for purchase at Garth Gallery in Columbia, PA.
“I paint and create because I love to watch an image reveal itself onto the paper or canvas as I work. I am attracted to a variety of subject matter from animals to still-life including abstract design. It is the shapes, forms and textures that intrigue me rather than the subject matter for its own sake. I like to get lost in the internal dialogue of questions and solutions on how to achieve various effects. For me, creating an image is like solving a puzzle or mystery.” -Emily

BRADLEY GEPHART is an award winning artist with art in galleries, museums and private collections around the world. Brad graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of William and Mary, studied graphic design at the Maryland College of Art and Design and began his Master’s degree at Arizona State University. He currently serves on the Board of the Art Association of Harrisburg, is the editorial cartoonist for The Central Voice and The Burg magazines and entertains and delights at events as a caricaturist.

He has been teaching art classes for over 25 years. His classes have included Japanese Anime, Acrylic, Superheroes, Political cartooning, Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain, Caricaturing and more at the Mechanicsburg Art Center, Learning Annex, Northampton Community College, Lancaster Art Association and Art Association of Harrisburg.

CHRIS GOLD, from York, PA, started painting later in life. Her informal art education was gained by taking regional professionals’ workshops and classes. Gold’s creative journey began when her daughter brought home a coffee mug from her school’s ceramics class in 1999. The pair decided to take private lessons together and Chris discovered the joy of creating functional pieces from a lump of clay. After 15 years of occasional frustrating unfixable failures coming from her kiln, Chris wanted a new medium for her creative outlet. Gold had memories of watching, with fascination, her father paint with colorful, creamy oil paints. Assuming she had not inherited his DNA art gene, she did not pick up a brush until 2013, when in her mid-50’s. Oils are now Chris’s chosen medium. They allow flexibility to change a work, bringing her aesthetic to completion. Painting has become a better vehicle to express her appreciation of the strength God gives and Nature’s abundant beauty.

Gold classifies herself as a representational painter, leaning into Impressionism. Now a retired women's health nurse practitioner, she has more time to devote to the canvas. This artist’s creations can be seen in area galleries, as well as online social media. Her first oil painting exhibition prize was awarded in 2015. In 2022 her art was awarded best of show in a regional exhibit. Her creations have been accepted into juried exhibits through the York Art Association and shows at the York Jewish Community Center, along with other area venues. Gold is a member of Creative York and is a juried member of the Oil Painters of America. She also serves as the Gallery committee’s chairperson and is a member of the Board of Directors for the York Art Association.

BRETT GRIEMAN, a graduate of the York Academy of Arts, has been working his art services business since 1998 after working two decades in the pre-press industry. Brett was a part time instructor at Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts teaching a wide variety of subjects such as drawing, color theory, illustration, rendering, three levels of graphic design as well as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Brett’s paintings and murals can be found in many private and corporate collections including Harley-Davidson, York History Center, Wellspan Health, Nixon Nature Center, and many others. For more information about Brett, please visit his website:

http://www.brettsart117.wix.com/brett-greiman

YESENIA "JESSIE" GROFT began her artistic journey as a child, often drawing alongside her father as he created beautiful oil paintings. Her love for painting was rekindled several years ago while attending a paint night with friends.

What began as a simple hobby developed into a motivating passion. As an artist, Jessie continues to hone in her style and technique. She learned techniques through tried and true methods, such as the Charles Bargue drawing course and sight-size.

As an instructor, she seeks to enthusiastically share her heartfelt belief that we all can learn to draw and paint to some degree – it just takes time to patiently learn and practice. She teaches her students to be willing to try new things and not to fear failure.

Her favorite mediums are charcoal on paper and acrylic on stretched or wooden canvas.
She is a proud member of the York Art Association where she teaches youth classes. paintingsbyyesenia.com

WILL HARMUTH Encourages those to "Paint What You Know…" Early on I knew that I had a great interest in making art and have furthered that passion with the help of a great deal of academic training and mentoring from many gifted artists and instructors on my path to becoming an artist.
My early fascination with watercolor painting has helped me to have a more free direct brush work that I now have with oil painting in an alla prima or as I like to say Robert Henri’s One Go method of painting. I always try to focus greatly on what emotionally grabs my attention and work feverishly to get that feeling onto the canvas.
Reading the works of Robert Henri, “The Art Spirit”, was great help in my awareness in creating art. It is a conversational book of lectures, anecdotes and personal thoughts of the very inspiration of creating art. Many artists ask me what are the secrets, tips, or tricks to make art...
I always respond by suggesting they read The Art Spirit. I always say there are no simple or easy tricks to creating art, but great persistence and passion thru disappointments will bring you out to the other side.I have exhibited with the American Water Color Society, NJ Watercolor Society, and many other various art groups and organizations. There is no end to the possibilities of inspiration from nature.

Artist and Baltimore native, STACY LUND LEVY has been creating art in many forms since kindergarten. She earned an undergraduate degree from Hood College in Biochemistry as well as a Masters Degree in medical and biological illustration from The Johns Hopkins Art as Applied to Medicine program. Combining her natural artistic talents with her intellectual interest in anatomy and science, she initially worked as a medical illustrator. Stacy then opted to establish Lund Art Studios, a career move that enabled her to take on a variety of clients both locally and nationally, jury shows, teach classes and workshops, give demonstrations, and exhibit her artwork.

My art gives me happiness and satisfaction mainly in the process of its creation. To me, creating any work of art is a continuous series of mini puzzles that need solutions. I continually look for “clues” in my subject. As I am working, I am asking myself a series of questions. What supports the object or being? The weight is centered where? How is it connected? To what? Is it flying or being pressed down? What colors should I use to achieve the feeling that I want to convey? I continue to work through these steps until I am satisfied.
If I have answered all the questions, and solved all the puzzles, the result is tremendously satisfying for me and hopefully the viewer.

SUE MARRAZZO, ISAP, NCS, ISEA is an award-winning experimental artist who works in collage, mixed media, acrylic, sculpture, and encaustic painting. Sue's art tends to be influenced by fashion, interior design, and art history. She believes, "Art is about learning to see." Sue's strengths as an artist are with color theory and composition. She describes her art as : "BOLD, COLORFUL, EXPERIMENTAL, and INDIVIDUALISTIC."

Sue Marrazzo has exhibited in numerous local, regional, national and international juried shows, and exhibits. She currently teaches collage, abstract painting and experimental mixed media.

https://www.facebook.com/SueMarrazzoArt

LINDA BENTON MCCLOSKEY enjoys discovering creative ways of expression and totally keeps traditional rules of painting out of the picture. Since she loves to vary her palette of colors and new approaches, Linda's most recent works are experimental water media (abstract), mixed media, cold wax and oil and encaustic (beeswax) with lots of texture and exciting color. Diversity with all its fascinating choices, intrigues her and is evident in her work. Since Linda begins a new work without a preconceived outcome in mind, she simply begins painting and then intuition, love, desire, and experience take over. As she begins to see images, she develops them further. No matter what the results, the works take Linda to a new destination. After changing careers and researching her family's history, Linda discovered that Thomas Hart Benton (an American Regionalist Painter 1889-1975) was her great uncle. She has a Nautilus membership with International Society of Experimental Artists, and a Signature membership with Baltimore Watercolor Society, Philadelphia Watercolor Society and also Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. Linda is an instructor of acrylic and cold wax has a studio and gallery at The Millworks in Harrisburg, PA. https://www.lindabentonmccloskey.com/about

SUSAN NICHOLAS GEPHART is an internationally recognized artist. Susan, influenced by her artist father, developed a deep appreciation of the earth and its relationship to art when she was a young child. Her passion to explore the landscape is expressed through a unique use of color, texture, and atmosphere, capturing the emotion of a moment with spontaneity and directness. Susan is an associate member of the Pastel Society of America, and a past president and Signature Member of the Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society. She also co-founded the Plein Air Painters of Central Pennsylvania. She has been instructing pastels since the mid 80’s and organizing the Hameau Farm Studio Artist Retreats for all levels and mediums. All of Susan’s workshops are supported by top national art supply companies, allowing her students to sample a variety of fine art products. Her workshops are advertised in Pastel Journal and PleinAir Magazine, and her art is advertised in Fine Art Connoisseur, and has been Plein Air Convention faculty since 2015.

https://www.snicholasart.com/

Central PA Pastel Society, Hameau Farm Studio Artist Retreats Coordinator, Jack Richeson Certified Instructor, Sennelier Demonstrator, Gamblin Oil Dedicated Workshop Instructor, MultImedia Artboard Demonstrator, Farmland Preservation Artist, Plein Air Painters of Central PA Co-founder

IVY RODGERS is a fine artist, writer, and creative collaborator located in York, PA. She graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in 2018 with honors, receiving her B.A. in Fine Art with a minor in Art History. Throughout her time as a student, she worked as Gallery Assistant to Matthew Clay-Robison in the galleries on campus and at Marketview Arts. Upon graduating, she was an Artist in Residence at local community art organizations The Parliament and The Grotto Community Center. She has worked as a teaching artist, a program coordinator, and Director of Education for Creative York. For the past year, she has been self employed as a freelance artist and writer, working with diverse clients across the region. She paints murals, leads arts-based summer camps, educates people in artistic practices, and collaborates with organizations and businesses in the heart of York City. She is married to her best friend Sean, loves reading, and seeking out the best vegan food.

ANDI SIMPSON lives in south central Pennsylvania, studied fine art/art history and graduated with a BFA from Frostburg State University.

She works with a variety of mediums, including acrylics, inks, and oils and considers her art to be abstract. Her work exhibits an ethereal sense of warmth, light, and love but also elicits the sensitive chaos found in nature. Her paintings begin with a foundation comprised of multiple layers of color and a variety of textures. Building from that background she allows intuition to guide her. Defined shapes and forms present themselves organically as the piece progresses. She does not intend her work to espouse a specific message or extract a uniform reaction. Instead, she hopes to deliver a perpetually novel experience to each viewer, evoking unique visceral responses.

She created andiann studio to bring her art into the creative wedding realm and to broaden her reach beyond local and regional markets to clients’ homes across the country.

KATRIEL SREBNIK Interpreting figures, interiors and European scenes with light, atmosphere and expressive brushwork to evoke a mood and ambience, Srebnik creates his unique style, combining the spontaneity and immediacy of impressionism, the visual reality of painterly naturalism, and the poetic subtlety of tonalism.

Srebnik has conducted classes and workshops at his own art school, and art workshops at over thirty art schools, colleges and other venues; plus his “Artist’s Viewpoint” museum and gallery tours in the U.S. and France; and seminars on marketing artwork. As an anatomy instructor, former principal dancer and ballet instructor, musician, and having lived in France, Srebnik brings a unique understanding to his figures, dancers and European street scenes, and imbues them with a visual harmony and musicality.

“My goal is to distill an image or experience into its essence and express this vision in the most eloquent, painterly terms—elevating it into the realm of the poetic.”

Katriel Srebnik’s artwork has earned 41 national awards, including a Silver Medal and five Awards of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America; the President’s Award from the American Impressionist Society; First Place from the American Tonalist Society, Best of Show from the Academic Artists Association and Texas Art Museum; First Place from the National Society of Artists and Hilton Head Art League; has appeared in American Artist, American Art Collector, American Art Review, Art & Antiques, Art Business News, The Art Guide, The Artist, Art of the West, Art World News, Carrie Leigh’s Nude, International Artist and Southwest Art magazines; in nearly 80 national juried shows; 8 museum exhibitions including the International Guild of Realism’s “Master Works Museum Tour; in galleries throughout the United States, in London and France; and his own galleries in Santa Fe and Charleston.

JIM STARR achieved his dream of pursuing a career in art by earning a BFA in Art/Illustration from Carnegie Mellon University. For over 25 years, he has worked as a freelance illustrator, creating digital art for advertising, corporate, and editorial projects, including children's books. In addition to his work as an illustrator, Jim is a fine artist who regularly paints with traditional media and takes on commissioned projects.

Jim has continuously honed his skills, particularly in watercolor, through classes and workshops with master watercolorists. He is an active member of the Pittsburgh Illustrators Club and the PA Watercolor Society, and he holds Signature Membership in the Baltimore Watercolor Society.

Jim is enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge and passion for art and illustration. You can view his illustration work at jimstarr.com and his fine art paintings at jimstarrart.com.

KIM STONE’s 45-year career as a graphic designer and illustrator started out in advertising in Wilmington, DE, and eventually moved to publication with the PHMC, as art director of Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. She attended Wesley College as an Education major and graduated from York Academy of Art, majoring in Illustration. Kim also studied under Richard McKinley, Liz Haywood-Sullivan and Tony Allain. Kim is a past instructor in portraiture and pastel painting at the Art Association of Harrisburg. She is past president of the Maryland Pastel Society, a member of the Pastel Society of America, the Philadelphia Pastel Society and the Susquehanna Plein Air Painters. Kim presently teaches drawing workshops at Carlisle Arts Learning Center, Carlisle. Her work is represented at the Village Artisans gallery in Boiling Springs, PA.
"Drawing was my first love in graphite and charcoal. When I discovered soft pastels in art school, I fell in love with the ability to draw with them. Later, I learned how to paint with the medium. I'm pleased with the variety of brands, versatility and pure rich color." -Kim Visit her website at: kimlackeystone.com

DEB WATSON is a self-taught artist. Although she displayed an early talent at art, her parents discouraged it. She spent her adult life working as nurse and raising a family, but continued to paint in her spare time. As her work began winning awards and selling, Deb quit nursing to become a full time artist and teacher.

Now, her paintings have been exhibited throughout the U.S. in major art competitions and museums. Deb's watercolors have been published in national magazines and she's a recognized teacher, with how to paint books and a Craftsy class on Pet Portraits. After a bout with cancer, Deb became serious about creating her best work. She added oil painting as a medium, and began a new series of western art.

https://www.debwatsonart.com/

ANITA WILLIAMS grew up in on the New Jersey shore. She met her husband while living as a young adult in Philadelphia and moved to York County in 1984. She earned her Bachelors in Art Education at Millersville University. Anita taught Art at Spring Grove Area School District for 15 years. While teaching, Anita earned an M.S. in Education from Wilkes University and an MFA in Visual Arts from Wilson College in 2017. She retired from public school teaching in 2019 and has been painting in her studio above the Handsome Cab restaurant in York and currently teaches painting at the York Art Association and the Adams County Arts Council.

Anita has participated in many juried exhibitions and won several awards. In 2020 she won an “Award of Excellence” for the Healing Power of Art from Manhattan Arts International. She also won “Best of Show” at the Yorkfest Adult Juried Exhibition.

https://anitawilliams-art.com

"I have always found inspiration in nature, movement and color. Whether it is in the trees, flowers, waterways or twisting vines, I hope to transfer that magic and beauty to my audience through my paintings." -Anita

ROBERT DALE WILLIAMS is a graduate of the New York Academy of Art Graduate School of Figurative Art. Upon completion of his MFA degree at the Academy, he furthered his studies under the internationally recognized Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum. Since 2005, he has provided drawing, painting, and anatomy instruction at five art centers, and authored two feature articles on oil painting techniques for International Artist Magazine. Featured in collections worldwide, he has exhibited in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and Norway.

LYNNE YANCHA A.W.S. has received national recognition for her luminous watercolors: beautiful paintings of children, animals, still-life, and landscapes. Yancha’s sensitivity to her subjects, superb drawing, painting, and timeless realism is captivating.

Lynne resides in Mifflinburg, PA and has been conducting watercolor workshops at YAA for years. Her three day workshops are always well attended, inspirational and a good time.

https:/lynneyancha.com/

"I always begin my work with musings. I am not sure that the work is so different from years past… what I am sure of is that I am different. I use the same techniques as always in a layered, lost and found way. My media continues to be mixed: watercolor, white acrylic, ink, lead and colored pencils. I like contrast, edge-to-edge interest, and a story: yours and mine. Mostly, I am absolutely in love with the mystery of inspiration and how it affects the process. I have a painting that is entirely different from the image with which I began. It tells its own story!" - Lynne

ANN BENTON YEAGER is a Lancaster County native from the college town of Millersville, from a family of accomplished artists, including her Great Uncle, Thomas Hart Benton. Inspired by a rock she painted for a garden in 2009, she fell in love with abstract art during an experimental mixed media class. She now works with various mediums like acrylic, oil, and encaustic, incorporating textures like cheesecloth and sand into her pieces. Despite her short time painting, Ann has received many awards and has been internationally published in the International Contemporary Artists, Volume XI, publication. Her mother, Linda Benton McCloskey, is also an accomplished artist who has been internationally published several times, has won countless awards and is an avid arts teacher. Ann believes abstract art is endless in its possibilities, and infinite in design. Sometimes she pinches herself because she can’t draw a straight line to save her life—that’s the beauty of abstract art to this artist.
She now teaches art classes and private lessons, drawing influence from modern expressionists like Jackson Pollock. You can find her at Studio 103 in The Millworks, Harrisburg, PA, where she hopes her art sparks fun and thought.

York Art Association

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