Exhibition Duration: Friday, November 14, 2025 @ 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
In-Person Opening Reception: Friday, November 14, 2025 @ 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Virtual Reception: Friday, November 21, 2025 @ 6:30 p.m.
New Brunswick, NJ – Alfa Art Gallery is proud to present Between Stillness and Surge, a dynamic selection of watercolor and mixed media works that explores the shifting boundaries between serenity and momentum in an observation of life, landscapes, and the human condition. Featuring a spectrum of artistic voices, the show moves fluidly between abstraction and naturalism, revealing the expressive versatility of watercolor in its many forms.
From atmospheric monochromes to airy pastels and richly detailed natural scenes, a shared sensitivity to the medium’s fluid nature, where translucency and opacity converge to create moments of both subtlety and impact, unites these works. These diverse approaches form a visual dialogue in which color, texture, and form chart the balance between stillness and movement, with each artist contributing to a collective narrative — while deeply personal — that offers universal perspectives and invites viewers to immerse themselves in shifting moods, fleeting landscapes, and the interplay of control and spontaneity.
About the New Brunswick Art Salon Initiative:
Alfa Art Gallery utilizes New Brunswick Art Salons to unify the local art community and beyond. Since starting the program in 2010, Alfa has made a point to include a salon dedicated to showcasing pieces in watercolor, oil, photography, and various mixed mediums. Over the years, the series has not only exhibited works from established and emerging artists but has made fruitful connection locally and internationally through its successful programs. Within this non-profit organization, Alfa Art Gallery maintains its mission to uplift artists by providing an open and innovative environment that is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and diverse cultural community.
2025 NBAS Featured Watercolor and Mixed Media Artists:
Alaiyo Bradshaw is a Brooklyn-based artist, illustrator, and graphic designer. Born in London and raised in Detroit, she first discovered watercolor as a teenager and has continued developing her art ever since. Bradshaw earned a BFA in Illustration, Fine Arts, and Art History from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Visual Journalism at the School of Visual Arts. She also pursued graduate studies in Art History and Painting at Pratt Institute. Her education reflects a commitment to craft, storytelling, and visual communication. Her work creates stories through watercolor, often showing cultural and personal narratives. She draws familiar subjects, like children’s stories, dreams, and cultural symbols, and places them in new settings to bring fresh meaning. She often works in layers of watercolor , using color and detail to giver her images depth and character. Today, Bradshaw is Associate Professor and Director of the First Year Program at Parsons School of Design, where she mentors emerging artists while continuing her professional work as an illustrator for books, magazines, and other publications. Her paintings and illustrations have been features in numerous solo and group exhibitions in New York City.
Andrew Chalfen is a Philadelphia-based visual artist and musician whose work delves into the intricate interplay of patterns, color, and form. Drawing inspiration from aerial views, cartography, and architectural renderings, his creations evoke a sense of rhythm and structure, emphasizing the haptic nature of art. Chalfen’s artistic process parallels his musical background, emphasizing repetition, subtle variation, and a balance between intentionality and randomness. Often using vivid colors and geometric configurations, his pieces blur the lines between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, inviting viewers into immersive, meditative experiences. Beyond his visual art, Chalfen is also a member of the instrumental indie rock band I Think Like Midnight. His work has been showcased in numerous exhibitions across the United States, receiving several awards, including the 2018 Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Mid-Atlantic Regional award.
Aprajita Lal is a New Jersey-based painter whose work bridges the gap between art and nature. Lal’s interest in art was sparked as a child when her mother encouraged her to participate in the “All India Camel Color Contest.” The recognition of earning first prize in this competition motivated her to continue to explore her artistic interests. Lal capitalized on her time during the global pandemic, taking a break from her corporate career to completely dedicate herself to painting for over three months. With the support of her family, she then began to pursue her art professionally. Lal’s work aims to capture the beauty of nature and create tangible forms of happiness that can be shared with others. Through exploring light, color, and movement, Lal captures the precious moments of peace and life found in nature. Her detailed and vibrant works evoke tranquility, warmth, and healing within the viewer.
Cassandra Saint-Jean is a Haitian-born artist based in New Jersey whose work explores healing, liberation, and the beauty of the human experience. She began painting in 2020 during a period of personal transformation, after stepping away from a healthcare career. For her, art became a way to process emotion and reclaim her sense of self. Saint-Jean approaches painting as a nonlinear, intuitive process that mirrors the rhythms of healing. Rather than following strict techniques or formulas, her work unfolds naturally, guided by emotion and presence. Through abstraction and instinctive mark-making, she creates visual spaces that invite reflection and offer viewers a moment to slow down, reconnect, and consider what’s happening within themselves.
Debra Bernath creates delicate works that examine the intricacies of our natural world. Focusing deeply on her subjects, she finds inspiration in the layers and colors of nature. Bernath graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in Textile Design, where she studied both surface pattern and sculptural/woven and non-woven textiles. Utilizing her degree and heightened ability to break down shapes and textures, she began creating textiles, a profession that furthered her love for botanical artwork. Encouraged to share her perspective with others, she reveals intimate and unnoticed views of the world around us, creating dream-like compositions of real subjects. Her creativity and passion extend beyond just painting. She is also a photographer, jewelry maker, and tactile and energetic therapist who demonstrates the inherent beauty of nature and promotes the harmony between body and spirit. Uniquely composed and extremely detailed, her work stimulates deep observation and introspection, reminding viewers of what makes our environment and its living beings extraordinary.
Gail Wood Miller began drawing at the age of two, inspired by her mother’s approach to drawing and painting, a shared love of art that traces back to her grandfather, who had taught her mother. In school, Miller often illustrated her story assignments before putting them in words, which eventually led her to a career teaching writing. After retiring, she transformed her lifelong hobby into a full-time artistic practice. Her background in writing informs her art, which often explores change, memory, and imagination. Whether the subject is a person, a plant, or a landscape, her work invites viewers to interpret its meaning for themselves. Drawn to watercolor for its spontaneity and movement, Miller aims to capture not just what she sees but how she imagines it, inviting viewers to see their surroundings with new appreciation.
Indrani Choudhury is a self-taught artist who was a biomedical research scientist for twenty-five years. Born in Calcutta, India, she moved to New Jersey and continued to work as a biomedical scientist. In 2006, she knew what was missing and could return to a childhood passion for painting. Choudhury has featured her paintings at over a dozen juried art shows and galleries throughout New Jersey, often returning to the Alfa Art Gallery. Choudhury applies watercolors with such expertise that she effortlessly displays the textures that could be made. She paints the world around her, whether it be a frequented place, a color, or shadows. Choudhury is able to communicate through her passion for painting, which allows her to reflect on how she sees the universe. She is living proof of why it is important to pursue passions and one’s dreams.
J. Jie Li is a New York-based contemporary artist whose work explores the fragile and complex terrain of human experience, longing, silence, and impermanence. Influenced by Zen Buddhism, Daoist philosophy, and Schopenhauer’s reflections on desire and suffering, she works in watercolor and mixed media to express what remains beyond words. Her process brings together figuration and abstraction, often incorporating calligraphy, ink, and layered washes to evoke what she calls “inner weather.” Each stroke becomes part of a quiet search, a gesture that lingers between memory and stillness. Rather than illustrating the visible world, her paintings shift attention inward, toward traces of emotion, thought, and presence. They hold space for contemplation, asking the viewer to slow down and feel.
Jill Hellman is a New York born, mixed media artist and a psychotherapist. Hellman displays and sells her work throughout the U.S and abroad. Her process highlights her intuition, the environment that surrounds her, as well as her own internal landscape. She has displayed her work at solo and group shows, mainly in New Jersey and New York. Hellman has participated in many residency opportunities and painting workshops, taking her around the world, from New Orleans, LA, and Chateaux D’Orquevaux, Orquevaux, France. Hellman’s artwork serves as a compass on her journey towards peace in a chaotic and complex life and world.
Joel Popadics is a nationally recognized watercolorist known for his atmospheric landscapes and mastery of light. With over 30 years of experience, his work captures the emotional essence of nature through subtle shifts in color, light, and air. A BFA graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Popadics began his career in oil painting before dedicating himself fully to watercolor, drawn to its spontaneity and expressive potential. His paintings have been exhibited across the U.S., including at the National Academy of Art and Design in New York and the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, and he has received major awards from the Hudson Valley Art Association, California Watercolor Association, and New Jersey Watercolor Society. Popadics is the current President of the American Watercolor Society and a leading educator in the field, teaching at the Ridgewood Art Institute and leading international plein air workshops. He lives in Wayne, New Jersey, with his wife and two sons.
Judy Levy is a New Jersey-based mixed media artist whose work blends watercolor with ink, fabric, and found objects to explore texture, contrast, and layered meaning. Originally trained in art education, Levy holds a BS from the University of Bridgeport and has studied oil painting, fiber art, and illustrative drawing at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and with artist Barbara Minch. Levy’s paintings often reflect her lifelong interest in nature and architectural design and her background in sewing and fabric arts. Her unique style incorporates hand-stitched elements and dry watercolor layering techniques. Recent works draw inspiration from her frequent travels to South Africa, where she supports Ubuntu Pathways and integrates South African materials and motifs into her art. Throughout her career, Levy has exhibited in more than 30 juried and invitational shows, including the NJ Watercolor Society, the Salmagundi Club in New York, the NJ Center for Visual Arts, and the Gaelen Art Show, earning multiple awards for watercolor, oil, acrylic, and mixed media. A former public school art teacher, she also spent 23 years as a public relations coordinator for a school district and served over three decades as a trustee for the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School.
Kathleen Wert is a New Jersey-based artist who works primarily in watercolor and graphite, creating quiet, emotionally driven interpretations of the world around her. Drawing from a large collection of personal photographs, she selects images that speak to her through a mix of shape, color, and feeling—then edits and reworks them to reflect her own inner response. After recovering from eye surgery, a watercolor workshop proved transformative, revealing a medium that perfectly matched her interest in subtlety, stillness, and impermanence. Her paintings invite quiet reflection, offering space for personal meaning where words may fall short.
Lynnette Shelley is an award-winning Pennsylvania artist whose practice is in mixed media animal and nature paintings. Her love for animals and the natural world can be noted throughout her artwork. Shelley’s art is created using a variety of drawing and painting techniques. She often adds multiple layers of ink and acrylic, sometimes crosshatching, linear painting, and incorporated collage elements. Shelley’s nature and animal-packed works often explore life through a lens of fantasy and creativity. The works captivate viewers, tap into the imagination, and portray a contemporary take on the world. Shelley’s work has been displayed at a national level, as well as regionally. Her artwork is in private collections throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia. In addition to numerous exhibitions and awards, she has participated in many special projects throughout her career. To mention a few, she collaborated with Center Stage Arts in Health at Penn State Health and reproduced her works as giclee prints for their programs. Shelley was picked to reproduce her artwork on banners in downtown Rahway, NJ’s arts district, and was chosen to have her work included for a “Art Montco Wall” display set inside the King of Prussia Mall. These few special projects are a testament beyond awards and honors, showing her talent, artistic merit, and connection to communities.
