Founding Artists

Arthur Elias is a highly-trained surgeon, and is a self-taught painter. His understanding of human anatomy is derived from his medical training while the other elements of his art were inspired by carefully viewing the techniques of those whose work hangs in the various museums and much reading.

Dorothy Cochran, Director/Curator of the Galleries at the Interchurch Center, NY, comments, “Arthur C. Elias divides his time between the operating room and the studio. He finds much in common between the disciplines of oral and maxillofacial surgery and oil painting. Each requires the ability to envision the final product before the work has begun. And each fosters a sense of great satisfaction from the successful completion of the task.

Arthur’s work has appeared in juried exhibitions by The Katonah Museum of Art, The Silvermine Guild of Artists, and The Audubon Artists Society. His painting, "Buttons," was awarded the A.F. Friedman Incorporated Award at the Silvermine "Art of the Northeast" exhibition. His work was exhibited at the Colonnades Gallery, “An Exhibition of Oil Paintings,” in Montclair, NJ, in 1997. Arthur has also had two one-man shows at the Interchurch Center Galleries in Manhattan: "A Matter of Scale - An exhibition of paintings of New York's homeless," 1992, and "Coming Home," 1998.

“My work is whimsical, even when dealing with serious subjects. The juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated objects elicits a thought provoking response in the viewer. Color, balance and design create compelling compositions which, whether depicting New York's homeless, a dream sequence driving home or the use of our flag as art, are both pleasing to view and appealing to the intellect."

Through her paintings of watercolor, acrylic, prisma color, oil and multi-media, Katherine strives to uncover the joy contained in each moment life offers and hopes to encourage others to realize the same goal through her artwork.

After receiving a BA in advertising from Michigan State University, Katherine also attended the Art Students League in New York City. She worked for 12 years in international marketing and business development in the Fragrance and Cosmetic Industry. She studied with Alan Reingold, renowned professor at the Parsons School of Design and with watercolor artist Linda Perlmutter of the Odyssey Art Group.

Katherine’s work has appeared in the 2001 Ridgefield Guild of Artist’s annual juried show, was a medal winner in the 2007 “Celebration of the Arts” Parsons School of Design Faculty Juried Show, and had a One Artist Show throughout the Bloomingdale store in White Plains, NY, in 2007. Katherine recently installed a new show at the Croton Creek Restaurant, Croton Falls, NY.

Her paintings are part of important collections throughout the East Coast. She is currently working on a variety of illustration and writing projects for several children’s books.

“My first love has always been the arts…I remember myself as a child drawing, painting, writing songs and poems….Now I live my childhood dream as an adult through my artwork, writing and decorating.”

Will Kefauver returned to painting after many years as an illustrator, then graphic designer, then art director and executive in the publishing industry.

He has studied at Whittier College and the Katonah Art Center and has both studied and been an instructor at the School of Visual Arts. His course of study has included instruction from Robert Speier, Milton Glaser, William P. Duffy and Jock MacRae.

Among the artists who've influenced him most heavily, Kefauver cites Corot for his use of atmospheric perspective, Frank Benson for the energy of his composition and Wolf Kahn, who can find color anywhere.

Kefauver's work has been selected for appearance in juried shows across the country including the Salmagundi Club, Audubon Artists and the Lyme Art Association. He has received awards from the National Society of Artists, the Lake Wales Arts Council, the Art Director's Club, the American Institute of Graphic Arts and The One Show. His work has been featured in Art Direction, Advertising Techniques and Idea magazines and his show in 2006 was featured in a full-page article in the North County News, a Westchester, New York paper.

His most recent exhibit is at the Minden Opera House in Minden, Nebraska where his one-man show features over 30 of his landscapes. He's recently shown at the RiverWinds Gallery in Beacon, New York's art district where he was the Featured Artist for the month of February and has an upcoming one-man show in Yorktown, New York at the Teatown Lake Reservation.

He can often be found along a roadside or in a field — painting in oils, en plein air. His work depicts the moods of the landscapes of New York and New England, from the apple trees of a Westchester farm to the beaches of Martha's Vineyard.

"Through painting, I can bring form to my memories and relive a time in the fog on the beach, a crisp afternoon on a farm or in the mountains. These are the parts of life I can bring to canvas and they allow a touching of others and a sharing of my wonder that I could have seen that cloud or felt that wave."

As a Literature and Rhetoric student at SUNY-Binghamton, Bettina Blue (artist alter-ego of Beth Saffer) expanded her creative scope, connecting the imaginative, written word with visual expression. After college, she went to work at the Vorpal Gallery in SOHO. She then lived in London for six years, where she was heavily influenced by the brilliant designs of the British, while studying oil-painting and photography.

When she returned to New York, Bettina enhanced her fine art and design education at The School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design. She studied watercolor painting with international artist Carmen Lund-Leahy of the Silvermine School of Art. Bettina currently studies with Parsons School of Design illustrator and professor Alan Reingold. She has more recently pursued a degree in Textile and Surface Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, learning to create home furnishing and fashion prints. She enjoys combining her variety of experiences and incorporating the various media and ideas into her fine art, allowing for an eclectic look.

Exhibitions have included juried shows at The Ridgefield Artists’ Guild, CT, and Festival of the Arts, Mt. Kisco, NY, and multiple shows at The Opus Gallery, Mt. Kisco; The Schoolhouse, Croton Falls ,NY, and Arti-gras, Mt. Kisco, and she currently has work displayed at Borders Books in Mt. Kisco.

Bettina lives in Chappaqua, New York with her husband Robert, and daughters Sabrina and Juliette, who guide her artistic vision. She is currently writing and illustrating a children’s book starring her three dogs, Peanut, Butter(cup), and Jelly(donut).

“I like to think of art as a happy place to go. Colors and textures, playful, nostalgic ideas, and a bit of magic stardust can all be seen in my work. My style is decidedly whimsical.”