"They walk right past the art and want to know about the house," said Engelsen, 70, who grew up in the faded-blue bungalow her father, Capt. Sidney S. Pearce, built of native white cedar and pecky cypress around the time she was born. "They eventually come back to the paintings."
There is an organic connection between the house and Engelsen, one of a number of commercially successful artists - such as Patricia Rainey and Marie Natale in Cape May County - who have found a muse in the Jersey Shore.
It was near her homestead, shrouded by cedars and a bramble of bayberry just yards from Barnegat Bay, where Engelsen first saw the glow on the marshes in the waning sunset. Down the road, she watched fishermen's muscles grow so taut she thought they might burst as the men maneuvered heavy rowboats into the surf to conduct the now-lost art of pound fishing.
In the decades since, Engelsen has seen her island transformed from a string of primitive villages into a place where expensive vacation homes are torn down to build even more lavish getaways.
The tourist season is in full swing at the Jersey Shore, and so is the art scene, with dozens of shows and exhibits scheduled in July and August up and down the coast.
Such activity blossoms nationwide at vacation destinations, where local artists market their works to visitors seeking a meaningful souvenir, said John Villani, author of The 100 Best Art Towns in America. Villani first recognized the Jersey Shore as an arts hub when he placed Cape May on his list in 1996.
Rosalyn Lifshin, executive director of the Ocean City Arts Center, is a fan of indigenous Shore artists like Natale, Rainey, and Engelsen because of the "exuberance" they infuse into works inspired by the places they love.
"It then creates a special memory for the person looking at the work," Lifshin said.
Engelsen is among dozens of area artists showing their works this weekend at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Brant Beach. The show is open 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. She also has a gallery at the Tuckerton Emporium on Main Street in Tuckerton.
Many Jersey Shore artists focus on places that no longer exist and they find that others share their nostalgia.
"I like to share memories . . . about places that are really the favorite place of a lot of people and hold special memories for them," said Engelsen, who has painted historical scenes for decades.
The artist, who studied at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) and the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philadelphia, has done commissions for such buyers as a McDonald's franchise and Atlanticare regional medical centers.
"Everything about where you are raised goes into what you are doing today as an artist. There are pictures I'll always have in my mind about what this place looked like, how it was," said Engelsen, whose images have made their way onto beach bags and other gift items.
When she picks up a paintbrush and records her thoughts in watercolors, acrylics, and oils, what emerge are breathtaking coastal scenery and everyday places such as the old Ship's Wheel shop in Harvey Cedars, where she bought art supplies as a girl; the docks at Viking Village; and one of the island's favorite watering holes, Kubel's.
In contrast, Rainey, whose home and studio are steps from the Delaware Bay in North Cape May, didn't begin to paint until well into adulthood. She was so moved one day by the beauty of Cape May's architecture that she bought brushes and paint and taught herself to convey her impressions on canvas.
The result is a 16-year watercolor study recently published as Patricia Rainey's Victorian Wonderland, which showcases nearly 100 Cape May landmarks, including Congress Hall, the lighthouse, and dozens of historic homes and bed and breakfasts.
Rainey has painted other coastal places, such as the rugged coast of Maine, but now prefers to stick close to home.
"When I first came to Cape May, I was so impressed by all the incredible Victorian architecture," said Rainey, who also paints in oils. "I just wanted to take in all that I saw and then share it with others because it's so remarkable here. It's this amazing place with all these buildings, but it's really a small seashore town."
A senior citizen who prefers not to disclose her age, Rainey maintains a busy summer schedule, exhibiting her work at museums and shows including the 46th Annual Cape May Promenade Art Show, under way this weekend.
She will be at Art in the Park in West Cape May on July 24 and the celebration of National Lighthouse Day on Aug. 7 at the Cape May Lighthouse. Her work is in a number of galleries and shops at the Jersey Shore and in New England.
Egg Harbor Township's Natale - the focus of the exhibit "Ocean City: Through the Eyes of an Artist" at the Ocean City Arts Center through July 30 - keeps a similarly ambitious schedule that includes teaching painting in Ocean City, Island Heights, and Cape May.
"I think there is something so unique and special about Ocean City. It's such a fun, happy environment that holds so many important memories for so many people," said Natale, who started painting at age 12 when a teacher recognized her potential.
She earned a master's degree in art education from Rowan University and taught in public schools. She then created a line of children's clothing and branched out into industrial design, creating garden containers for retailers such as Lowe's and Wal-Mart.
Natale has now returned to her roots, she said. She specializes in Shore scenes and Ocean City landmarks such as the Chatterbox restaurant, Mack & Manco pizza, and the 4th Street Cafe. One of her recent favorites is a watercolor of the iconic Ninth Street Bridge, which will be taken down as part of the Somers Point-Ocean City causeway project.
"I like to be able to show a side of a place that people know and love, but that they may not have noticed," Natale said.
"On the bridge," she said, "I saw how the amber glow of the rust of the old structure was reflected in the water around sunset. I just loved the color and the texture. And when I put the colors all together, they bleed and run together on paper and create a look at something in a way that hasn't been seen before."
WRITTEN BY: Jacqueline L Urgo with original article at The Philadelphia Inquirer available by clicking on the title of this entry
