My inspiration for the violin was all encompassing of the music and Shakespearean theatre. The rich colors I used bring forth the feel of the mystical forest, as in “A Midsummer Nights Dream” and the heart-breaking romance of “Romeo and Juliet.” The use of paper as a medium joins paper sculpture and paper filigree quilling to create a stage for both the comedic, with the fooled romance of Bottom and the Fairy Queen, as well as the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The violin itself provided nooks and hiding places for the fairies, while the wrapping of the theatre curtain and bringing in the roses helped to join the piece together as one.

With a background in graphic art and a love for drawing, painting and crafting, Melissa is developing a unique way to present the “whimsy” of everyday life. Her colorful paper creations demonstrate her love of flowers and gardening, as well as her sense of humor with the characters she creates.

The inspirations for this violin come from the NJSO’s season opening program, and elements from each composition are included in the design. The main inspiration is Mussorsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ so I made the violin look like a Russian enamel box and most of the imagery comes from this piece. The main figure represents “The Gnome;” the arches behind him “The Catacombs;” “The Gates of Kiev” appear at the bottom; the dancing eggs evoke “The Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks;” and the wooden bird represents the Russian spirit of the piece. The moon and the fingerboard are a tribute to Torke’s “Bright Blue Music.”

On the back, the piano keys represent both “Pictures”— which was originally composed for solo piano—and Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 1.” On the keys stands “The Hut of Baba Yaga” otherwise known as “The Hut with the Fowls Legs.” Landscapes at night transition from “The Hut” to “the Old Castle” and a toy cart wheel on the back of the carved bird represents “Bydlo.”

David’s goal has always been to create works that contain the essences of good poetry. He finds the most effective way of doing this is by using a pseudo primitive style, which on the surface seems simple, but in reality resonates deeper emotions. These images reach beyond the surface and touch the very essence of the object represented. David fills each piece with subjects that contain layers of meaning, which is integral to lasting art.

My inspiration for this project was Saint-Saën’s “Organ” Symphony No. 3. This piece gave me the feeling of color, bright and clear, like the stained glass windows of a church or cathedral. Powerful notes make their presence known as the finale bombards the listener with an explosion of sound! The use of shattered glass in Technicolor chards shooting out from the center of the instrument seemed appropriate for the design of this violin.

Donna’s focus for the last 20 years has been the creation of jewelry. What began as pastime was soon born into a business and has taken on a life of its own. Working mostly with sterling silver and stones, her wrap techniques are very basic, and created in an old world manner using no solder or casting equipment. This was the first time she has worked with glass in this way, and she has been inspired to try this technique on other objects as well.

“Goddess of the Seasons” was inspired by a desire to use an ancient technique, encaustic painting, to create a most colorful image of an ancient form. Some 5,000 years ago, long before the first violin was made, goddesses were represented in this shape. The theme of ‘The Seasons’ captures the every changing dimensions of the goddess – the bright and soft colors of Spring, the rich multi greens of Summer, the brilliant hues of Fall and the crisp whites of Winter. While the seasons progress from Spring and Summer on the front to Fall and Winter on the back, the water sculpted on the sides of the violin reinforce and create a flow for the seasonal theme.

Since her retirement from the corporate world, Pat has discovered an artistic muse in dimensional, multi-media creations, and now creates encaustics (painting with wax). With encaustic painting, the surface is covered with layers of colored wax, each fused to the prior layer to form a permanent bond. The wax can be sculpted, scraped away, or painted to create dimensional effects and to hold items embedded in it.

In creating this violin, I engulfed myself in Ludwig Van Beethoven. I studied his personal life, his hearing loss, his music, and his discipline. I particularly found inspiration in what were considered Beethoven's greatest works; Symphony #5, First Movement, Violin Concerto, Third Movement, and Symphony #8, First Movement. Inspired by Beethoven's remarkable life and the dedication he displayed before and after his hearing loss, I portray the public conservative demeanor as well as the torment he felt creating masterpieces he could only imagine but not enjoy. My violin pays homage to the two seemingly different sides of a musical genius.”

Born in Kenya, Zack immigrated to the U.S. at the age of four with his family and has resided in the Newark area since. A recent graduate of the du’Cret School of Art in Plainfield, Zack’s work reflects his passion and need to create. When inspiration strikes, he strives to recreate the feeling or scene in his work. Zack has devoted himself to his artistic career for no other reason than he was destined to create.

A recent trip to the Dordogne region of southwestern France inspired this violin. The Dordogne River winds its way past a myriad of beautiful medieval hill towns—each with a chateau, or castle, perched at the top of the hill. I chose to represent two chateaux overlooking two neighboring towns along the Dordogne. Castlenaud and its chateau is depicted on the front of the violin, and Beynac and its chateau is shown on the back. They were rival towns and fought each other throughout the Middle Ages.

The views are actually composites of several angles, and the view of Beynac is basically the view from the chateau at Castlenaud. In order to duplicate this look, I sketched the scenes in black ink directly onto the violin, and then I filled in the outlines with layers of thinned—almost transparent—oils. I chose to apply the river and the sky in a more traditional manner so that the villages and foliage would appear luminous in contrast.

Linnea’s artistic career began in printmaking, working only with black ink in her etchings, aquatints and lithographs. Her line drawings tend to be informational and timeless — the addition of color allows her to express a specific time and place. Linnea generally chooses her subject matter from her travels, focusing on landscapes, cityscapes and architectural details. Recently, her focus has been on using water colored pen and inks.

Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” inspired me to visually capture the lush harmonies as they contrast with the emotional complexities of the symphony. The metaphor of the strong yet vulnerable tree evokes its lonely and tender journey. ”

Shari is a painter, printmaker, scanographer, photographer, mixed media and book artist whose work has been shown in numerous exhibitions around Northern and Central New Jersey. In addition to her experience as a fine artist, she studied textile design and has produced surface designs for swimwear, junior and women’s textiles, home furnishings, giftwrap, handbags, toys and juvenile products.

Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey represent the Golden Age of Swing. When I looked at the violin, I saw how its shape lent itself to the shape of the marquee of the Paramount Theater in New York City where they often performed. Capturing the excitement of the era was constantly in my mind until I came up with the finished product. And how could you not include some of their famous hits? So I incorporated selected sheet music and pictures on the back of the violin. I hope that this theme translates as I intended — full of excitement and nostalgia for a past era.

Judith takes an original approach to her art, searching and discovering ways to apply water media to multiple surfaces. Her inspirations come primarily from the world of nature and its endless shapes and juxtapositions of color. Judy captures the soul of her creations by utilizing color and shape in a non-photographic way. She paints with passion using bright colors to bring excitement to the painting and viewer.

Vienna’s annual New Year’s day concert captured my heart and soul many years ago. This orchestral pageantry, combining the music of great composers, the bravado of a guest conductor and the elegance of artful dancers is compelling and inspirational.

I waltz, polka, march and clap with the orchestra as I watch this annual Austrian event. I have given ‘The Conductor and the Dancer’ masks to emphasize the festivity and surprises that await the audience for each concert.

Theodosia has been a practicing Attorney in New Jersey since 1983. She paints in oil on paper and canvas and creates three-dimensional collages and installation art. The use of dynamic colors and the expression of movement are hallmarks of her work. Multiple colors move through each painting, taking the viewer along many and varied paths to visions both expected and unexpected.

My work is mostly about landscape and the spirit within. It includes the grandest vistas to the simplest tree. My love of nature comes from being born and raised on a dairy farm in Southern New Hampshire. Landscape is a part of my inner being.

Cynthia’s work evolves from living, drawing, sketching, photographing and painting in the landscape. Many hours are spent immersed in and becoming attuned to the spirit of the place. These works are both landscapes and abstractions of landscapes which thus represent her personal vision.