“My home in Tinicum Township, Upper Bucks County, Pa., was for many years, the inspiration for much of my artwork. I was intrigued not by the predictable/perfect beauty of a plant or landscape, but by the chaos, imperfection, and discord of a wilting dying sunflower, a weed, a dried leaf, or disarray after a storm. I found beauty, spirituality, metaphor, and deep emotion, even "a story" in the chaos.

Sometimes my work focuses on cityscapes inspired by my travels to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Again, I am fascinated by the chaos, discord, and energy of the city.

In 2017, I became a volunteer Lay Chaplain at a local nursing home. I was inspired by the amazing people I met.  My art shifted from nature and city themes to capturing the daily lives of the home residents. The people I had the privilege of knowing led interesting and purposeful lives. I saw patients in Hospice Care, patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and patients failing from various physical debilitating ailments. The nursing home was their home, their culture.

A conversation I often have with patients is how much love and pride they have for their families.  They miss their homes, desire more independence and autonomy, and have the need to be present and heard. They want to laugh, learn, play, freely express emotion, and tell their stories. They want people to listen…and they have a lot to say.

The goal, of my art, is to make the public more aware of this often-forgotten population.  Our elderly need to feel that their lives have relevance, meaning, and purpose.  Often, they feel shut away, invisible, and forgotten. When creating a piece/portrait of a resident, I am reminded of that wilting sunflower. I don’t see age and fragility, but immense beauty, courage, character, strength, and a remarkable life “story”.

My signature drawing style entails intricate, bold, energetic, and poetic markings, and sometimes delicate renderings. Lines are created with charcoal, ink (often drawn with string dipped in ink), acrylic paint (often poured and manipulated), pastels, and plaster that are drawn, erased, scratched, and/or incised into. I usually prefer drawing and painting on heavy Bristol and watercolor paper. Occasionally, I work on canvasses. I use a limited color palette of subdued colors and, black and white. The medium or mixture of mediums I use always depends on the message or emotion I’m trying to convey”.

Ginny Ferrante Perry