The Artists

Sarah (Sally) Benton

Sally Benton was born outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1953. She was drawn to art at a very young age and,  after high school, attended Moore College of Art. For the past ten years, she has been studying oil painting at the  Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia with Paul DuSold, Academy of Fine Arts alumnus and teacher at  the Fleisher Art Memorial and the Wayne Art Center. From 2016 through 2020, Sally has exhibited her paintings at the  Philadelphia Sketch Club’s ‘Small Paintings’ and ‘Art of the Flower’ shows, The New Hope Art League’s 7th annual  juried show, The Cheltenham Art League’s 2018 and 2022 juried shows, and again, in 2018, as part of a two-person show  at The Hill at Whitemarsh in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. In March of 2020 Sally won best still-life at the First Annual  juried show at The Gallery on the Hill in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. Sally resides in Flourtown,  Pennsylvania with her supportive husband Andy. 

sallybentonart.com | IG: @sallybenton341 

Evangeline Bragitikos  

Through art and self compassion, Evangeline navigates through the ebbs and flows of life, reflecting on the light,  shadow and beauty that it brings forth.  

Mia Fabrizio  

Mia Fabrizio was born and raised in the greater Philadelphia area. She received a BFA from Tyler School of Art in 2002  and her MEd from Arcadia University in 2006. She taught art in K-12 classrooms for a dozen years before graduating  with her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in 2020. Fabrizio explores ideas of home  and layered identity through her mixed media paintings, sculptures, and installations. She served as sculpture faculty at  SMFA at Tufts University and at Maine College of Art & Design, and currently teaches 2-D and 3-D design at Delaware  County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. Fabrizio lives and works in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 

miafabrizio.com | IG @mia.fabrizio 

Bryce Johnson  

Bryce Johnson is Associate Professor of English & humanities at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania. This is his  second portrait with Souls Shot Portrait Project.  

Anna Kocher  

Anna Kocher is a painter living and working in the greater Philadelphia area. Her study of art has led her from  Philadelphia to Italy and beyond. She has exhibited work in many venues throughout the region, and has created  countless commissions for private collections and murals for public enjoyment. She works in a variety of media, but oil  paint is her primary focus. She has been involved with Souls Shot Portrait Project since its first exhibition.  

Laura Madeleine  

Laura volunteers as the Executive Director and Curator of Souls Shot Portrait Project. As a fine artist, she works in batik  technique on stretched silk. Her work, formerly represented by Rosenfeld Gallery, has been featured in many group and  solo shows throughout the years, winning awards from Woodmere Art Museum and other institutions. Her solo series  with accompanying ekphrastic poems entitled Waxing Poetic inspired the original song cycle In This Blue Room,  composed by Kile Smith and presented by Lyric Fest. She is a former designer and art director, receiving awards from  Print, AIGA, and the Art Directors’ Club. She also worked as a map designer for the National Geographic Society.

Richard McKnight 

I was a management consultant for over 40-years but I am an artist at heart. When the Covid pandemic hit, my business  dried up and I set up a painting studio. I’ve been painting ever since, mostly people. I am delighted to be participating in  this project. 

Laura Orfanelli  

Laura Orfanelli is a self-taught artist from Chester County. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner with 20 years of clinical  experience. This is her seventh year participating with Souls Shot Portrait Project.  

IG @LauraOrfanelliDesign 

Catherine Peluso  

Catherine Peluso resides in Downingtown in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Catherine was a participating artist at the  Rittenhouse Square fine arts show for about seven years. She also attended the Havre de Grace art show among about 70  artists where she won a third place award. She was involved with the Project Children art show in West Chester for  about five years. Recently her painting Wash Day was chosen to be put into a book called Acrylic Works 3: the Best of  Acrylic Painting and her piece Fire Escape Dog appeared in Acrylic Works 4. Catherine is a member of the Delaware Valley  Art League, the Chester County Art Association, the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, Flying Colors, and The Artists’  Circle. Catherine’s main mediums are watercolor and acrylic. Subject matter is usually urban scenes, animals, flowers,  and sprinkled in are portraits of interesting-looking people.  

Sondra Rosenberg  

Sondra Rosenberg is an artist and art therapist based in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. She studied visual  art at Oberlin College and earned her MA in art therapy at NYU. Working in a range of media and subject matter,  Sondra creates art for both personal expression, private commissions, and in support of organizations that promote  social justice and community development. This is her second time partnering with Souls Shot Portrait Project. Until  recently, Sondra worked as an art therapist at an eating disorder treatment center, guiding women through a process of  accessing and finding visual language for their inner worlds. Her own art practice has been deeply influenced by that  approach to creating images. She uses whatever mediums best enable her to capture specific timbres of feeling— sometimes paint, sometimes combinations of pencil, pastels, watercolor, text, and objects. She is interested in the fixed  visual expression of shifting mental and emotional states and the ways in which interiors are revealed through surfaces.  

sondrarosenberg.com | IG @sondraro 

Nancy Saladik  

Nancy Saladik is an artist/educator who lives and maintains a painting studio near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The  subject matter for her artwork comes from many of the people, places and things experienced throughout her life.  Nancy’s background includes several years as a graphic designer and an arts educator teaching in the Philadelphia  school district and most recently in alternative education working with at-risk youth. She is most happy when sharing  her passion for art with those who recognize art as a healthy outlet for creative expression. Nancy received her Master’s  degree from Arcadia University and her BFA from Kutztown University, and continues to take several art classes and  workshops in the area. 

nancysaladik.com | IG @nansalart 

Celeste Schor  

I’ve been an artist all my life. Started drawing on the walls with a dime. Didn’t get in trouble either—though my  kindergarten teacher yelled at me for coloring the wrong block. Anyway, I went to Tyler School of Art where I met a  couple professors who are my heroes even now. I’ve done some shows—three solo and several group shows  (Woodmere Art Museum juried show and National Arts Program juried shows). These days, I paint commissioned  portraits and do some work for causes and people I care about.  

IG @celesteschor 

Caroline Stoughton 

Caroline Stoughton paints to recapture the feelings of positivity and confidence, like those that she experienced while  her grandmother was still alive. Her grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and from this  experience, Stoughton realized that all we truly have is a moment. She believes that memories may fade, but feelings are  forever. Her paintings, which feature highly pigmented colors, deep textural surfaces and subjects drawn from nature,  explore how we can be reminded of these loving feelings, even without a specific memory. Based in the suburbs of  Philadelphia, Stoughton received a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art. In 2019, she presented her solo exhibition  ‘CHROMA’ at the Stella Elkins Gallery in Philadelphia, featuring a 30-foot painting. Her unwavering commitment to  color earned her the Richard Cramer Color Award in 2020. Stoughton has contributed to the World Wildlife fund  through previous solo art projects. She has been interviewed by ABC News for her philanthropy work and painting for  Souls Shot Portrait Project. In August of 2024 Stoughton was profiled for her art and advocacy in a feature televised by  Philadelphia’s Fox 29 News. Her paintings can be found in private collections throughout the United States and in  Rome, Italy. Stoughton is currently an artist in residence at Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  

carolinestoughton.com | IG @carolinestoughton_art 

Bernadette Trendler 

Bernadette Trendler is a self-taught artist based in Philadelphia. While hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, the wind  told her to paint, so now she does just that. She enjoys writing and illustrating children’s books, and painting portraits of  those she loves. 

Alyssa Weinfurtner 

Alyssa is a community- and self-taught artist whose creations are influenced by her daily social work, the community  around her and her imagination. As a child, she fell in love with portraits of all mediums by watching her grandmother  paint and draw people in her Brooklyn studio. Alyssa’s work aims to reclaim the body in a world that tries to dictate  them, and sees her art as a tool for mutual aid and giving back to the people she paints.  

saalysarts.com