Artist Bio:  Barbara Rzasa and Sarah Zappe

Nature, Shared:  A Mother and Daughter’s Perspectives on the Natural World

About the Gallery

Nature, Shared brings together the work of mother and daughter Barbara Rzasa and Sarah Zappe, two artists connected by family, creativity, curiosity, and a shared love of the natural world.

Working primarily in watercolor and oil, Barbara and Sarah find inspiration in the beauty that surrounds them—from flowers and butterflies to birds, wildlife, and landscapes encountered close to home and while traveling. Their work reflects both the small details that invite a closer look and the larger moments in nature that inspire wonder.

Although art has always been part of their relationship, watercolor became an especially meaningful connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Sarah began painting more regularly and Barbara shared her experience and encouragement. Since then, art has become another way for mother and daughter to explore, learn, travel, and experience the natural world together.

While both Sarah and Barbara use watercolor for their primary medium, Sarah chose to primarily add oil paintings to this gallery exhibition as she is trying to gain experience with it. In addition, it provides a distinctive balance between the thicker and heavier oil art pieces to the more delicate style of watercolor, which is shown with Barbara’s work.  

Nature, Shared celebrates not only nature as a source of artistic inspiration, but also the joy of seeing it through two different sets of eyes.

Barbara Rzasa

Barbara Rzasa is a retired graphic designer and lifelong artist whose creativity has taken many forms over the years. Watercolor is now one of her primary mediums, and the natural world is a continual source of inspiration for her work.

That connection to nature extends well beyond her artwork. Barbara and her husband share their love and knowledge of the natural world through educational programs throughout Connecticut on subjects ranging from wildflowers and birds to bogs, lichens, galls, and Connecticut's natural and cultural history. Her paintings reflect the same curiosity that informs this work: an appreciation for looking closely, noticing details, and continually discovering something new in the world around us.

Barbara resides in Seymour, Connecticut with her husband, Peter.  

Sarah Zappe

Sarah Zappe is an artist, educational psychologist, and founder of Kaleidoscope PA, an art and wellness business based in Lemont, Pennsylvania. Although she grew up surrounded by art and inspired by her mother's creativity, Sarah developed her own regular artistic practice as an adult, reconnecting with watercolor during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a source of joy and connection grew into a much larger exploration of the relationship between art, creativity, and well-being.

Today, Sarah works in watercolor, oil, and mixed media, often drawing inspiration from flowers, wildlife, travel, and the natural world. Her work is grounded less in creating a perfect representation of a subject than in the experience of noticing, experimenting, and finding joy in the act of making.

Sarah resides in Port Matilda, PA with her 18-year old son, Ethan, and German Short-Hair Pointer, Maya.  

For more information about the artists or the gallery, contact Sarah at info@kaleidoscopepa.com