Materese Roche

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Materese Roche is a classically trained painter who focuses on the American landscape. Praised by critics and collectors for her atmospheric, sensual work, her award-winning paintings are actively collected and have been exhibited in such well-respected venues as Phillips Mill, Gratz Gallery, Newman Galleries in Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Sketch Club.
 
Born in Philadelphia, PA with a passion for art, nature and culture, she graduated from Temple University and later attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, studying under Peter van Dyke and his wife, Carolyn Pyfrom, both alumni of the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. She also studied aesthetics at the Barnes Foundation at its original location in Merion, PA.
 
In 2007, she left the corporate world of finance and international human resources to devote her time to painting and teaching. In 2010, she established her professional studio and private art school.
 
Her inspiration comes from nature. “There is simply no substitute for working directly from the source,” she said. “There are kinesthetic and emotional subtleties that are, in essence, our connection with humanity and nature. These things cannot be captured when working solely from a secondary source such as a photograph. That connection is vital for me. “
 
Materese travels regularly in New England to paint, often to Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard. When not there, inspiration for her work , especially her large cloud series, comes from the large vistas of sky that surround her studio which is situated on a private farm outside of Philadelphia. 
 
Materese also offers classes and workshops at her studio and she is an adjunct professor of Art History and Aesthetics at Philadelphia University. When not paining or teaching, Materese spends time with her beloved dog and studio companion Maggie, a rescue Aussie.