(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Enjoy pastel landscapes of local sites that you might already know. New Jersey artist Scott Molnar’s exhibit, “Pastel Interpretations of Ocean County,” will be on display throughout the month of September at the Ocean County Library Toms River Branch. Molnar’s pastels, enhanced by watercolor underpainting, will occupy the Library’s McConnell Gallery. He says his formal training has all been through classes and workshops in the Pine Shores Art Association, Manahawkin, where he is a member.

Raised in the Pine Barrens of Burlington County, Molnar said that the environment taught him to respect nature and understand the importance of 'wild places.'  “I then moved to Montana, where I [developed] a deep appreciation for the beauty and vastness of the mountains and free-flowing rivers and streams,” Molnar recalled. 

“I have been drawing and doing illustrations for as long as I can remember,” he continued, adding that pastels are his most recent explorations. “My love for Plein Air feeds my studio work... My goal is to capture a brief essence of light across the palette of nature.”

“Pastel Interpretations of Ocean County” is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information, visit the Toms River Branch, 101 Washington Street, or call (732) 349-6200.

IMAGE: “Shadows on Barns,” by Scott Molnar