The Cottinghams:

It started with a ballpoint pen and a girl with beautiful long hair

BY MINDY TORAN

For five decades, a love for art and frankly each other has fueled the passion of Pitman-based artists Ruth and Jim “J.H.” Cottingham. From the moment they met in a drawing class at Millersville University - where they both were studying art education - they were destined to create beautiful portfolios together.

ating art together and loving every minute.” point pen, so

After graduating from Millersville, both with a bachelor’s degree in art education, Jim and Ruth went on to careers teaching art, eventually getting married and raising a family of seven children, all the while continuing their own artistic endeavors.

With a background as an oil painter, Jim mainly works with oil pastels and oil stick, adding graphite or colored pencil for effect. He frequently commissions paintings of cars and enjoys painting abstracts and portraits. Ruth does mainly mixed media paintings, including watercolors and graphite. She enjoys abstract work and loves to do paintings of people and nature.

Jim recalls vividly the first time he laid eyes on Ruth. “When I went to my very first class in college on a Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., the professor asked us to draw anything in the room using a ball point pen, so it couldn’t be erased. I looked across the room and saw this girl sitting at her easel with beautiful long hair, so I drew her,” says Jim. “Fifty years later, we’re still cre-

“We learned early on how to coexist as artists,” says Ruth. “We offer each other advice and critiques but have always honored each other’s space.” And both share a profound love of teaching and inspiring others’ creative abilities.

“We started teaching in our own home more than 25 years ago,” says Ruth. “At the time we were home schooling our kids and decided if we wanted them to learn art, we please see ART, page 15

For five decades, a love for art and frankly each other has fueled the passion of Pitman-based artists Ruth and Jim “J.H.” Cottingham.

BY KATHY CHANG

The smell of fresh baked cookies straight out of the oven wafts from South Broadway’s Crave Pitman daily. And to be honest, it’s hard to miss.

“We have some people that confess they come in every day,” owner Kathleen Bianco said with a smile. “And it’s ‘OK.’”

Bianco and her husband, Mike, officially opened Crave Pitman, a bakery that offers a variety of large, fun “soft and gooey” cookies and cookie bars, on Aug. 8, 2020, initially as a hobby.

In 2019, we just decided it was time to have some fun,” Bianco said. “We knew a lot about baking cookies since we have baked our whole lives. [Mike] with his grandmother. I baked with my mother, and we figured it was something fun to do.”

For Bianco and her mom Jenny BeckmanMcGarry, baking “a lot of cookies” started on Black Friday into the Christmas season.

So, for the Biancos, opening up Crave takes them away from their mundane “office responsibilities from their other business [of selling security alarm systems]” because let’s face it, “security alarm systems are not nearly as much fun as cookies.” please see BITES, page 16

“People don’t call me and tell me how much they love their alarms, but they do tell me how much they love their cookies,” Bianco said.

In 2019, the couple, who are from Vineland in Cumberland County, started scoping out places.

Kathleen and Mike Bianco opened Crave Pitman Aug. 8. 2020 offering “comfort” cookies ever since. Their sister store, Crazy Kat, opened next door offering even more delectable desserts.