“Natura, Naked In Nature” is a fine-art photography calendar produced by Urszula Prezdzik Abolik and photographed by Lori Patrick.

Patrick, a Lehigh Valley-based professional photographer and journalist, took photos in Havana, Cuba, for the 2018 calendar. Patrick is a contributor to Lehigh Valley Press. She received a first-place 2022 Keystone Media award.

Abolik owns Amber Connection, Emmaus. She is a pedagogist, fashion artist, travel expert and art project navigator. “Natura, Naked In Nature” is now in its 10th year.

“The calendar is celebrating the human body, no matter what shape you’re in. And it’s relating it to the beauty of nature, because we are all individuals of nature,” says Patrick at the 2023 calendar release reception Dec. 22 at Arthaus, Allentown.

Abolik’s partner, Emmaus-based artist Dr. Barnaby Ruhe, assists with the calendar project. Ruhe and Abolik posed for photos in the calendar. At the reception, Ruhe painted impressionistic portraits of attendees in gouache on copies of the 2023 calendar.

While most of the images in the 2023 calendar are from Marrakech and Essaouira in Morocco, a few were taken in Pennsylvania, featuring Moroccan fabrics and objects.

The woman on the January page works on an organic farm. Maya, the cover model posing with sunflowers, is from Ukraine. Maya’s mother was in Kiev when the War in Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022.

“Urszula always wanted the calendar to support life and water,” says Patrick, adding, “She has donated to water situations throughout the world with proceeds from the calendar.”

The first “Natura, Naked In Nature” calendar, photographed by Slovenian-born, Brooklyn-based photographer Jaka Vinšek, premièred in 2013. The images were taken at Ruhe’s farm atop South Mountain in the Emmaus area.

The 2023 edition is dedicated to women of Ukraine, Iran and in similar challenging situations in other nations.

The 2023 “Natura, Naked In Nature” calendar can be purchased at Amber Connection, 226 Main St., Emmaus; http://www.amberconnection.org/ ; 484-225-1382

Arthaus, a partnership between RE:find and the Allentown Arts Commission, 645 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday. allentownarts.com; 610-841-4866

“Gallery View” is a column about artists, exhibitions and galleries. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com