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Thomas Spande painting of the Hazel River
“A Charm of Hummingbirds” by Anita Zymolka Amrhein
Abstract painting by Phyllis Magrab
Photo by Jim Serbent from his Ganseki Koan, Japanese for ‘Rock Puzzle,’ series.
A study in green by Jo Levine
The Middle St. Gallery in Washington, Va., recently moved and will begin its new life with an all-member show, “Summer Dreams,” starting this Friday, Aug. 5 through Labor Day.
In this show, the 19 artists in the non-profit cooperative will consider the lazy, hazy, and not-so-crazy days of summer in Rappahannock County and a few points beyond.
Thomas Spande will offer a rich, summer-lush painting of the Hazel River with “a verdant riverbank with a small frog perched and observing nature in its transformations and subtleties.”
Cathy Suiter ventures farther west, to the Shenandoah River, where she offers an oil painting with a view across the river to Springtime trees on the opposite bank.
“Spring is the dream of Summer,” she points out.
Phyllis Northup also likes water and is showing a painting of two inverted canoes by a lake.
“Floating down a river, swimming or paddling a canoe or kayak on a mountain lake, or just relaxing by a pond or creek, all are things summer dreams are made of,” she says.
Photographers Susan Raines and Jo Levine go far from Virginia, Raines with a view of a lush summer garden in New Orleans. Levine shares a pair of views of “gently undulating green hills of the Palouse Country in Washington State, with a soft, dreamlike quality.”
Perhaps nothing in art is as dream-like as softly colored and diffusely detailed abstract paintings, and that’s just what Phyllis Magrab offers.
“Thinking of the light and warmth of summer inspired my two renderings of Summer Dreams–palettes of warm colors, reflecting the summer sun, flow into my abstract images,” she explains.
Photographer and digital artist Jim Serbent invites viewers to “feel the summer heat radiating from the sea rocks that form the backgrounds of digital collage-prints. They are part of the Ganseki Koan series, Japanese for ‘Rock Puzzle.’ The puzzling but dramatic rocks remind one of something baked in a very long summer heatwave.
The ever-imaginative artist, Fae Penland, offers paintings of women’s shoes of various types–sneakers, ballet slippers, hiking boots.
Of her painting, Suffragette Roots, she says, “It honors the boots women wore to protest for the right to vote. Their work helped enable us to wear the fun shoes that express freedom and be who we are. What better time than Summer to have fun being footloose and fancy free?”
Anita Zymolka Amrhein is showing a lavishly colored and detailed watercolor, “A Charm of Hummingbirds.”
“Summer is the time for these birds,” she says. “They are so much fun to watch, even though they seem to always fight for the food.”
Middle Street Gallery, which has kept its name over several moves in 40 years, is now at 311 Gay Street, lower level, with an entrance on Main St. across from Ballard’s in the Town of “Little” Washington in Rappahannock County. It is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday. middlestreetgallery.org and 540/675-1313.
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Fairfax fiber artist Marisela Rumberg, from Mexico, partners with her student, Medical Arts Building owner Mary Grogan, to create beautiful public art piece next to Culpeper Town Hall.
After the light-hearted “Nunsense” earlier this summer, Riverside is going for meatier fare with “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”
Now at LibertyTown Arts Workshop is “Candy Coated Dreams,” new work by Pete Morelewicz and Caroline Q. Murphy.
Thomas Spande painting of the Hazel River
“A Charm of Hummingbirds” by Anita Zymolka Amrhein
Abstract painting by Phyllis Magrab
Photo by Jim Serbent from his Ganseki Koan, Japanese for ‘Rock Puzzle,’ series.
A study in green by Jo Levine
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