June 2022 Exhibits

Featured in the Thaler Gallery:

Click here to see a selection of artwork online.

• Kim Klabe: I began working in wine and beer pours in August of 2017, after working in oils and watercolors for over 30 years. Painting had become stifling, and boredom had set in. Representational painting was not only very competitive but lacked what I desperately needed - a way to express myself freely and creatively.Working in pours re-connected me to the creativity and imagination I experienced in art school. The direction of the wine dictates how distorted a figure may or may not be, and no longer is representation a necessary part of my painting. There is no sketching to plan the drawing, I go right to the pour with a marker and try to reign in the happy chaos of the pour. This is a self-imposed discipline that energizes me and encourages me to think that there are no "mistakes". Three eyes and 12 fingers are actually quite the norm. The pours cause people to look, to reflect, to think and yes - to laugh. The colors and the energy draw the eye and conversation ensues. The fact that the pours get their start from wine and beer only adds to the conversation. Pours are made by pouring wine or dark beer on #400 watercolor paper, letting the liquid dry, then looking at the dried stain/image to see what shapes appear. Those shapes are defined with markers and colored pencil, using the lines/shapes of the pour. Some of the wine or beer stain is left untouched, other areas are mostly covered, but the integrity of the pour remains. Sometimes I have no direction for the final outcome and discover as I go along. So why wine and beer? I love the way the wine and beer move across the textured paper - their color, the way they puddle and leave shimmery sugars behind. I love how wine and beer can bring people together for laughs and conversation. It's an unusual medium, and that's pretty cool in and of itself. And yes, I like it - but no, I didn't accidentally spill wine and get the inspiration! Titles of the pours are taken exclusively from current events (whether world-wide or personal events), and help date stamp a place in time. This medium is unique and unusual and has helped me connect with my true love for art and expression. I hope you love it as much as I do.
• Jack Knight: These works are a departure from conventional easel painting. I refer to these as “combines” because I combine painted canvas, wood, and masonite to create a composition, resulting as an explosion effect of shape and color. There are still some elements of my previous painted canvas works using these shapes and colors, but the overlapping is no longer an illusion but reality through spontaneous placement. I begin the construction of each combine using a wooden triangle shape on the studio floor. Next, I select pre-painted canvas and wood shapes and place them unfastened on the wood structure. Once I have determined the composition is complete, I then remove the shapes and paint the wooden triangle support. Next, I move all pieces to a cleaner floor area and assemble using various hardware items. Some hardware is intentionally shown and becomes a part of the work. When I believe the combine is finished, I hang it on the wall. Finally, I study the work and make final adjustments in terms of additions or subtractions.

Featured in the Sisson Galleria:

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In Studio E:

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• Mark your calendars: Saturday & Sunday June 18-19 from 11-4pm for a special artisan marketplace, where you can meet the artists and purchase handcrafted ceramics made by local potters.

In the Spotlight Gallery:

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• José Ramírez is a watercolor and oil painting artist originally from Guatemala and currently living in Dorchester County, MD. He began his career as a professional artist in 2009, after attending the art school Manuel Herrarte Lemuz in Chiquimula, Guatemala. He began exhibiting his art at the age of twenty-one, and since then has enjoyed considerable success. Today, he is a plein air and studio painter using both mediums. As an artist, he has found the creative inspiration he desires, and the ability to communicate his excitement and love for nature, people and everything that surrounds him. After moving to the United States in 2012, he has been developing a unique style that’s smooth and realistic. His intention is not to create a photo realistic image of a scene, but to capture the feeling evoked by his subjects. After becoming a member of the Academy Art Museum based in Easton MD, attending open studios to draw portraits and human figures from life has been an important part of his artistic training. José Ramírez is also a member of the Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay located in Easton MD and a member of the Working Artists Forum.

In the Artisan Showcase:

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• I have lived at the beach for over 45 years. My early interest in art led me to pursue a degree in Fine Arts. After college I worked in the commercial art field in Washington, D.C. then return to the Eastern Shore working as an illustrator, sign painter and mural painter as well as in the silk screen industry. I enjoyed a few summers as a portrait artist on the Ocean City boardwalk before earning a Teaching Certificate in K-12 Art Education and working as an Art Teacher in Wicomico County schools for 17 years. After retiring I’ve been working in my home studio in South Bethany Beach, Delaware where I find inspiration from people on the beach and other places that catch my eye in the beautiful beach environment.
• I have experience in many media, but I love painting with oils, sometimes even adding fabric to my works. My goal is always to bring warm smiles to my viewers. As my old friend Henri Matisse said . . . art should be “devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter” and have “a soothing, calming influence on the mind . . . something like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”

Off-Site:

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• The Princess Royale satellite gallery, 9100 Coastal Hwy., hosts the artwork of Mary Bode Byrd, formerly an artist for Hallmark and owner of a graphics agency in Washington, D.C. Painting realism with an abstract twist, Byrd uses bold colors with exuberance and whimsy, incorporating many media including hand-altered papers, acrylics, watercolor, graphite, and found objects.
• The Coffee Beanery satellite gallery at 94th St. and Coastal Hwy. displays the works of Susan Koster and Brandon Martin, co-creators of Silver Sun Photography, a fine art photography company from Ocean City. They specialize in one-of-a-kind seascapes, capturing the ever-changing moods of the coast. Koster studied photography at Salisbury University and worked professionally as a photojournalist and photographer. Martin is an award-winning photographer, specializing in long-exposure photography.