“BIRDS:Avian Exploration”

APRIL 27- JUNE 9, 2024

Closing Reception: Sunday, June 9th, 5-6PM

Exhibiting Artists:
Deborah McFarlin, Shirley Gromen, Brenda Kidera, Mary Opasik, Jim Opasik, Kristen T. Woodward, Stefanie Lane, Patrick McGuire, Jennifer Hudson,Val Lucas, Annette Giles, Derek Arnold, Donna McCullough, Kate Norris, Lynne Molner, Chris Maynard, and Tim Phelps

BRENDA KIDERA

“My paintings reflect a deep appreciation for the extraordinary beauty of nature, and here, birds in particular.  My intention is to capture the light and atmosphere of the moment and to show the personality of these fascinating creatures. My inspiration comes from birding on my travels and at home in the rural countryside surrounding my studio in Maryland.”

KRISTEN WOODWARD

“My encaustic paintings abstractly explore animals in metaphorical predator-prey relationships.  These images attempt to question dominion in the physical and spiritual sense, and express ideas of stewardship, companionship, and loss. Birds in particular function as sentinel species- sounding an ecological alarm that something has gone awry.  The fragility and beauty of birds also evokes a state of impermanence. 

“I choose to work in encaustic because I believe it to be a seductive material- the medium of ancient scribes and bees. My recipe is a simple blend of pigment, resin & beeswax, and fusing the finished surface with heat completes the alchemy.”

STEFANIE LANE

“As an artist and designer, I am inspired by the intricacy of nature—the spiraling shell of a mollusk, the goblet shape of the morning glory, the gradation of a mallard’s feathers. Nature is brilliant by design and evolution provides the balance needed for living things to thrive. 

“I’ve always been drawn to traditional art of flora and fauna—particularly works illustrated by John James Audubon, the 17th century botanical paintings of the Dutch, or vintage waterfowl paintings found in nearly every antique shop. Through my current body of work, I utilize my background in graphic design to modernize the depiction of birds in their environment with the use of bold colors and graphic shapes. My work represents an evolution of the traditional bird painting—ensuring this beloved subject matter continues to thrive with today’s contemporary art enthusiasts.”

JENNIFER HUDSON

“My love of nature is evident in my pieces. I became a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists in 2022 in the hopes of continuing my exploration of wildlife art.

“ I have always been an avid animal lover and enjoy documenting the natural world in my work. Most of my work is inspired by the landscapes, wildlife and flora around where I live. My subjects primarily include foxes, birds, deer and other creatures native to north central Maryland. It is my goal to capture the movement, story and spirit of the animals I portray. I want the viewer to feel engaged with the story unfolding in the scenes I depict. I am always excited for viewers to see my works in person. Displaying my works in public provides viewers the opportunity to see all the details up close. It’s a different experience to seeing the images online, the difference between viewing a sculpture and a photo of a sculpture. It is my wish what every time a viewer comes back to one of my pieces, they see something new they didn’t see before. I hope to inspire the viewers imagination and bring to them a sense of child-like wonder.”

VAL LUCAS

“These works combine crisp letterpress printed linework with bold watercolor to create an open edition of pieces that show off the beauty of our local birds. Each print is pulled on a cylinder letterpress from hand-drawn imagery, and then individually painted. The prints are based on an ongoing series of greeting cards and calendar imagery, each year showcasing 12 different bird species in different artistic styles.”

ANNETTE GILES

Annette Giles is an artist based in Maryland. In creating her thread paintings, Annette takes inspiration from nature and often uses photos she has taken at her home in Maryland and while traveling to create a template that is transferred onto fabric.  A background fabric, often a piece that Annette has created using botanical printing, is chosen, and attached to canvas using free-form machine stitching. Different fabrics are then selected from Annette’s collection to cut up into carefully chosen applique pieces that represent distinct areas of the design. At this point, Annette begins the many hours of stitching that create the finished product. Framing is often done with the rough edges of the work displayed with a nod to the process used to create the piece. Examples of Annette’s work can be found on her website, leafandthreaddesigns.com 

Kate Norris

​​”I rip wallpaper to tell stories, juxtaposing and assembling the small paper fragments to form a greater whole. Often the mosaic-like artworks depict larger-than-life human heads, hands, skulls, and birds. One sees an overall image first and small vignettes up close. I use the wallpaper as a painter would use paint, creating contour and 3 dimensions through value change within the wallpaper patterns. Once pasted, each collage is then sealed with acrylic and finally varnished for UV protection.”

Lynne Molner

“Functional pots can delight and please the user. When I use vibrant color to paint fantasy birds with curly curves on a bowl, I want the user to be delighted with the humorous intent. I enjoy incising simplified line designs over loose colorful brushwork of easily recognized images of fruit, vegetables, birds, clouds, flowers. I am influenced by the freedom of color of expressionist painters. I get lost in the moment whether my fingers are handling the soft clay or observing the white canvas waiting for its color.  I want my pots to display the energy of color and spontaneity of line that enlivens my making. Curiosity, looking again at my designed cup or plate, is my connection to enriching one’s daily life with a visually pleasing porcelain pot.”

Chris Maynard

“I carve feathers into intricate art by cutting them into detailed shapes and arranging the cutouts into scenes that celebrate the life and flight of birds and the meaning that birds and flight have for us.

“Feathers appear fragile but they are actually made of keratin—the same material that forms our fingernails. They need to be tough, considering the work they do: Feathers keep a bird clothed, sheltered, and in flight for a full year before they are shed.

“Once a feather has finished its life as part of a bird, I believe it still has much to offer. The essence of a bird is inherent in each of its feathers. In carving and arranging a feather into a thought-provoking scene, I use an individual feather’s unique qualities in order to celebrate the bird that gave us the feather.”

Tim Phelps

“For the past 12 years creating nature mandalas has been a personal quest. I was searching for a new way to “story-tell” combining well crafted representational and symbolic art with the message of embracing the beauty of our planet’s biodiversity and the call for conservancy.  In immersing myself in the act of the creation of my cast of characters (the plants and animals) and arranging them into mandalas, I suspended my inner critic to see where the mandalas would take me: what positive and negative shapes were created in different rotations to find arrangements most pleasing to me. There was great satisfaction in being able to create art with limited rules, contrary to my profession of medical illustration that must adhere to strict rules. The whole process unfolded and took on a life of its own providing a joyful creativity wave. This quest has further defined the joy I have had for the entirety of my life fascinated with and interpreting nature through illustration previously in pen and ink nature prints, and now full color representational nature mandalas.”

Deborah McFarlin

“As an American watercolor painter, I am captivated by nature's beauty, especially wild birds. My art seeks to evoke tranquility, wonder, and the unique personality and sense of place of my subjects.”

SHIRLEY GROMEN

“My work is a portal into the ever changing natural world of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Using sgraffito to interpret different species of birds, fish, insects and plants on functional and sculptural forms I hope to bring to the user/viewer an awareness and appreciation of the variety of interdependent life that surrounds us.

“My work uses a mid-range porcelain clay body and are either thrown or hand-built. I incorporate carving, mishima (a technique where lines are carved then filled with a black underglaze) and sgraffito (where the entire piece is sprayed with a black underglaze then carved away to reveal the white claybody) to create the drawings on my forms. After a bisque firing the interior of the forms are glazed with a teal, black or clear glaze and fired to cone 6 (approximately 2200 degrees).”

Derek Arnold

Since graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art in 1993, Derek Arnold has completed numerous projects large and small.  His work shows a true dedication to art and his craft.  He has maintained his studio in Harford county Maryland for nearly thirty years.

Derek works primarily using steel that has a unique history and character.   He is drawn to old construction equipment that display elements of engineering and industrial processes.  Flame cutting, welding, and machining are some of these technical processes that contribute to Derek's artistic vision.

MARY OPASIK

“Inspired by environment and nature, I create assemblages using found and repurposed objects that I collect from shores, woods and streets. Using things that would have been trash and giving them a second life has been an ongoing theme in my art.

“The materials, both natural and man made, influence the subject of each work. I reinterpret and honor the unique histories evoked by each weathered component. Seeing a connection between two or 3 cast-off objects, I begin a piece. Sometimes I will save unresolved assemblage materials into stacks to work on later.

“Attaching and combining objects with hand tool processes such as drilling, sawing, nailing, wiring, riveting and soldering, I appreciate the tactile sense. Most of my assemblages are primarily wall hung and the latest ones are freestanding or require pedestals.”

JIM OPASIK

“Repurposed kitchen utensils are the domestic objects I use to create my figurative sculptures. The kitchen utensils used in every household for preparing meals are transformed so the viewer can see and experience them in a different way, “food for the eye”, you might say. I collect old kitchen and metallic objects from flea markets, thrift stores, sidewalk sales and donations from friends. Welding and riveting the repurposed utensils and metals are the primary means of joining the artwork.

“My fascination with the animal world is reflected in the content of my work. I am rewarded by the smiles and laughter from the viewers when they realize what the sculptures are created from (a double take look).”

Donna McCullough

I have always loved animals and from a young age began drawing them, in particular horses.

Currently, I have horses dogs, cats and chickens and enjoy all of their personalities. Living with these beautiful creatures inspires and influences my creations.”

PATRICK MCGUIRE

Patrick has maintained a studio and taught art since his graduation. He taught for 42 years at Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD. as a full Professor of Art in the Visual-Fine Arts Department. He has been married to Dolores Liberatore since 1965 and they have two children together.

He currently works in a renovated 130-year-old two-story barn in Jarrettsville, MD.