“TRAINS: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME”

MARCH 9-APRIL 21, 2024

View the Complete List of Works Here

Exhibiting Artists:
Raymond Burns, Janet Little Jeffers, Henry Coe, Don James, Heather Shreve, Doug Lake, and Dora Patin

Closing Reception w/ Artist Meet n’ Greet: Sunday, April 21, 5-6PM

(Past Event) Train Day: Saturday, March 30… Thanks for coming!

RAYMOND BURNS

“My recent work focuses on railroad equipment – engines, boxcars, and cabooses I find in working railyards, railroad museums, and abandoned tracks in the mid-Atlantic region. I find beauty in both the design and decay of these machines. I’m fascinated by the compositions they conjure by the play of light and shadow across their surfaces, and the colors and textures that are described by the effects of time and weather. Their impressive size and power of form tell the story of enduring solidity despite being overtaken by the elements. I am drawn to each of these qualities. My aim is not to evoke a feeling of nostalgia for the “good old days” of railroading but to show the character of each piece as they are- machines at work, and of machines having been used and discarded, but not forgotten.”

JANET LITTLE JEFFERS

“Driven by curiosity and wanderlust, I discover hidden worlds through photography. My practice is one of contemplative exploration in which I am drawn to details in two seemingly disparate subjects: nature, and built environments as nature slowly reclaims them.

“Careful observation allows me to find the unexpected in the mundane, and beauty in the eyesore. I get close with the camera to probe intimate elements, often to the point of abstraction. I distill my experienceof these subjects by framing deliberate, structured compositions, even in the chaos of the natural world. In the digital darkroom, I process with a light touch, respecting the scene as I found it. What I see is remarkable enough that I don’t feel the need to embellish it.

“As I compose these visual worlds, the shifts in scale between the micro and the macro often blur distinctions between the natural and the built. They serve as a reminder of how interwoven our inventions are with the natural environment, and how both can be simultaneously vulnerable and tenacious.”

HENRY COE

“I received a BA in English from Roanoke College and an MFA in painting from Maryland Institute College of Art. I began painting seriously on the eastern shore of Maryland while working as curator in Easton at The Academy of Arts and teaching at Chesapeake College. I was drawn to the low horizon and the big sky: a Dutch landscape quality of light reflected off of the water and back into the clouds. I spent seven months painting in China through a Maryland "sister state" relation with Anhui Province and accompanied a Maryland State Arts Council exhibit which included my work to Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. I have done three artist's residencies in France and made many other painting visits there. Since 2016 I have participated in numerous plein air events, several times in Plein Air Easton. Over the years I have shown regularly in galleries in Chicago, Houston and Baltimore. I work in oils on a large and small scale and prefer to work en plein air as much as possible. I like to paint the lengthening shadows and lowering light that occur toward the end of day or the softer light of early morning. Ideally, I want my work to have a sense of light traveling through air in space. Having a palpable sense of air in a painting is important to me. The light and shadow define the mundane objects of a landscape I see as disappearing:  family farms or the "rural industrial" look that was once representative of many small towns. I have worked primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region, coastal Maine, Texas and western France.”

DON JAMES

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera - Dorothea Lange

Don James is a creator of abstract photographic images. He finds inspiration in natural, industrial, and urban environments. His subjects are visible to everyone, but truly seen by few. They are pieces of man-made structures, details of common objects, or short-lived fragments of nature that are continuously sculpted by the elements.

His work has been influenced by the abstract photographs of Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind, and William Garnett, as well as images by Precisionist painters and photographers of the early twentieth century.

His current workflow is digital; however, virtually all of his finished works are from single exposures, with editing limited to techniques that are similar to what he used in his darkroom. His prints are made on traditional photographic paper developed with a darkroom process.

His goal as an artist is to not only improve his own ability to see, but to encourage viewers of his photographs to set aside their daily distractions and truly look at the world around them.

Don received his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, and a Masters degree from Loyola University in Baltimore. He lives in Milton, Delaware.

HEATHER SHREVES

“Light has been the driving force and inspiration for my art which has kept me engaged and searching for more dramatic ways to use it as a unifying element…especially in the Golden Hour. I believe that art needs to be spontaneous and follow the advice of “do it quick and don't think” and often block in shapes and composition (underpainting) with rags. I like to draw your eye into the painting and move it around to the focal point as I employ Sumi-e Triad of Composition―the guest, the host, and the servant―to tell a story. I use iridescent paints and mediums to emphasis backlighting and atmospheric ambiance and monochrome pieces to bridge the gap from the old to the new.  

My favorite pieces are nocturnes that conjure up bygone days and high times, an era that will always live large in my mind. My hope is that these images remind us of our own stories…where we have been, the promise of the future, and the greatness in all of us.“

DORA PATIN

“Painting helps me see and communicate how unique life is. I endeavor to find the extraordinary in the ordinary by focusing on regular everyday people and objects. My inspiration comes from many different sources, such as my childhood in Hungary, my role as a mother, and my multicultural experience enriched by having lived in three different countries. I love to paint my subjects in a contemporary realistic style. I favor close-up compositions that allow for intimate and detailed exploration. I like to study my subjects, almost with a scientific eye. Often they become characters in stories that inspire me to paint them. I use metaphors and allegories in my paintings and I strive to engage the viewer discovering the meaning in my paintings. Since 2022, I’ve embraced the trompe l’oeil technique, finding it to be the perfect complement to my observational approach. Painting in this style often feels like watching a movie more than once, and discovering details I haven’t noticed before.”

DOUG LAKE

Douglas Lake has lived in the Baltimore area his entire

life. An Artist who works with many mediums:

A Lifetime Member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society

A Pyrographer with a line of Furniture (Burniture) that he burns his artwork into.

An Illustrator, Art Print and Card Creator. A Photographer, Oil painter and Woodcarver.

His passion for Nature is alive and well in his creations!