A Brush With Nature: The Artistic Visions Art Group

We live in a beautiful region surrounded by dramatic vistas made even more striking by the changing colors of autumn. A Brush With Nature is a perfect fit for a time of year when we find ourselves looking around, looking ahead, and looking back. Featuring the work of Ann Carter, Donna Cheresnowski, Elsie Fendick, Tricia Kohn, Suzanne M. Lachman, Bill Laughland, Robert Merwin and Joyce Stewart, the exhibit captures the beauty of the seasons through the eyes of the artists. 

The opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Friday, Nov. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Tioga Arts Council, located at 177 Front St. in Owego. The exhibit runs throughout the month of November, and all are welcome.

Like a wonderful recipe enhanced by the hands of different bakers, these artists bring their individual style and vision to their work – adding their own seasoning to familiar, and not so familiar, scenes. 

Close up, Suzanne Lachman’s Blanket of Shadows is beautiful. Step back a few paces, and you enter the scene – the shadows deepen, the light intensifies. It is cold; there is a chill in the air and ice on the edges of the stream. You sense the quiet – disturbed only by the rustle of bare branches as a breeze passes, the trickle of flowing water, perhaps a distant bird. The winter sunlight, casting shadows in the snow, brings warmth to your face amidst the chill. Lachman captures all that is beautiful with simplicity, clarity, and a clear sense of place, presenting it to us as a gift. 

Amidst the tranquil muted colors of Elsie Fendick’s Swan Family, lies a sense of whimsy, nestled among the reeds. Memories of beloved tales heard as a child, and a sense of happily-ever-after, follow the mother swan, her cygnets, and the duck swimming companionably alongside. 

Light streams through the trees casting deep shadows on the leaf-strewn ground in Donna Cheresnowski’s Letchworth Park View. Despite the season the sun is strong, and it is a lovely day to stroll in the woods. The leaves crunch beneath your feet, announcing your presence to squirrels diligently gathering their winter’s store. You are transported.

Driving down the country road in Bob Merwin’s Owego Farmland you crest a low hill, traveling towards a farm nestled in the valley below. Muted purple mountains fill the horizon. Deep verdant grassy greens fold into darker green foliage with soft beige fields rising on an approaching hillside. All is peaceful. You alone travel this road. You feel blessed. More than scenery, it is the essence of the place, captured on canvas. 

Whatever the tensions of your day, give yourself over to peace that is here. Stop and look. Soak it in. You will not be disappointed; it is worth seeing. Let the tensions of your day fade and the sense of calm overtake you. 

To learn more about the Tioga Arts Council, call (607) 687-0785 or visit www.tiogaartscouncil.com.