The Essence of Interiors and Out

New works by Judith Lamb and
Christie Scheele

2006 May 13 - Jun 25

Opening Reception for the Artists Saturday, May 13, 5 - 7 p.m.

The Chace-Randall Gallery presents The Essence of Interiors and Out, new works by Judith Lamb and Christie Scheele, May 13 - Jun 25. The exhibition includes Christie Scheele's original pastel drawings from the newly illustrated edition of Alf Evers' Treasure of Watchdog Mountain, The Story of a Mountain in the Catskills, Woodstocker Books, NewYork.

Judith Lamb, a New York who moved to Delaware County in the early 1980's has been painting all her life. After experimenting with different styles of painting, she discovered that still life was the perfect vehicle for her temperament. "I love being alone in my studio, juxtaposing found objects that have attracted my eye with fruits and vegetables from my garden," says the artist, adding that "creating a still-life arrangement is a puzzle." When the puzzle doesn't work for whatever reason, Lamb must stop and rearrange the table. "There is a peace and silence in this process that I find therapeutic," she says.

Lamb's still-life process is anything but casual. It is deeply thought out and felt by the artist. And when Lamb finally connects to an arrangement, she says it is "clear sailing from then on." The still-life paintings produced by Judith Lamb are masterful renderings of inanimate objects that look well beneath what the eye initially perceives.

Judith Lamb holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University and has exhibited widely in both New York City and the Catskills, from the Meisner SoHo Gallery and Salangundi to the Yager Museum, Hartwick College, Oneonta and Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson.

A landscape painter, influenced by Rothko and Louise Nevelson, Christie Scheele renders work that is minimalist, yet complex. "It strikes me that a reward of artistic maturity is that one can increase complexity, bringing more and more into a work, keeping all the balls in the air. I can have my delicious, meditative painting process, and also let my mind romp through art history, without the result looking disconnected. This is achieved by letting new ideas (that often seem unrelated to landscape painting in any traditional way) perc for a period of time, both subconsciously and with applied problem-solving, before I settle on my approach," says the artist.

Scheele has exhibited in numerous venues throughout the East, including DFN Gallery, NYC; Craven Gallery, Martha's Vineyard; and Carrie Haddad, Hudson, NY. She is collected by Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz; American Airlines, NYC, and Kelsey Grammer, Malibu, CA, among others.

She will be signing copies of the newly illustrated Treasure of Watchdog Mountain, the Story of a Mountain in the Catskills at the May 13th reception. The book is available in the gallery.