Exhibitions

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” So says James Herriott in his classic memoir of a rural veterinarian’s life, All Creatures Great and Small. This month, in their November show, “Creature Feature,” the artists of Gallery One are Featuring Creatures. As most things do in life this largely comes down to birds and bees. For Joyce Condry that bird is an egret. In her acrylic painting “Egret at Dawn,” the artist shares, “of all the creatures that live and play near my house, the snowy egret is my favorite by far.  It doesn’t eat my plants, scatter the bird seeds, or screech loudly in the middle of the night.  It simply stands gracefully and shows off its beautiful wings.” Artists Cheryl Wisbrock and Lesley McCaskill share a favorite bird, the heron. In Cheryl Wisbrock’s acrylic painting, “Hunter and Hunted,” Cheryl was thinking of the old creature feature horror movies and cast the heron as the villain. “Herons and crabs aren’t friends, and in fact one preys on the other, but both are favorite sights in our natural settings.  I think of horror movies when I think of the theme title, and I think one creature hunting the other (or hiding from a predator, like the smaller crab is doing) is a little frightful.” Artist Lesley McCaskill’s inspiration for her acrylic painting, “Heron Pond,” is a bit more idyllic. “By my house sits a pond that entertains us with many creatures. There are birds like herons and ducks, but deer often visit too.” Artist Laura Hickman has her eye on a delightful neighborhood bird, an Emu! In Laura’s pastel painting, “I’ve Got My Eye on You!” we’re introduced to a neighbor’s Emu who likes to greet people and dogs as they walk by. “His large and intense piercing eyes seem to be seeing, and knowing, everything.” In artist Michelle Marshall’s acrylic painting, “The Approach,” we colorfully see a bee in pursuit of his mission. Honey bees are responsible for pollinating about one-third of our food supply so stay out of his way! Artist Eileen Olson focuses on the lovely dragonfly in her acrylic, “Dance of the Dragonflies.” “I attempted to capture the delicate paradox of dragonflies in their impossible stillness. Their fluttering wings suggest new possibilities to me, while their serene pause holds fragments of my summer memories and of spiritual growth.”

We hope you’ll stop by this month and check out our featured creatures! Gallery One is open daily from 10am – 4pm.