Aaron Morgan, Next Stop, oil on panel, 27 x 33"

For example, artist Aaron Morgan Brown presents dream-like, thought-provoking scenery in his paintings. “In one sense, I’m as traditional as they come—oil on a gesso surface (canvas or panel),” says the artist. “In another sense, I’m a rebel. I’m really not interested in technique per se; I refuse to approach my vocation with the attitude of a gun slinger. I’m completely at odds with the current scene, which seems very aggressively focused on materiality, goal-oriented thinking, self-promotion and branding. I’m more of a metaphysician, or alchemist, in the way I think about painting—as a vehicle for the illumination of inner states of being.”

Maureen Ruddy Burkhart, Still Life: Teasel #1, 24K gold leaf on vellum inkjet print (pigment ink), 7 x 5"

For his exhibition piece Next Stop 2, he explains, “The themes that are present…are simply a few of the thoughts and emotions that possess me, or spirits brought down to Earth. The stray dog has become a kind of emergency stand-in for any protagonist—working for snacks, and anxiously hoping for signs of affection, analogous with the 'Fool of the Tarot' (or the artist). The box is just a box, another fact of life. The train is one of those classic modern industrial symbols—of movement, speed, transience, a conveyor of consciousness. The ladder is a traditional symbol of ascent, which goes back to the vision of Jacob. The metallic heart balloon is the very essence of somebody’s earthly, idealistic notion about the meaning of love…”

Laureen Axtell, 100% Wool, mixed media, 12 x 12"

Artist Maureen Ruddy Burkhart presents five pieces of photography for the exhibition, executed in a unique way and influenced by her experience through the pandemic. In Still Life: Teasel #1—a part of a series of works that focus on plants like teasel, milkweed and “the bizarre-looking wild cucumber that attaches its vines tightly around whatever will support it,” the artist says. “With these pieces, I begin by using a photographic technique that renders especially sharp images. This is important when printing onto semi-opaque paper. Then I print with archival inks onto inkjet vellum paper and gild with 24 karat gold leaf. The luminescent quality works in tandem with the intricate details of the plants. The realism of the flora is juxtaposed with the traditional hand applied method of gilding. This practice has allowed me to really honor both the method and the plant.”

Chris Maynard Meadow, Harken, blue and gold Macaw and Amazon parrot feathers, 15 x 12"

Among these gems are equally impressive works by artists Luke Anderson, Laureen Axtell, Michael Blessing, Jan R. Carson, Don Coen, Maeve Eichelberger, Billyo O’Donnell, Cory Pickett, David Michael Slonim, Neal Ambrose Smith, Elsa Sroka, Pati Stajcar, Adrienne Stein, Michael Vacchiano, Tara Will and Diana Woods.