Middle Street Goes Around the World
by Gary Anthes
Two painters and a photographer will show their works at the
Middle Street Gallery in Sperryville from May 8 through June 14. The artists,
Leslie Hilton, Phyllis Northup, and Carl Zitzmann, from Warrenton, Luray, and Amissville
respectively, are all members of the non-profit artists co-operative.
Hilton will offer paintings from her travels to far away
places, including Turkey, Hong Kong, Northern Canada, and the Caribbean. Oh,
and Baltimore. “I have included faces from the other side of the world, from
the South, North, East and West,” she says. “Most are not the traditional
smiling portraits, but images of people in their everyday lives, doing what
they do and not concerned about my intrusion into their worlds.”
Northup also travels in this show, to the National Parks
that she has lived in over the years married to a Park Ranger. “My 'backyards'
have included the soaring majesty of the Tetons, the ever changing, awe
inspiring Grand Canyon, the stark beauty of the Big Bend desert, the beaches of
Cape Hatteras and Fire Island, the flowing water and limestone cliffs of the
Buffalo River, the misty ridges of the Smoky Mountains, and the pristine jewel
of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where the spirit of Lake Superior
inspired me on a daily basis,” she says. “The adventure continues as we return
to the beautiful mountains of Shenandoah National Park, where our journey began
many years ago.”
Northup adds, “Nature recharges my soul, and I hope that my
paintings will help others to see and be open to the beauty of the natural
world that surrounds us all. Awareness and appreciation will hopefully lead to
the desire to protect, preserve and care for this fragile planet we dwell on.”
Photographer Zitzmann says he uses his camera as a tool to
capture “those delightful moments which manifest the synchronicity of time,
motion and light. I then define, and refine, my original vision through modern
digital technology to create the print to be joyfully shared with the
adventurous viewer.”
Zitzmann's works show a mix of artistic sensibility,
technical skill and serendipity. He describes one work, a surreal image that is
back-lit and out of focus, as “the result of a happy accident that I captured
while shooting a photo essay at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, California.”
Another Zitzmann image came about following a casual
afternoon photographing mules in a friend's pasture near Old Rag Mountain. “As
the sun dipped below the mountain, I put away my camera gear and headed for the
house and dinner. Coming around a corner, I glanced up to see the last bit of
sunset reflected in an upstairs window in a brown clapboard farmhouse.
Hurriedly, I ran back to my car and grabbed my camera just in time to catch
this beautiful shot.”
Catch beautiful shots of the art and meet the artists at a reception on May 9
from 3pm to 5pm. The gallery is located next to River District Arts, 3 River
Lane, in Sperryville, Va. Hours are Fri.-Sun. 11am to 5pm. Please call
540/987-9330 during business hours or visit www.middlestreetgallery.org for
more information.
