ARTery Gallery celebrates The Curious Mind in latest exhibit

For August, the ARTery Gallery celebrates The Curious Mind by bringing together the work of two curious and creative artists: acrylic painter Kate Horan and eclectic sculpturer Bill Rabsey. What draws the viewer into Horan’s work is the obvious confidence she displays as a figure artist. Her fairly large pieces capture unusual scenes and characters that refreshingly fill the frame in a strong but relaxed manner. Rabsey expresses his curiosity through unusual “found” objects that he honors by featuring them in their own unique sculpture formation. And if you catch him at the right time, there’s always an interesting tale to go with each of his creations.

Kate Horan says she doesn’t know where her ideas come from as she scans her mind to find a kernel of something to work with. The title for each painting is an integral part of her art. Her goal is to apply paint in such a way that it looks fresh and easy, not letting the difficulty of the process show to the viewer. “It’s a tricky task,” she said. However, the bonus for Horan is her ability to arrive at a place of total focus. Once she is able to push through the initial planning stage, she enters that place where the work comes with ease, time disappears, and she is completely absorbed inside the piece. “Every artist knows this place,” she said. “It’s called ‘the zone.’”

Bill Rabsey creates art simply because it gives him pleasure. He works out of his Lost and Found Gallery in his hillside barn in Greenville, NY. When creating sculptures, he uses objects found either on his travels or bought at yard sales. Ordinary objects such as old plumbing parts, assorted gauges, crushed copper from the Hudson River and even old door knobs are transformed through his creativity because their context is altered. The viewer sees the object in a totally new, artistic light. In addition to working with three-dimensional works, Rabsey enjoys creating two-dimensional paintings on large canvases. He throws, dribbles and splashes paint, including real 14-karat-gold powder and powdered chalk to achieve interesting and unique effects.

The month-long exhibit will be on display from Thursday, August 8 through Monday, September 9. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays.

The ARTery Gallery, located in the historic Forest Hall, is a cooperatively owned and operated fine art gallery, serving the regional artists and art lovers since 1996. The gallery features a wide array of artistic talent ranging from traditional oil, watercolor, and photography to sculpture, jewelry, textiles, pottery, and collage.