(Marcellus, NY – June 2013) From July 6 through Aug. 23, paintings, ceramics and photographs by three sisters, Thérèse Verley Strodel, Daphné Verley and M Bénédicte Verley, will be on display in the Art Gallery at Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. A reception for the show, “Trois Soeurs D’été,” will be held on Saturday, July 6, from 6-8pm. The exhibit and reception are open to the public with no admission or parking fee.
Skaneateles artist Thérèse Verley Strodel paints colorful abstract images inspired by nature. Thérèse works with acrylic paint on paper, using an assortment of metal combs and gel mediums to create texture. Thérèse explains that for her, “painting is a meditative and spiritual experience akin to prayer. The juxtaposition of textured stripes creates rhythm and pattern…from ocean vistas to dramatic landscapes, the beauty, color, and pattern found in elements of nature inspire me.”
A resident of Cazenovia, Daphné Verley has been creating ceramics for over 38 years. The exhibit showcases Daphné’s vibrant clay totems. Inspired by ancient totemic icons as well as modern figurative sculpture, these figurative thrown earthenware vessels with their striped garb and distinctive personalities embody the strength, beauty and grace of women in her life while acknowledging the shared story of women universally. “Clay has become my preferred means of exploring and translating what and how I see, more efficiently than words,” says Daphné.
M Bénédicte Verley’s paintings are a mix of images from her travels in India as well as images from a series for a book. She is the founder and director of Studio 3 PHOTOGRAPHY, in Providence, Rhode Island. “To capture the essence of a person takes sensitivity and a gift for seeing deeply into the subject, as well as experience and technical expertise to create that vision….What inspires me most about photography and life, is the act of continuously finding the new in each moment, each project – discovering the poetry in each situation and being able to transcribe that onto an image,” says Bénédicte.
The sisters are members of a large, creative expatriate French family. All three embraced the family’s artistic tradition at an early age. “It’s amazing to have three such talented artists in one family. We are thrilled to welcome them to The Woods’ gallery,” said Deirdre Aureden, director of Baltimore Woods’ Art Gallery which holds six exhibits annually.
More information about Baltimore Woods Nature Center can be found on their website: www.baltimorewoods.org.