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"In my 20s, I worked for a feed mill. I saw thousands of different farms, probably 50 or 100 of them every week," said Chambers, a resident artist at Red Raven Art Company.
"A lot of my inspiration came from my farms. I got a really big charge out of seeing the different buildings as they're laid out, with the surrounding scenery. It's like they're supposed to be that way," he said.
Chambers' Lancaster landscapes are featured in "Lancaster County: Two Perspectives" at Red Raven. The exhibit will run through June, and also features the work of Maryland artist Tim Bell. Both Chambers and Bell will be at Red Raven for a First Friday reception today from 5 to 8 p.m.
"You really do get two different perspectives when looking at these pieces," said Lee Lovett, Red Raven manager. Chambers grew up painting in Lancaster, whereas Bell painted his scenes after a visit to the area.
Chambers, one of the original founders of Red Raven, works primarily in watercolors.
"He has such a beautiful, light touch with the brush," Lovett said. Paintings such as "Lancaster Quilt" feature farms surrounded by patchwork fields of green and harvest yellows.
Chamber's Lancaster upbringing is the backdrop to most of his work. While he didn't set out to be an artist, "it was always in the back of my mind," he said.
"My grandparents were both artists. They lived on a farm in Willow Street. My grandmother grew flowers, then painted them."Red Raven also is exhibiting a series of floral still-lifes by Chambers. The paintings were inspired by a blooming lilac bush he found while walking through Centralia, the northern Pennsylvania town characterized by the coal fire that has burned beneath its surface for years.
"I took a digging from that bush. It is now blooming for the first time in my front yard," Chambers said.
Hanging opposite from Chambers' pieces are oil paintings by Bell. His work features bold, impressionistic scenes. He is considered to be one of America's top young impressionists, and his artwork can be found in the prestigious McBride Gallery in Annapolis. Bell is most renowned for his schooner sailboat paintings, but this exhibit offers a unique glimpse into his work with Lancaster landscapes.
"(Red Raven founders) Fred Rodger and Art Harrington became aware of Tim at the Rehoboth Beach Art Festival. We've been wanting to get him here for quite some time," Lovett said.
Red Raven primarily features in-house and local artists, but the company doesn't shy away from featuring artists from outside of Lancaster.
"We strive to have a mix of artists. We're always looking for what is new," Lovett said.
Red Raven installed an Emerging Artist Wall to exhibit new artists. This month they are displaying work by artists in The Choices Group, which works with United Disabilities Services.
"These artists use painting as a creative outlet as well as a part of their physical therapy," Lovett said. The gallery takes no commission when selling these pieces.
(437) (260) (89) (51) (10) (8) (4) (3) (3) (2) (2)This month, Red Raven will raffle a framed acrylic done by Gerilynn Shulman, a Choices Group artist.
Lovett said that Red Raven seeks to expose the community to new artists.
"We really want customers to know that they are going to see completely new artwork every month," she said. "There's really something for everyone."
"Lancaster County: Two Perspectives," featuring Tim Bell and Matt Chambers, plus highlight artist John Morrow and emerging artists from The Choices Program (United Disabilities Services), reception today 5-8 p.m., Red Raven Art Co., 138 N. Prince St., gallery hours Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 299-4400.
E-mail: kobrien@lnpnews.com
