Art Exhibit at Arts Barn (Photos)

Gaithersburg presents an exhibit featuring oil and acrylic paintings by Dennis Crayon and Mary Exline and woodwork by Kenneth Gwira at the Arts Barn Gallery, August 2 through September 23. The gallery is located at 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, with viewing hours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to a free Artists’ Reception on Tuesday, August 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Dennis Crayon, as a contemporary realist painter, uses modern composition aesthetics but paints using classical technique. Each of his paintings features an extreme attention to detail, especially with regards to the way light interacts with an object or surface. Painting provides him the opportunity to better understand the relationship of light with varying surfaces, and it helps convey his sense of wonder and intrigue. Crayon recognizes the value of craft in his painting and continually works to improve his technique and style. His most recent work juxtaposes objects from his youth with contemporary objects to provide a unique vision or viewpoint. Crayon’s passion for painting began when he was very young, taking private lessons in high school and then earning a BFA in Graphic Design from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for painting, and is an active member of Washington, D.C.’s artistic community.

Mary Exline seeks “wild, hidden places, not trodden by many feet – places of solitude where light shines through trees and leafy boughs, where the wetlands and forests are warmed by the sun casting long shadows on the earth.” She searches for elements of abstraction within paintings that remain representational and enjoys the interplay of abstracted forms with natural elements, such as trees and blades of grass. Her color choice reflects this search. In avoiding local or natural color, Exline seeks colors that are more a form of self-expression. Heavy layers of paint and tinted glaze connote movement and the spirit of spontaneity in her paintings. She strives to take the viewer beyond the subject depicted and elicit a more emotional and visceral response to the elements of shape, form, texture, value, and color.

Kenneth Gwira is a Ghanaian sculptor born in January, 1957. Self-taught, Gwira is influenced by elements of Ghanaian culture and modern art. Carving since May 1981, he is best known for the philosophical art piece “Woman is the Key” and “Conversation Seat.” “From the beginning many works of art lie dormant in their creators, or in the object of their creation,” says Gwira. “My desire is to release the few that I have the privilege of engaging; in myself and in others.”