Echoes-Sentinel from Warren Township, New Jersey • Page 48

Page Fwrtai THE KMKMSWUE REVKW-THE MMUM ffiFMTEI-WMMr OUVE CHMMOE Tlnrstfay. Fafe. 2.19M In The Galleries Nabisco Exhibit Covers Realism To Abstraction For those who prefer realism to abstraction, the current exhibition, "A Collection of American Paintings," from Whistler's Daughter Gallery, currently show' ing at Nabisco Brands USA Gallery in East Hanover, fits the bill perfectly. The owners of Whistler's Daughter Gallery of Basking Ridge, Douglas and Kendra Krienke, organized this exhibit. For the 20 artists represented, realism takes on different forms depending upon the focus of each artist.

Each concentrates on different aspects of the visual world, employing varying stylistic modes of realism to describe his or her subject, whether flowers in a field, a rural landscape, still life objects on a table, boats in a harbor or stone houses from the Brandywine area. "Rendezvous," a watercolor of cruising yachts at anchor by Ray Ellis, concentrates on the effect of atmosphere on light, shade and colors. The yachts ride languidly and peacefully on the clear blue waters of the inland waterway. The crisp white of the boats' hulls reflect on the mirror-like water of the quiet inlet. This is one of the many illustrations used in the recently- published book by Walter Cronkite and Ray Ellis, "South by Southeast," which chronicles in words and pictures a journey down the inland waterway.

Peter Sculthorpe, on the other hand, prefers to concentrate on the minute details of single objects often found around the farm, or on the patterns created by the stone walls of the Winter Watercolor "Winter Hills," a watercolor by Philip Jamison, is among the paintings at Whistler's Daughter Gallery's current exhibition, "A Collection of American Paintings," on view through Feb. 15. buildings in the Brandywine area. Although associated with the Brandywine tradition, his work is very much his own. His skies tend to be freely rendered, creating a feeling of atmosphere and are a perfect backdrop for the detailed descriptions of house barn or isolated objects, such as an old sleigh standing on a front porch or a bicycle propped up against the stone wall of an old house.

In many of his paintings, Sculthorpe chooses to depict a detail rather than the whole subject. He executes these compositions with meticulous care, often accenting them with trees painted with an oriental delicacy. Contrast By contrast, Philip Jamison's watercolors of a "Pennsylvania Farm," "Daisy Field" and "Winter Hills" are executed in a more painterly, impressionist manner. The white of the paper may occupy a good part of the painting with only a few fluid strokes in earth tones or cold blues to indicate a winter landscape as in "Winter Hills." He is equally adept at portraying bright summer flowers, such as daisies in a field. The generalized background in these paintings serves as a foil to the sparkling white of the daisies.

For Adolf Konrad, the harmonious orchestration of color and form is paramount in his still lifes on view. "French Bread" is a bird's eye view of a table covered with a crisp white table cloth on which a brown loaf of bread, white eggs, white dish and cup rest. The monochromatic tulles, the overall whiteness of the objects, are subtly varied by pale colored shadows and the rich brown crust of the French bread. The tactile quality of the bread activates the viewer's taste buds. Many of the same objects are depicted in "Table Top." However, here the viewer is at eye level with the table and the inclusion of a lavender cloth, an towel draped over the edge of the table and hot vase add a touch of surprise and excitement.

In a different mode, Gary Erbe, chooses a hard-edged, realist style to portray the two balloons, a bright blue one which is deflated and a green one partly full, both hanging on a wooden wall. In the illusionist, trompe l'oeil tradition of William Michael Harriett, Erbe convinces us of the reality of his objects through form and color, contrasting the shiny, smooth, pliable quality of the balloons with the duller, hard background. On the other hand, the extremely detailed, almost photographic small egg tempera paintings of Robert Vickery are surrealist in their Heart Association To Benefit From Antique Show This Month The first annual Antique Show and Sale for the benefit of the American Heart Association, Hunterdon Somerset Chapter, will be held at the Old Mill Inn Hotel, Route 202, Bernardsville, on Feb. 18 and 19. The show will open at 10 a.m.

on Saturday, Feb. 18, and run until 8 p.m. The hours Sunday, Feb. 19, will be from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Dealers from throughout the northeast will be exhibiting their merchandise in the Harvest Room of the Old Mill Inn, located off exit 26 from Route 287. Sale items will include a large selection of American antiques. There will be formal and country furniture, quilts and textiles, baskets, paintings and prints, a full array of glass pottery, fine porcelains, orientals, jewelry, folk art, toys and a large variety of accessories. Refreshments will be available during the show. Also, the Old Mill Inn offers complete restaurant facilities.

Any further information is available from Promotions of Clinton, producers of the show, by calling 832-7295 or i MI Exhibitors will include the Goodrich's, Jef Ste- ingrebe, Ashaway Antique Store, The Abrahams, Jean Torrie, Water Street Antiques, Lehner Rosenthal and A Bird in Hand, all specializing in American country antiques, folk art and accessories, Dynan's Antiques, The Haugs, Harris Hall Ed Rogers, James Lowery, Craig White, Eldred Stenzel, Robert Williams and Dark Moon Antiques will offer high country, formal furniture and complimenting accessories. Ll I i Also exhibiting will be Van Eyndhoven Antiques and Anton Antiques featuring 18th and 19th century brass, pewter, porcelains and superb accessories. JoAnn Ross, Randall Koblenz, Dennis Broschart will include art deco, jewelry, and folk art in their selections. Marilyn Nagel will feature original prints and paintings. Proceeds from the event will help the Heart Association support important programs in research, education, and community servke for the prevention of heart disqa.se locally and nationwide.

emphasis on shadows and the occasional brilliant colors which appear hi his paintings, "Red Hat" and "Rainy Crossing." There is something disquieting and foreboding about the long shadows which become a reality in themselves. Pencil Medium Carroll Jones III is the only artist present who employes pencil as his medium. His large pencil drawings of "Interior with Plant," "Arrangement," and "Richmond Farm" are incredible studies in lights and darks. In "Interior with Plant," a detail of a room with entrance doors is completely bare except for details of the moldings and the large indoor plant whose dark leaves are the only evidence of the plant itself. As in a photograph, the stark, flat white light shining in the room seems to negate shadows or depth making all one tone.

The dark leaves of the plant are all the more striking against the white surfaces of the interior. "Arrangement," a still life, plays one texture against another, the soft fur of a cat perched on a bureau contrasts with the hard, ceramic vase filled with delicate daisies. Jones has created marvelous compositions which, although very real, border on the abstract in their simplicity. The only artist who chooses a more abstract style is Vincent J. Nardone.

His "Villino and Countryside" is a free floating, colorful impression of colors and lines found in the countryside. Black lines perhaps delineating trees or other objects in the landscape are combined with bright areas of color which bleed together. Other artists represented include David Armstrong, Dan and Pauline Campanelli, James Capua, Ken Davies, John Dehlinger, Al Grow, A. Hale Johnson, Bill Morgan, John Ruthven, Stephen De Santo and Don Stone. On the whole, the works represented stick to the "conventional" approach to realistic painting.

They are executed with sensitivity and originality which prevents monotony. The exhibition will remain at the gallery through Feb. 15. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m., Sunday through Friday. Awards Selected In Exhibit Awards have been selected for the Lambertville Historical Society Fourth Annual Juried Art Exhibition of "Lambertville and the Surrounding Area" in the Coryell Gallery at the Porkyard in Lambertville.

Contributions from local businesses and the gallery have made possible cash prizes to two artists chosen to receive the awards. The winners are Richard Lennox of Malvern, Pa. Best in Show award for his oil painting "Lambertville-New Hope Rivertowns," and West Fraser of New Hope, Pa. the Coryell Gallery Award for his watercolor titled "Neighbors." In addition the juror, Ranulph Bye, also selected the Honorable Mentions. Artists receiving these awards are Ethel Bowen of Morrisville, Pa.

for "Edge of Town," Vincent Ceglia of Washington Crossing for "Farm, Carversville," Henry Drexler of Norwich, N.Y. for "Delaware Morning" and Judith A. Langan of Doylestown for "Ode to Bygone Craftsmen." A committee from the Lambertviltei Historical Society selected the oil painting titled "View from Lambertville Road" by Ana Bayon Sparre of Swan Lambertville, to be raffled off for the benefit of the Society during the exhibition which will continue through March 4. Raffle tickets will be available in the gallery and from members of the Historical Society. Cast Call Singers and singing actors are invited to an open cast call for "An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan," featuring the one-act opera "Trial by Jury" and highlights from other shows.

Presented by TNT, community theater of the Somerset Hills, the production will be staged April 6, 7, 13 and 14. Auditions will be held in the theater at Bernards Upper School, Gladstone from 7 to 9:30 p.m., Feb. 7 and 13, and 2 to 4 p.m., Feb. 12. "An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan" will have direction, musical direction and choreography by Bruce Lazarus and Therese Okoniewski.

For moreinfonrnation, caW 221-0767 or 543-6128..