Capturing real artists: gallery offers impressive range of works

“I have hiked many miles with a 60-pound pack of photo equipment to get to the places no one else will ever see unless I show it to them,” said Curt of his signature work.

But that doesn’t begin to cover what Carter will do for his art.

“I watched that fool for four hours waiting for the clouds to get in position over the mountains,” said Debbie Carter of her husband’s passion for photography.

Carter’s work is just part of the many pieces of art that adorn The Villa Gallery in Arthur. The shop brings together an impressive collection of artists of many genres. George Fritz, co-owner with Barry Burnett, converted a room that for 20 years was a shoe store and then a women’s clothing store.

Fritz knows the artists and can speak for them. To add a more personal touch, short biographies of each artist are posted near their work.

“We keep it to local artists or those who have an Arthur connection,” Fritz said. “You never know what your patrons will like, so we keep a wide variety.”

Along with photographs, paintings in watercolors, oils and acrylics, scherenschnitte (paper cutting), leaded glass window hangings, Tiffany style lamps and woodcarvings are just some of the artwork displayed throughout the sun-filled room.

The quality of work featured in the gallery is “really lovely,” said Marsha Wagoner of Marshfield, Ind., on a recent visit. “Everything is so natural; photos and paintings so real, they capture real life.”

But Carter isn’t the only artist with an eye for the meticulous. Dane Lindley, well-known for his Abraham Lincoln paintings, believes his strict adherence to the details makes his paintings true labor. “It is like digging ditches,” he explained.

Lindley paints portraits of people and their pets as well as Lincoln, and his works are exhibited throughout the country. One of his paintings of Tad Lincoln is on display in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

“I do two or three preliminary paintings before I am ready for the final,” he said.

However, chain saw artist Mike Pittman finds liberation in his work.

“It is like taking a few hours of vacation,” Pittman said. “You get in that zone where it’s you, the log and the chain saw and you can see things peeking out at you from the wood. You release them, it is very relaxing.”

For many of the featured artists, their work, and the bounty it returns to them, takes on a life of its own.

For years, Leann Rardin identified her very being with her first chosen career: nursing. But when a neuromuscular disease forced her into abandoning that career in 1999, Rardin found herself wondering: “If I can’t be a nurse, then who am I?”

Her search for rediscovery led her to the creation of digital artwork and photopainting. Now, she has no problem identifying who she is.

“My favorite piece is called, ‘The Road Home,’ ” Rardin said.

Photographer Richard Hershberger finds his work to be as essential as eating.

“I can bypass meals, losing track of time,” Hershberger said of the enjoyment he gets from his Amish- and floral-themed photos.

“I loved Ansel Adams and went to one of his workshops. From that, I knew that I wanted to be a photographer. One of my favorite pieces is of a field of poppies I found in Indiana. I saw them out the window and had to pull over.”

His efforts are not lost on fans of his work. Cathy Walker, who had come into town for the farmer’s market, found Hershberger’s photos “vibrant.”

“Everything is just beautiful,” she said.

plarson@herald-review.com|421-6983