Studio 53’s new show featuring the work of David Dupree and Ida Schmulowitz runs through June 24 and its a stunner. A reception will be held on Friday, June 1 from 5-7 p.m.

It’s all in the details with Dupree – note the brushstrokes, the patterns within the subjects whether sky, land, water, mountains … the life force emanating from his work makes for a memorable art afternoon experience!

Duptee’s colorful, detailed work is in the downstairs exhibit room to the left and in the first floor hallway. These 24, give or take, paintings (two sold already!), are a wonder – and excellent works to lose yourself in. For example, “Hell’s Half Acre” is a perfect example of Dupree’s painstaking style; textures and color abound! From across the room it will appear to be an outdoor work scene. As you move closer to it, the painting’s energy will completely overtake the viewer. Was the energy in this landscape released due to man’s wreaking havoc on it, and, is that energy being released to strengthen the land against the impact of the oil rigs on the earth in the Rocky Mountains? Only Dupree knows for sure.

Dupree paints his landscapes from memory – of his childhood in Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Maine, where he’s lived for just shy of 20 years. For more about this artist, visit www.facebook.com/david.dupree.52.

Ida Schmulowitz takes a different approach – bold color, bold brushstrokes, which draw the viewer’s attention to a close up view of scenes and places around her home in Rhode Island. Those of you who saw the RISD show at Studio 53 two or three years ago would have seen a large work, and I mean large work from a pedestrian bridge that overlooks a highway. Schmulowitz just lays her large canvas or paper down and gets down to some plein air work! There’s a terrific photo of her there on her website, www.idaschmulowitz.com.

In this show, there aren’t any paintings on that scale. The landscapes, most done just for this exhibition) are micro views of scenes outside her studio. Take a look at “Studio View Looking South/Winter #3.” This is actually one of my favorites in this show, despite the fact that it’s a winter scene!

This gouache and watercolor abstract of the street outside the artist’s window is a place I would like to visit, just as Schmulowitz depicts it. The bold, strong brushstrokes and colors that are the buildings reflect their permanence while the multiple colors used to represent the street, create a patchwork quilt of snow and ice. But, it’s the trees that do it for me. Their delicate, slender, bare branches seem to be arching toward each other (for support?) the only living things in the painting create an entrance to the deserted, quiet street. Walking through that arch and onto the street may not appear to be wholly inviting, but it is an intriguing still life landscape. 

“Studio View/Weir Farm” Is a joyful painting using the same mediums and spring abounds. The greens of the forest, the pinks of the flowers, and the purple road that winds through it. The purple is an interesting choice for the unpaved road … it is a color symbolizing the connection between the physical and spiritual worlds … making it a perfect choice in this painting. See Ida Schmulowitz’s works on the second floor, in two rooms just above Dupree’s.  

Studio 53 is located at 53 Townsend Avenue. For more information on the is show, and others – gallery member Tony van Hasselt has a show coming up next – call 633-2755 or visit www.studio53fineart.com.