Art at the Mill features unique photos and blown glass

The work of Cedarville, Ohio glass blower Jim DeLange and unique digital photographs produced by a method artist Doug McLarty calls “scanography” will be displayed at historic Bear's Mill during the month of May. The show opens Friday, April 25; however, the artists' reception will not occur until one week later on Friday, May 2 from 6 p.m. till 9 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be served; the artists will speak briefly about their creations, methods, and inspiration at 7 p.m.

“This 'Art at the Mill' exhibit will fill our gallery with excitement and color,” said Julie Clark, retail manager and gallery coordinator for Bear's Mill. “Doug uses the patterns, forms, and textures of natural materials combined with his gift for composition to create breathtakingly beautiful digital images, while Jim combines color and shape to produce graceful, elegant glass pieces,” Ms. Clark stated. “We are thrilled to be displaying the beautiful, powerful work of these highly skilled artists,” she concluded.

Native Iowan Jim DeLange, a former school guidance counselor who for many years also worked as a freelance photographer as well as with stained glass, started blowing glass in 2007, and instantly knew that he had discovered a new passion. “Glass in its liquid form has almost endless possibilities,” the artist explains. “I am mesmerized as I watch the liquid glass take form beneath the touch of my hand and exhilarated when I hold the finished piece in my hands for the first time; I want others to share that excitement,” DeLange said. Ms. Clark commented that DeLange's luminous work assumes many forms and encompasses all the colors of the rainbow, qualities that will beautifully enhance the rustic gallery space at Bear's Mill.

Doug McLarty, a retired Air Force Colonel who resides in Xenia, Ohio, uses a modified digital scanning process rather than a traditional camera to produce his unique images. His artistic vision has been described as combining a sculptor's sense of form, a painter's sense of composition and a cinematographer's sense of light to reveal new perspectives on nature. “Sometimes the results of my designs are anticipated, but more often than not, the final result is a grand surprise,” McClarty observed. According to Ms. Clark, that element of surprise often extends to the viewer, who is astounded to discover that McLarty's vibrant images are created using plant parts, sliced vegetables, and other such mundane subjects.

Paintings by Greenville resident Michael Glass and blown glass by Dayton-based artist James Michael Kahle remain on display at the Mill through Sunday, April 20. “Art At the Mill” has received financial support from Darke County Endowment for the Arts. Art exhibits are on view during regular Mill store hours, 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. daily. Historic Bear's Mill is owned and operated by Friends of Bear's Mill, a non-profit organization, and is located at 6450 Arcanum-Bear's Mill Road about 5 miles east of Greenville. For more information, contact Bear's Mill at 937-548-5112 or www.bearsmill.com.