One of the greatest joys of spring is studying from afar the annual arrival of baby birds. It is a rare phenomenon indeed when the occasion is marked by “fledglings” that are fully formed ready to fly right out of the nest.

For this avian species, my observation is really stretching the laws of nature, but for three local artists, they arrived right on cue with fully developed art skills that truly defy the natural order of things. Imagine an artist so young and yet so advanced their talent is undeniable. And when they fly, they soar!

Make no mistake about It, Alana Beall is the real deal! One has to fly south just across the state line to Monkton, Md., to catch up with this rare bird. Her acrylic-on-canvas paintings are almost “photographic,” which is another one of her many gifts as is “curatorial collage” in her mixed-media art.

Alana recently shared “I have the bird exhibit at Hive and have work in Creatives on King. I’m in the ‘Twisted Imagination’ show at Harford Artists’ Association and Art at Independent Brewing Company. I do live painting at Graw Alley in Havre de Grace. I am teaching paint nights at Slate Farm Brewery right on the MD/PA line every month. I have a mixed media class at Southern Sol Shoppe in White Hall, Md. I’ve recently been illustrating a children’s book for two authors and completed a mural project in Fallston, Md.”

“Robin Clear View” by Alana Beall

With so many avenues to choose from in Alana’s oeuvre, it can be delightfully difficult deciding what to look at first or purchase. Her schedule of art events is so full “your people will need to call her people to take a meeting.” A joy to know (our IG feed is a constant back and forth like birds on a telephone wire), and we are looking forward to meeting in person. Alana is a juried show winner as well as an instructor. Her ads for one of her many painting classes feature a Baltimore oriole, which often become collectibles on their own. With work in galleries from York to White Hall, Md., Alana’s education from Villa Julie College in graphic design has served her well. With two dogs, two horses, four cats, two kiddos and one husband, life keeps her busy.  Her painting classes sell out as soon as they are posted, so sign up early. Be sure to check out Slate Farm Brewery, which is a destination unto itself. For more info, follow IG contact Alana Beall.

“Nuthatch” by Steph Holmes

If the “Gods of the Woods” found a little abandoned baby girl to raise and nurture, giving her a love of all things that are rare, precious and beautiful, she would be artist Steph Holmes of York. Happenstance brought us together over a year ago, and our lives have been enriched by her delicately detailed, defined art ever since, adorning our personal nest. Visiting her brand-new studio found at 336 W. Market St. in downtown York last fall was a treat for the senses. Taking a page from Audubon’s ability to capture the minutest brush strokes of a bird’s beak or the feathers of its wing is Steph Holmes metier to a “T.” When an artist’s eye is so keenly attuned to such nuance, it becomes like the aperture of a camera opening and closing at the exact second of perfection. And to translate that to canvas is a true gift. She approaches her art like a botanist cultivates a specimen of flora found and grown only under highly circumscribed conditions. She says, “Lately, I’ve seen nuthatches every time I hike in my favorite forest. These little birds hop from tree to tree ahead of me, almost as if they’re showing me the way.”

Steph Holmes today is fulfilled, just like that young child years ago, when she discovered drawing, painting and creating. The Millersville University graduate is already anticipating the one-year anniversary of Steph Holmes Artist Studio on Sept. 1, just weeks away. Be sure to mark that date, but a month before, visit her one-woman solo show, “Sacred Spaces” at Gallery 227 in York for an opening night reception on Aug. 2. IG contact, Steph Holmes

It is said the male of the species is the colorful one, and yet understatement seems to be the calling card for a pigeon that flew from the flock, landing at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg. We stood in rapt attention that June 6 evening for the opening reception at a gallery full of well wishers to meet the artist, Cory W. Pigeon. Mr. Pigeon’s “school of realism” paintings are exceptional. Immediately, the works of Edward Hopper came to mind with both artists (past and present) showing stark landscapes of urban life. Often, they are devoid of human form altogether, conveying a sense of isolation and loneliness.

“Market Street in Lemoyne” by Cory Pigeon

Much of Cory’s work is dramatically defined by the sharp contrast of light and shadow playing the roles of the main characters within the frame. They often provide the only back story needed, drawing the viewer closer into what lies before and through their own life experiences, which permeates what comes after. To be able to convey that narrative is a special quality. A “titled” review from the show’s paintings will help guide you through my sense of this extraordinary exhibit. From down-home street scenes to still lifes to studies rife with imagination, the young artist is able to capture a “Summer Night,” cull “Wind From a Bird,” and even “Imagine Rain.” Bounding the “Roof Tops of Hershey” lands him in “Early Morning in Philadelphia.” A personal point of view lends a purloined perspective to “Market Street, Lemoyne,” a “Nail Salon” and even an “Empty Lot.” A “lights out” approach finds the painter, Pigeon, flying over “711 at Night” for a bird’s-eye view. “The Corner of Market St and State St” takes on an eerie calm, while “Still Life Over the Susquehanna” employs the louche lens of languishing luminescence. It’s unique in that the painting delivers a sumptuous still life front and center while a sailboat appears at some distance traversing the river we know and love. Introspectively, the show is complete with views of and from “The Artists Studio,” with a trio of works falling in line under that heading. The artist put it best himself:

“I always dreamed of a solo show, never knowing what to expect or if it would happen. I was thrilled when I saw the number of artists that came to see the paintings. Creators of all genres such as fine art, music, writing and design filled the room. That to me meant more than selling, and showed me the interest of people that are in the same field.”

Shortly after the exhibition opened to such great fanfare, Cory took off to Europe for a whirlwind tour of the grand masters’ works in magnificent museums including the Louvre. (Consider this an artist’s equivalent of winning the Super Bowl and heading to Disney). With inspiration from abroad, it will be interesting indeed to see what the next chapter will bring for the young Pigeon–the sky’s the limit! Be sure to visit “Views from the Studio,” a series of 14 oil paintings through Aug. 31 at 3800 Vartan Way, Widener University. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Such was a portrait of the “Artist as a Young Man” (borrowed from James Joyce) So…should you feel a longing for the familiar…no matter where you call home, all one needs to do is take a trip to the mind and brush and paints of Cory Pigeon and you are there, feeling like you never left. IG contact CORYPIGEON|Painter.

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