"Wild and Rural" art show at CWC

MARGARETVILLE, N.Y., August 1, 2007 - The works of two Delaware County artists -- one inspired by wilderness, the other by tamer rural landscapes - are on view at the Catskill Watershed Corporation, 905 Main Street, Margaretville.

Oils by Judy Thuss of South Kortright and and gicles prints of watercolors by Karen Graves of Delhi can be seen weekdays from 8 to 4:30 through September 26.

Ms. Thuss, raised in a small town in Wisconsin dairy land, has been inspired by the wilderness since a 1980s canoe expedition into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota and Southern Ontario. Subsequent trips to absorb "the wildness, the sounds, the awesome beauty of the forest" have informed her art.

"The forest is not only a visually exciting place but also a refuge, the sanctuary where I am most alive, most in touch with spirit," she explains.

Judy now lives full time in "the woods" near South Kortright, witnessing "the daily and seasonal changes in light and color." Her award-winning paintings have been exhibited in many fine galleries and juried shows in the Midwest and the Northeast.

Ms. Graves is native to the Catskills, where her family roots extend back to the 18th century. Inspired by her mother, an artist and teacher, she developed a love of the history and landscape of Delaware County and uses watercolor to interpret what she sees.

Says the artist, "My goal is to preserve the images of my youth, which recreate the sense of peace and contentment I feel nowhere else."

Her finely detailed images of stone walls, barns, creeks and woods have been shown at many regional exhibitions and galleries.

For information on the non-profit Catskill Watershed Corporation and its environmental protection, economic development and education programs, go to www.cwconline.org, or call 845-586-1400.