Artists of the month

BLAIRSTOWN-During September, the windows at Gallery 23 in Blairstown will feature the work of potter Philip C. Homes and painter Curtis Engesser. Engesser is a resident of Newton who paints oil landscapes. He does much of his painting in the Delaware Water Gap National Park. "I always paint on location," he said, "because I find it much easier to capture the correct colors. Also, I like being outside, away from crowds, noise and telephones. I have to work rapidly because of the constantly changing light; many of my paintings take less than two hours to complete. I am attracted to landscape painting because I'm impressed by the power and beauty of nature. "In my paintings, I attempt to portray the effects of light on the landscape, without the use of excessive detail," said Engesser. He is influenced by Edward Hopper, the Hudson River School painters, and the American Impressionists of the late 1800s. Homes, a former architect, has been working with clay for over 30 years. After receiving a masters in fine art in ceramics from the University of Iowa, Homes taught art and served as chair of the fine arts department at Blair Academy until his retirement two years ago. He works primarily with wheel-thrown vessel forms, and utilizes both stoneware and raku firing methods. Much of his work has a distinctly oriental style. Gallery 23, an artist co-op, is located at 23 Main St. in Blairstown. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 908-362-6865 or log onto www.gallery23.com.