Annual Show Scheduled At Landis Woods

Feature writers are blessed with many opportunities to meet interesting area residents. Among them are local artists - in my case, a few of the artists who take part in the annual Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Art Show.

The 2022 event will be held rain or shine on the Boettcher House Museum grounds, 2369 Lititz Pike, Neffsville, on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to about 40 artists, the show will feature live music and food items offered for purchase by the Neffsville Mennonite Church youth group. There is no admission charge, and a $75 art gift certificate good for any art on the premises will be awarded hourly. Thorn Hill Winery will be on-site with samples to taste.

Among the artists taking part in the show will be Stephen Gambone, who has often brought cityscapes to the interviews for my articles over the years. This year, Gambone brought the colorful "City Over the Water," which he called a more abstract cityscape. The painting features bright aqua, red, yellow, and blue in a piece that shows both the outline of the city and its upside-down reflection in a body of water. Gambone calls his art a "fusion of both music and color gracefully colliding with emotion." The Lancaster artist draws inspiration from peaceful environments, such as beaches, and his close relationship with God.

Local artist Paris Llanso has participated for many years. Known for her prima impasto method, Llanso displayed an octopus done with yellow, purple, fuchsia, and red highlights against a blue background. "I just love octopuses. I love their movements," said Llanso. "They are really fun to do." Llanso also brought a painting of a tree bathed in light but also surrounded by darkness. "This is from my mind (based on) what's going on in the world ... my faith and hope," said Llanso.

Artist Adrienne Judge brought her 3-D creations featuring flowers to the interview. Last year, Judge's mother, artist Lisa Madenspacher, displayed Judge's art in the photo for the article. Judge's piece, "End of Summer Limelight Hydrangea," features the beautiful whites and pinks of the tiny flowers as they fade at the end of summer, blending in yellow to create a peach shadow. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Judge connected with a friend who was creating art that was thick and textured. "I was so inspired," said Judge, who uses lots of acrylic paint and cake decorating tips to pipe different flowers. She often re-creates wedding bouquets in the format, noting that the flowers are fun to touch. "(The paint is) super hard but still flexible," she said.

Live music lined up for the venue includes the Stone Soup String Band at 9:30 a.m., the Steve Barth Band at 11:30 a.m., and the Lancaster County Folk Music Society at 1:30 p.m.

Attendees may enter the event grounds from either Hillside Lane or Meadow Lane, located off Lititz Pike in Neffsville. Readers who would like to learn more may visit http://www.landiswoodsartshow.org.