Differing Versions Of Life, Imitated, By Two Painters

WOODBURY — P.H. Miller Studio & Gallery is presenting “Life Imitated,” works by Jean O’Brien and John Schieffer – two artists with two very different interpretations of still life painting – until May 5.

Defined as an arrangement of everyday objects, the still life genre has been a classical mode of expression for artists as far back as the 17th Century. The two artists featured in “Life Imitated,” however, approach these objects in an unconventional manner.

Ms O’Brien, of Woodbury, paints in a style one might describe as extreme realism. Cherished blue tennis shoes, knotted together by the laces, and an affectionate yellow raincoat reside together on a well-weathered door. The door itself, with both charming and historic detail, hangs slightly ajar as if to invite the viewer further into the painting.

Depicted in another piece is a pair of ladder-back chairs, one easily draped in a wrinkled red cardigan. The chairs face each other in seeming conversation and reside upon an intricately detailed woven rug. The pattern and texture of the rug appear so life-like that onlookers may feel the need to take off their shoes before getting any closer.

“Going beyond the ordinary still life, these are portraits without the people in them,” Ms O’Brien says regarding her work. She expresses, both verbally and pictorially, that “every nick and scratch” on an object “carries with it a story.” And with this thought, her paintings connote both candor and affable grace.

Equally familiar in subject and refined realistic quality, but very different in feeling, are John Schieffer’s remarkable representations of seemingly unremarkable objects. A fuzzy-skinned kiwi, sliced to expose its ripe green flesh, sits unadorned on a smooth off-white background. The kiwi’s only accompaniment is a cascading shadow cast by an unknown light source.

A trio of clear glass marbles is the subject of another oil. These also lie on a white background, creating uninterrupted clarity and fascinating shadows. Elongated ellipses with a central point of light, the shadowy shapes produce depth and intrigue in a simple composition.

Mr Schieffer communicates his exploration of “the beauty of objects both unique and mundane” through his paintings.

“White backgrounds allow the viewer to observe the colors, values, lines, and shadows of each object,” says the artist. This idea, carried through all of his work, encourages the viewer to take the everyday objects out of their familiar place, put them on a symbolic pedestal, and examine their effortless beauty.

Both artists, graduates of the Paier College of Art, have adapted the still life genre into their own category. While Jean O’Brien captures the subjective soul of an object, John Schieffer objectively express the grandeur of the object itself.

For more information about “Life Imitated,” contact the P.H. Miller Studio & Gallery at 203-263-3939 or visit www.PHMiller.com. The gallery, at 495 Main Street South (Route 6), is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 am until 5:30 pm; and Monday and Tuesday by chance or appointment.