By TIM PRESTON - The Independent
ASHLAND — Vivid colors and soulful acoustic music were easy to find in downtown Ashland during December’s First Friday artwalk as a steady stream leisurely strolled from studio to studio.
Guitarist Ben Lee of Ashland, armed with a breathtaking acoustic instrument by Breedlove, closed his eyes and belted out Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” at the Pendleton Art Center early in the evening. Lee, with a brass slide at the ready, supplied a powerful repertoire of songs without the aid of amplification as potential shoppers compared notes about the works of various artisans.
Just down the street at The Upstairs Gallery, featured artist Larry Sumpter divided his time between discussions of his oil-painted canvasses depicting landscapes and animals, and grabbing his own guitar to accompany acoustic fingerpicker “Toad” Ostooly.
Sumpter, of Huntington, described his work as primarily impressionist.
“I don’t do modern or abstracts,” Sumpter said with a soft smile as a young couple nodded in approval of one of his paintings as he spoke. “My style is a little more impressionistic with the landscapes. I do landscapes primarily, but I also do some still lifes and I like to include some animals and people.”
A self-taught artist who has been working professionally for the past 15 years, Sumpter said he was pleased to show his work at The Upstairs Gallery partially due to his admiration of the watercolor paintings by gallery owner Barbara Delligatti.
“This is a good place to be because Barbara has a lot of variety and a lot of artists — a lot to pick from,” Sumpter commented.
Delligatti made a point of introducing potential customers to a new artist, Cynthia Handloser, whose work is now exclusively displayed at the second-floor gallery.
“I love true color,” Handloser said, describing her process of combining photography and computer enhancements to create a collection of tasteful nudes. “I like natural colors straight from the palette.”
Toad, the gallery’s guitarist for the evening, strummed, sang and told stories for those who paused near the coach in the upstairs window overlooking Winchester Avenue. In addition to familiar tunes by bands including The Beatles and Spirit, Toad performed an original instrumental titled “Sun Juice” composed while watching a large herd of wild horses cross a stretch of desert in Arizona at sunrise.
Between customers, Delligatti said she believes Ashland’s First Friday provides an outstanding opportunity for people to make their own judgment calls about the work of area artists in a casual setting.
“I think First Friday is an icebreaker for a lot of people who have never been to an art walk,” Delligatti observed. “And, it is the only time many people can enjoy art because it is the only evening some of us are open.”
