NEWFANE — For the month of January, the Crowell Gallery at the Moore Free Library in Newfane presents “Landscapes & Critters,” featuring Newfane artist Steven Meyer, who will display a selection of his recent artwork.
Meyer's work depicts mostly local farmstead scenes from the West River Valley. Of particular interest has been the Retreat Farm with its eclectic mix of barns and outbuildings.
For years, Meyer focused on oil painting, but recently he made a change.
“I wanted to get away from the fumes,” Meyer said in a news release. “So, for the past two years, I have worked exclusively with India ink on Yupo paper. I love to draw and compose. This medium suits me perfectly right now. It also allows for lots of spontaneity and unplanned surface patterns that are really interesting.”
This is especially evident in his “critters.” Meyer has designed lots of toys for Mary Meyer Stuffed Toys in Townshend, a company named for his grandmother.
“The critters develop quickly. Often, I barely have an idea what the character will look like until the ink begins to flow,” he says.
Meyer creates his work with brushes, squeegees, spray bottles, Q-tips, steel wool, paper towels, and other materials mostly from the hardware store.