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Chester County Press

Father and daughter artists exhibit at the Art Annex

07/10/2017 01:36PM ● By J. Chambless

A pen and ink by Leah Maholmes.

By John Chambless
Staff Writer

There's some father-daughter bonding in the current show at the Art Annex in Oxford, which features paintings and drawings by Eric and Leah Maholmes.

Eric is the executive committee president of the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, and Leah is frequently seen at the Arts Alliance, where she's the gallery assistant. As an art student at West Chester University, she is showing some student work in the Annex gallery space for the first time.

The show is informal and relaxed, with some unframed canvases hung here and there, and a life-size self portrait by Leah done on a scroll of brown paper. She takes unusual perspectives in some works, such as her lap view of her legs and a Solo cup, done in pen and ink. She also has a nice studio nude sketch, with the model turned away from the viewer and a heater at her feet to keep her warm during the modeling session. It's sensitively drawn, and a standout in the show.

Eric has several bold paintings in the show, but it's his print, “Party Animal,” that makes the strongest point, with his dual nature expressed on either side of the composition. His 1988 pencil drawing of a young woman's figure placed in a bottle is also a contemplative, somber message.

The show is on view for those who come in to take part in the paint-your-own-pottery sessions, which Leah helps lead. She deserves congratulations for taking this first step in showing her work, along with that of her very proud father.

The Art Annex (19 S. Third St., Oxford) is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit www.oxfordart.org for more information about the Arts Alliance.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].