By John Chambless
Staff Writer

Thanks to a cross-county art exchange, visitors to the Oxford Arts Alliance can see works by members of the Chester County Art Association, based in West Chester, this month. The Art Exchange show, which opened on Aug. 16, is a nice introduction to some artists who don’t usually exhibit in this area, as well as some familiar names.

There are two tiny oils of birds in stone portals by Kathryn Noska, each one with a microscopically detailed landscape in the distance. Get close to appreciate the level of detail she achieves. There’s dramatic coloring in the clouds in “Delaware Seashore” by Marie Wolfington Jones, and “Just a Murmur” by Annie Patrizi is an oil of birds in flight that has a fascinating technique that gives the scene depth and motion.

Jim Lawson’s “Sycamore, Evening Light” is a black-and-white photo that gets full drama out of the lighting and dazzling detail in the spindly branches and tendrils, each one captured with razor-sharp clarity.

Nancy Fuhrman gets a Best in Show award for “Scotland Sheep,” a three-panel etching that’s embellished with subtle shades of green watercolor.

Polly Davis Chalfant gets a distinctive smirk in her two fanciful, mixed-media cat portraits, and Gwenn Knapp’s two small still lifes of peeled fruit are strong compositions that grab your attention.

For innovative technique, it’s hard to top Gary Altoonian’s “Purple Rain,” which captures a fountain at Longwood Gardens using a photo-on-metal process that makes the scene look otherworldly. It’s a standout.

April Heather Davulcu’s two cut-paper pieces of women and plants are very sweet, showing a surgeon’s precision with a knife and a spirited design sense that make both pieces pop. Sandra Sigley gets a second Best in Show award for her pastel, “After the Rain,” a farm landscape that’s right on all levels.

Among the sculptures, “Loaded Pagoda,” by Karen Delaney, is striking and enigmatic, with a splendidly worked surface. Next to it, Marisa Boyd’s “Roots and Leaves” is a ceramic bust that has plenty of character as well.

The Art Exchange show continues through Sept. 13 at the Oxford Arts Alliance (38 S. Third St., Oxford). There is a closing reception on Sept. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit www.oxfordart.org.

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