By John Chambless
Staff Writer

The “Little Gems” theme for this month’s show at the Square Pear Gallery in Kennett Square is just right for the gift-buying season, offering a large selection of small, original works by a wide range of artists.

In the front gallery, there are several Joe Milligan watercolors, including “Point of Reflection,” a nicely rendered view of water and scrubby trees that has a nice texture. There’s also a selection of David Eldreth’s vividly colored, dreamy abstracts.

Two watercolors by Yvonne Mucci capture places that are just a few steps from the gallery’s door, and Lissa Abrays and Jim Rehank contribute their own downtown Kennett views.

Barbara Neville’s splendidly textured pastels have a pleasant summertime glow, particularly the billowy clouds in “Garden Field.” Nearby, Ann Guidera-Matey has six radiant sunset marsh pastels that have a glorious, golden light.

For the music lover on your holiday list, there are several small portraits of musicians by Al Moretti that radiate energy and get to the essence of their subjects. Among the still lifes on display, Kim Hoechst’s “Juicy Fruit” is one that lives up to its title, with a succulent sliced orange that pops very nicely.

Susan Myers has a small, gray/white pastel, “Route 926,” that has a vivid winter chill and a just-right gray afternoon light. Rhoda Kahler is represented by her always intriguing stoneware tiles.

There’s a nice selection of Kathryn Noska’s whimsical oils of animals and birds perched on – or peeking out of – geometric windows that have landscape vistas that seem to stretch for miles behind them. They’re incredibly detailed and captivating.

Katy Winters has some fine watercolors and drawings of animals in natural settings (the rabbit in “All Ears”), and some in fanciful situations, such as the jaunty fox with a tuxedo and a martini (“I’ll Have Another”).

Sandra Severson’s animal portraits are, as always, sensitively painted, and Brad Earl has five eye-grabbing acrylics of vintage cityscapes, with deep shadows and glowing highlights that make these places – even the imaginary ones – seem real.

Heather Lynn Gibson has a luscious still life, “Lil Applesauce,” and a wry comment on the art world in “Not Everybody Gets the White and Black Room,” a view of a bored gallery patron waiting for the art trip to end.

Among the crafts in the gallery, Jack Hanson’s wood sculptures of snowmen and Christmas trees are a lot of fun, and there’s a tempting selection of glass, ceramics and jewelry that would make distinctive holiday gifts – or you can always pick up something for yourself. There’s plenty to like in this show, which continues through the end of the month.

The Square Pear Fine Art Gallery is at 200 E. State St., Kennett Square. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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