Introducing: Art Safari by Dave Channon

Above: Rita Schwab's "And the Sun Shines Again." 2011. Tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz and rubies.Rita Schwab's "And the Sun Shines Again" expresses her indomitable spirit of life in shimmering crystal glazes.

We're introducing another new feature for our Shandaken page today: Art Safari, a column by Dave Channon, that reviews work appearing appearing at The Arts Upstairs gallery in Phoenicia. Channon is an environmental art activist specializing in welded steel sculptures, oil paintings and all manner of digital graphics, video and animation. You can see his work at www.EsopusCreek.com. Here's a taste of Channon's September Art Safari. To see the full safari, click here. -- JR

Heaven must be good. People are dying to get there. That's why we take the less drastic approach and get our somewhat imperfect selves to "ALMOST HEAVEN", through October 8 at The Arts Upstairs in Phoenicia. 

Shandaken is close to heaven most of the year...   if you like snow.   It also falls a bit short when floods ravage our community. Rita Schwab's home was wrecked in the flood but you still can buy some of her jewel color frescoes precognitively studded with glittering bits of MissEsopus Creek pebbles. Even so, almost heaven is a hell of a lot better than almost hell. See more of this month's Art Safari by clicking here.