TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Gallery owner Mike Randels confers with his mentor and “uncle” Duke Devlin, left, Sullivan County’s famous Woodstock icon. (Click for larger image)

Itinerant artist finds a home at last

After seventeen years of rambling and riding the rails, an artist finally puts down roots in Jeffersonville

By RICHARD A. ROSS

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY—Some pieces of art are relatively uncomplicated. The composition is easy to decipher. Some works are more complex, with compositions that reflect movement, texture, angle, stroke and tonality. Understanding and appreciating those pieces take more time and effort.

The life of Mike Randels, the proprietor of the newly opened Starving Artist art gallery, is more like the latter. Graduating from a Madison, Ohio high school 17 years ago, Randels began a journey that traversed the north, south, east and west. He rode the rails, washed windows, did odd jobs and drifted.

The lyrics to the song “Route 66” described his journey.

“Now you go through Saint Louis, Joplin, Missouri and Oklahoma City is, oh, so pretty. You see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff Arizona.”

Randels’ itinerary included places like Merced, CA, Orchard Beach, ME and Keystone, SD with numerous stops in between.

Wherever he roamed, he had no home. No home meant no job. No job meant no home.

During this seemingly endless ramble, he met an old man on a train in Texas who told him he could make a living washing windows for seven dollars an hour. On one such job a storeowner asked Randels if he could repaint a faded window sign. He found as he repainted the faded signs the style nuances of the original painters. That led to the creation of his own unique sign painting style. Sign painting paid more than window washing.

Randels met up with his “uncle” Duke Devlin, the Woodstock icon at the Saugerties reunion concert in 1994. Duke introduced him to Jeffersonville. By 1999, Randels worked on a three-mile long mural at the decommissioned air force base in Rome, NY, the site of the ’99 Woodstock weekend.

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross The gallery of the Starving Artist presents the eye with a ceiling to floor tableau of fine work. (Click for larger image)

Devlin kept insisting that Jeffersonville needed him. Randels heeded the call in 2001 and came to the area to paint signs. The mural in Michaelangelo’s Restaurant attests to his craft as do signs for the Three Chocolateers, Pecks and Eddies.

Once grounded, Randels dreamed of having his own gallery to display relatively unknown local artists alongside more renowned talent. When the building that once housed The Good Earth Health Food Store and more recently The High End became available, he jumped at the chance to realize his dream.

“As someone who never had a sense of community, I embraced it.”

He credits many locals for their support and belief in him. That list includes Conrad Fried, George and Barbara Hahn, his mother and of course, Duke.

“I anticipate a big change in this community. There’s a lot more to come. After all, this kid is doing it and I came in with just a backpack,” said Randels.

The Starving Artist gallery, open daily, contains an eclectic collection of artwork including pieces by Elaine and Willem DeKooning on a consignment basis.

The May 3 grand opening was accentuated by jazz music performed by the Funky Niblets. With the slated May 17 opening of the Blue Victorian Antique and Gift Shop, Jeffersonville will become home to another new enterprise.

“It was a great day for Jeffersonville,” Mayor Ed Justus said.

For further information, call 845/482-9940.