TRR photo by Charlie Buterbaugh Phillip Gabrielli refines his already precise oil on linen still life painting, which he might call “Three Ostrich Eggs.” Gabrielli’s studio will be a unique, worthwhile stop along the Catskill Art Society studio tour on July 12 and 13. (Click for larger image)

Plan a studio tour of the Catskills

By CHARLIE BUTERBAUGH

YOUNGSVILLE, NY — The Catskill Art Society (CAS) will hold its eighth annual Artists’ Studio Tour in western Sullivan County on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13.

The list of 37 artists might leave a shrewd tourist feeling perplexed, though the studio descriptions on the back of the CAS tour map provides a helpful reference guide. A half-hour of careful planning will ensure a relaxing tour through the hills of Sullivan County and the unique studios should edify most critics. Many of the artists have invited tourists to picnic in their yards, so consider packing a cooler.

One new painter on the tour is Phillip Gabrielli, a pensive artist who renders scenes that often juxtapose vernacular American household props and portraits by his beloved artists, such as Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), a French painter whom Degas thought was the greatest thing going, Gabrielli said.

Given his academic background, Gabrielli’s realism is not surprising; he earned a BA in art history from Harvard. Still, his realism is striking.

He prefers simple names for his oil on linen paintings, believing that poetry does not belong in titles. His use of rich color and powerful shadow might seem poetic to some, or simply true to the life people who choose to display art in their homes. The comfort of this truth pervades his studio.

Gabrielli’s house, a converted barn, makes use of second-hand materials, such as the green barn roofing he used for siding. When he bought the barn, it lacked a roof, so the structure is something of a marvel.

His yard is perfect for an early afternoon picnic after a tour of some Youngsville and Jeffersonville studios, and a following trip along Route 52 West to Narrowsburg, NY would lead to an early afternoon with artists who live along the Upper Delaware River.