Twenty years!: Chickens, nests and rural art

AMENIA ­— This is the first time Amenia artist Tilly Strauss has seriously looked back at the last two decades of her work, and it’s taken her a little by surprise.

“It’s been a great opportunity to just take in the moment and reassess where I’ve been,� the artist said as she walked up and down the halls of The Maplebrook School. A show of 20 selected pieces spanning her 21 years in Amenia has been hanging for a special show since the first weekend in December. “I’m amazed that it all ties together. But I also seem to be dealing with the same things.�

Picking just 20 pieces to represent a portfolio that includes projects like painting ice cream sundaes once a day for a month  wasn’t the easiest task, but Strauss decided to use the solo show to give back to the students at Maplebrook, in hopes of inspiring and teaching them a little about the artistic process and how to approach art.

“Maplebrook has always been very supportive of the arts,� she said. “I hope this gives students the framework to look at art and to talk about art.� Strauss has been involved in shows on the campus before, but this is her first solo show.

Strauss broke the 20 pieces into four categories — technique, themes, symbols and subject matter — to make it easier for students to look at and think about art.

Anyone familiar with Strauss’ work knows she brings a rural feeling to her pieces. Her studio is in her grandfather’s old barn, and her paintings are often stitched together by needle and thread. Chickens and nests are a dominant theme.

One work from 2001, entitled “Maize,� is painted on a canvas made from her son’s ripped khaki pants, corn silk and grass.

It’s easy to connect the image of the nest to Strauss’ personal life as a mother. She said having her children off at school and out of the house triggered the idea for a retrospective show.

“I wasn’t sure that I wanted to show my newest stuff,� she explained. “I have an empty nest at home, and I haven’t had a chance to look at a lot of these [pieces] in a long time.�

Strauss has always played a big part in the community. She is one of the main organizers of the ArtEast tour, which opens the homes and studios of local artists to the public every year. She was also chosen to represent the towns of Amenia and North East at last October’s Walking On Air ceremony celebrating the opening of the Walkway over the Hudson footbridge and the quadricentennial anniversary of the exploration of the Hudson River.

There’s no denying that Strauss’ move to Amenia 21 years ago has profoundly influenced her art.

“In another life I would have been a botanical illustrator,â€� she  said. “I have a compulsion to document. But this is where I am now. This is just where I am and where I’ve been.â€�

Strauss said she never intended to stay this long in Amenia, but as many who have moved to the area and decided to settle can attest, there is a certain undeniable attraction to the town.

“All this time I always thought I was going to move away,� she said. “But I love this place. There’s no place like it in the world. There are no malls, but culture comes in every weekend. And then you also have all the green and fresh air and open land. It’s beautiful. The more I’m here, the more I know I could never find an atmosphere like my house.�

After this first real examination of where her work has taken her since she’s moved to Amenia, does the artist foresee in which direction her work will go?

“I’ll still be painting every day,� she said. “But enough of the nests. It’s been done already.�

Strauss’ Maplebrook show has been open every weekend since the beginning of December. This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 and 20, will be the last two days of the show, and the main building will be open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Strauss can be reached on her cell phone at 845-489-3264.