The thing that sold John and Susan on the house, even before they'd seen any other part of it was the walk-out basement. They entered that way because the builder had left that door unlocked. As they stood gazing at the 9 foot ceilings and the wall of windows looking out over a forested hillside, one word was spoken in unison, "Studio!". They took a few more steps inside and saw the alcove with the sink already in place, and again in unison, "Darkroom!". They were home. Home is where Susan Daly Voss and John Voss made the photographs and paintings that will be displayed at the Wallkill River Gallery in Montgomery, New York from March 1-30, with an artist's reception on Saturday, March 8th from 5-8.

Neither Voss is originally from Orange County, but both have adopted the land as a muse for their art. Susan Daly Voss moved to the Hudson Valley of New York four years ago from her native Florida. Her love of the arts was nurtured from a young age. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Florida in painting and printmaking in 1986. She has had several solo exhibitions and her work is included in many private and corporate collections spanning four continents.Â

Susan’s paintings have been accepted in numerous national juried exhibits such as those of the prestigious Midwest Pastel Society and the Southeastern Pastel Society, where her painting earned the Award of Distinction. Susan's love of color and light is evident in her work, and her pastels are often mistaken for oils because of the many layers of color she applies, akin to a glazing technique in oil. In the still lifes she presents in this exhibit, the lighting is often dramatic, and the shadows glow with reflected light and color. Susan teaches her light-luxurious techniques at the Wallkill River School.

John Voss grew up in Philadelphia, where he often watched as his father developed and printed photographs in his home darkroom. This love of the art of photography stayed with John as he went on to build a career in music. He earning his Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, then went on to play cello professionally and teach. He has returned to his first love of photography at this point in his life, when the digital age seems to be overpowering the gentle art of photography.

John uses large and medium format film cameras to explore the beauty he finds in the landscapes of the Hudson Valley. Spending long hours in his darkroom, surrounded by the music he loves, he painstakingly crafts the silver gelatin prints shown in the exhibit the same way it has been done for the past hundred years.Â

The images include both the grand vistas of the Hudson as well as more intimate moments of snow heavy on branches, water falling over stones, or a solitary stand of trees. John's work is in numerous private collections and is currently on display in Springfield, Massachusetts at the Valley Photo Center.

For more information, or just to say hello, contact John and Susan at vossduet@gmail.com

Susan's photogravure blog

John's Photography blog