Andrei Kushnir and Michele Taylor are of the same mind when it comes to their ideas on art. Both oil painters, their realistic portrayal on canvas of life?s everyday encounters must ring true for themselves as well as for those who purchase their art.
Located on Main Street in historic Ellicott City, the Andrei Kushnir/Michele Taylor Art Gallery exhibits and sells not only their work, but the interesting offerings of other artists as well.
After Sept. 11, Taylor, who had a gallery on Capital Hill, decided to close it down, according to Kushnir. It became difficultto run a business in a location of such increased security, with mail arriving late or not at all.
“She was my dealer at the time,” Kushnir remembered. “We opened this [Ellicott City] gallery four years ago.”
Currently on display in the 775-square-foot gallery is an exhibit called “Intimate Ellicott City.” Nineteen different paintings portray many of the towns interiors, such as the Tiber River Bar, and Fisher?s Bakery.
“To me, Ellicott City represents true, authentic, small-town American.” Kushnir said.
And in the traditional, observational style of painting that is the hallmark of all the work displayed and sold in his gallery, the exhibit?s slice of daily life in a small town is realistic and comforting.
Inside the gallery, all of the work ? 95 percent in oil ? is for sale. Other offerings include watercolors. Prices range from $200 to $28,000. Business has been good, Kushiner noted, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, which he says constitutes “90 percent of our business.”
Although he owns a gallery in New York, most of his time is spent in Ellicott City, while Michele Taylor oversees the gallery there.
“I get up there once a month,” he said. “It?s a very different art market.”
Kushnir likes to be where he can paint landscapes that reflect his love of the outdoors. He finds his natural inspiration at his home in Brookmont, MD, where, he contends, there are still unspoiled places near the Potomac River and the C&O Canal.
Kushnir considers himself a “New Naturalist,” a painter with a traditional way of looking at subjects.
“There are certain things about a scene that ring my bell,” he said.
If you go
» What: Andrei Kushnir/Michele Taylor Art Gallery
» Where: 8289 Main St., Ellicott City
» Phone: 410-465-4467
» Hours: Thurs.-Sat. 11-6, Sun. 12-5
