A trio of talented artists with ties to both Rehoboth Beach and Washington D.C. will be showcased in a tantalizing new exhibit at the Peninsula Gallery July 31 to Aug. 25 entitled Still Life: Three Perspectives. An opening reception with artists Mary Beth Ramsey, Brian Petro and Gary Fisher, is slated for Saturday, July 31 from 5-7 p.m.

Viewed as a whole, the 40 still life pieces in the exhibit come together like a vibrant and bountiful buffet featuring sun ripened fruits, farm fresh vegetables and blooming florals. While each artist invokes a distinct style in their still life renderings, commonalities of color palette and sophistication unite their work.

Those commonalities inspired Ramsey to initiate a collaborative showing with Fisher and Petro when she was approached by the owners of the Peninsula Gallery. "We have all known each other for many years through exhibiting in Rehoboth and D.C. and respect each others work. There is a kinship in our use of color despite our differing design," said Ramsey, who paints exclusively in pastels for this show and follows a detail oriented representational tradition. So true to life, her skilled images of fruit, for example, seem as though they might just squirt juice if pierced.

"I draw and paint the familiar, finding beauty in the simplest of subjects. I am fascinated by the way light throws even ordinary objects into high drama," said Ramsey.

In contrast to Ramsey’s pieces, Fisher produces more fanciful paintings of fruit and garden flowers when creating still lifes. Whimsical depictions of lilies and freesia play heavily in his work for this still life exhibit, which are all large scale acrylics on canvas. His penchant for crisp greens and azure blues comes through in loose depictions of apples and asparagus on prismatic backgrounds. "I love doing big images of small things. I have several pieces which are 40" by 40" in this show," said Fisher, who often draws inspiration from his own garden in Rehoboth Beach. Fisher, who decorated the sculpture "Miss Libber D’Olphin" for the Dolphins Around Town project and serves as the art director at the Results Gallery at Results the Gym in Washington, agrees that the collaboration of artists is exciting.

"We have complimentary styles and have appreciated each others work immensely. I think this is just the tip of our working together," said Fisher.

In fact, although they have never exhibited together, Fisher and Petro have previously worked together, sharing studio space on 14th Street in Washington, D.C. for several years.

For Petro, his work for this exhibit is an extension of an earlier photographic series, Produce. Although he works in many mediums, Petro prefers photography for his still life series and has shot over 120 new images while creating his pieces for this show.

Using a four color print process, thermal transfer process and textured cold press Arches paper, Petro reveals his passion for creating produce installations with neatly stacked rows of each fruit or vegetable. He uses macro shots and low angles of carrots, asparagus, pears, apples and more to focus attention on the details of form, color and to capture the sensual personality of each grouping. "Each is unique and impossible to duplicate. Because of the nature of the paper, some color fills in the grooves while some seems to float just along the top," Petro drew on the experience of his younger days working the produce aisle of a grocery in Central Pennsylvania to capture the simplicity of form and sensuality of the edible items.

The owners of the Peninsula Gallery, Carol and Tony Boyd-Heron, are so enthusiastic to have the trio exhibit that they have pledged 10 percent of the pre sales and sales at the opening reception party to CAMP Rehoboth.

"Each of these artists has substantial ties to CAMP Rehoboth so we have decided it is appropriate to donate to their cause, especially as they work on the community center capital campaign," said Tony Boyd-Heron, who is expecting a significant crowd for the reception.

According to Boyd-Heron, images of every piece featured in the Three Perspectives exhibit should be uploaded to the Peninsula Gallery web site, www.peninsula-gallery.com, by July 21, giving interested buyers 10 days to peruse the selection of still lifes before the grand debut.

"This is truly an eclectic mix and we are thrilled. We have been pursuing Mary Beth to exhibit for quite awhile," he said. The couple, which operates the distinguished 5000 square foot gallery in Lewes, became admirers of Ramsey’s work while doing custom framing for many of her other local shows. "Mary Beth was really the ring leader, suggesting Gary Fisher and Brian Petro for this collaboration and study of the classic still life, and it is wonderful."