The Visual Arts Program at Epworth United Methodist Church announces a new exhibit of original art. The public is invited to an opening reception from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 30, in Scott's Chapel Gallery at Epworth, 19285 Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach.

Artist Jim Rehak, a resident of Seaford, captures the seasonal changes of the Delmarva Peninsula and vicinity in his landscape paintings. His enthusiasm for plein air landscape takes him outside to paint fields, marshes, farms, rivers and bays throughout the area.

Since Rehak is inspired by the impressionists and their contemporaries, light is a key element in his work. He paints directly from life, freely interpreting light through vibrant color. “The strength of a painting is often fueled by direct observation. By communicating a powerful sense of light, I attempt to evoke memories of experiencing the landscape,” says Rehak.

Rehak's interest in art started with comic book illustration at an early age. It was while studying for his BFA at the Maryland Institute of Art that his interest in oil painting emerged.

Art has always been a vocation for Rehak - as a portrait and caricature artist in Ocean City, Md., during college, art director at a sign company, teacher and freelance court illustrator. In recent years, his work has won Best in Show awards at Rehoboth Art League, Art League of Ocean City and Chesapeake College. Rehak participates in paint outs and competitions as well as being represented by various fine art galleries. He is a member of the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

The show will be on display through Wednesday, April 23. The gallery is open during regular church hours. For more information, contact Epworth United Methodist Church at 302-227-7743 or go to www.eumcrb.com.