Sugar and Brush valleys are familiar territory for Kurt Herrmann. He turns to both for inspiration.

“By painting it, it kind of slows you down. And you have to reinterpret what you think you already know,” said Herrmann.

A Loganton resident, Herrmann’s work is being featured at the Elk Creek Cafe and Aleworks in Millheim through April.

His work will come from two separate series. “Squares of Light” is the more abstract of the two, and Herrmann views the pieces as open-ended poems.

“I’m drawn to color more than anything else. It has no agenda, is totally universal, yet nothing is more personal, illusive, or subjective,” he wrote in a description of the series.

The paintings in the second series, “The Valley Made Me Do It,” start out realistically. There are farmlands, Amish horses and buggies, and state highways — all painted in bright oils on wood.

Paintings from that series also have a black hat floating in the middle of the road, animals riding bicycles, and a black dog’s head in the clouds.

“I have no interest in interpreting it realistically,” Herrmann said. “For me, I have to find things as I’m working on it. If there’s no gamble or risk, I find it boring.”

Herrmann graduated from Lock Haven University in 1995. He said he’s been painting pretty much every day since. His work has been featured at the Yard Dog Art Gallery in Austin, Texas, the Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia, and the Shoom Gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Elk Creek will host a reception for his work from 3 to 5 p.m. March 18.

“I do a lot of watercolor. I do a lot of small sculpture,” Herrmann said of his work. “So I don’t really pin myself down. I like to bounce back and forth. It helps me stay fresh.”

Dinner to benefit Hope Fund

The nonprofit Penns Valley Hope Fund — short for Helping Other People Everyday — will host its annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Centre Hall Potter Township Elementary School, 211 N. Hoffer Ave., Centre Hall.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for children between the ages of 5 and 12, and are free for children younger than 5.

To donate to the fund or buy tickets call 364-2144, email pennsvalley hopefund@gmail.com, or visit www.pennsvalleyhopefund.com.

Ed Mahon writes about news from the Penns and Brush valley regions. He can be reached at 231- 4619 or emahon@centredaily.com.