A native of rural Arkansas, Saugerties-based painter Terry Rowlett grew up as an evangelical Christian. But while traveling to the Holy Land on a spiritual pilgrimage after graduate school, Rowlett witnessed the prejudice and meanness of clashing religious convictions and returned to the US having lost the faith that had previously driven him to paint.

"I realized that my religion, from my perspective, was bogus. I didn't like it," Rowlett said. He added that his work is somewhat autobiographical, "My paintings reflect the evolution from being a Christian to not being a Christian."

As a result, Rowlett's oil paintings turned toward themes of wandering. The hand of God faded away and his spiritually questing characters became framed in scenes which increasingly celebrated landscapes and nature. For example, the solitary traveler in The Neighbor, a young boy walking his dog, is depicted at the moment of just setting out on a bright-eyed journey. And in Seasons, showing a woman walking towards two others holding out flowers, and The Walk, depicting a father and son walking a dog, the scenes are contemplative and set in the dappled golden light of a gorgeously-rendered late autumn forest.

Aside from spirituality, Rowlett has also delved into political and social commentary. Everto depicts a figure of a oil rig worker in a hellish landscape, while Man With Ax depicts his frustration with the Iraq war and President Bush. According to Rowlett, the cover image is a depiction of "that macho Texas mentality. And I'm trying to show how ill placed this macho, flaming red, tough guy is."

Rowlett's paintings will be exhibited at the Catskill Gallery in Saugerties through August 7; www.thecatskillsgallery.com. An extensive portfolio of Rowlett's work can be viewed at www.terryrowlett.com.