AUBURN - Rachel Harms and Stephen Datz, visual artists from Skaneateles who have been married for 16 years, seem to have quite different views about how they create.

Datz attempts to challenge viewers' aesthetic and moral beliefs with his mixed media, while Harms tends to be somewhat formulaic in creating her abstract paintings.

On Sunday, Harms and Datz were both present at Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn for its monthly gallery talk, which is part of the center's ongoing #“Words + Images = Stories#” series.

The presentation featured talks by both artists, who discussed their creative techniques and how to better appreciate art in general.

“Once a month, we bring in artists who have something (being shown) here in our ‘Made in NY 2007' exhibit,” said Stephanie Schuster, Schweinfurth's assistant director, prior to the program.

“Made in NY” is the center's current gallery show, and features works by 69 artists from around the state.

“It's an important way for artists to be able to communicate one-on-one with an

audience, and really talk in

detail about their work,” she added.

Harms spoke first, standing next to her piece “Big Drink,” a large oil-on-canvas painting inspired by her frequent trips to Nevis, an island in the West Indies. For intimacy, the handful of guests were seated in a semi-circle only a few feet away.

“There are generally four stages that I go through in creating my work: Inspiration, creation, presentation and interpretation,” she said, after which she further explained each characteristic.

Harms also said she constantly takes photographs of scenes which have unique patterns and colors, then refers to the photos as she creates.

Datz, on the other hand, uses a more chaotic approach. His creations for the exhibit were two mixed-media sculptures made using items like fishing lures and wood that he found on the beach.

“I usually start with chaos, then kind of sort it out as I go,” he explained. “What makes (a piece) special is when a viewer can find something new and interesting about it every time they see it,” he said.

Harms, who has lived in both London and New York City, said she finds it a bit of a challenge living in a less urban setting, because most people simply aren't exposed to visual art as often.

“It's actually been exciting since I moved to Skaneateles, because people seem to be more and more open to learning about art,” she said. “I've felt more responsible here, than I ever did in New York, for trying to make my work more accessible.”