Celebrated artists Robert Brady and Tim Craighead come together for the first time in “Making their Mark,” a fascinating new exhibition of paintings and sculpture.

It was during a studio visit with Brady that the gallery owners were struck by how his sculptures resonated with Craighead’s paintings. They both make their own distinctive marks in their work, to be sure, but the similarities in their use of bold color, inventive shapes, even subtle humor, are uncanny. It’s as if, unbeknownst to each other, they were traveling parallel paths, relying on their well-honed instincts and trust in their individual processes. The result is work that is sophisticated and fresh while retaining a raw immediacy and sense of surprise.

“My practice is not terribly complicated,” Craighead says. “It’s based on the idea that through process eventually you arrive at a painting that feels authentic. I wake up in the morning and figuratively put on my painting hat and make my way to the studio, armed with my coffee and my credentials and my history of success and failure. I enter a world where I am at once at home and lost. As I begin to paint, I’m unclear what will happen. It’s exhilarating and scary not knowing where one is going.”

Like Craighead, Brady believes in getting out of his own way, beginning with an idea without being restricted by it.

“I am wary of works which can be completely explained,” he offers. “When I work, I always start with an idea but respect the importance of a ‘conversation’ with the material, the moment and the unfolding. For me, the suspension of ego almost always allows and leads me to an awareness of a better, more complex way of reaching my goal.”

The similarities carry over into their career paths. Both worked in clay early on. They have master’s degrees and have held teaching positions. After experiencing early success, they have maintained enviable careers with work in prestigious collections.

It all amounts to an extraordinary pairing of artists who speak their own visual language, but with a common understanding and sensibility that comes from a mastery of materials and years of artistic practice and experience. It’s a kinship that is rare and striking, a pairing that makes this show a double delight.