Orange County Artists Guild

My New Ceramic Studio by Judith Ernst

2012-01-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

Judith's New Studio

I can now do it all in my own studio! With a kiln that doubles as an H.G. Wells-style time machine, a large spray booth for glazing, and an air compressor that inspires envy among all the guys in the neighborhood, I’m ready to create bigger-better-more in the ceramic realm. Dubbed “The Judio” by my neighbor, Susie Schopler, the bird feeder is right out the window, the iPod is set up for music, and the heating and cooling system is great. It has four skylights and lots of windows for maximum natural light, as well as banks of daylight fluorescents (5000 kelvins) that create strong ambient, shadowless light, especially good in a workspace.

Hunkering down to more regular studio work after about two and a half years of gallery volunteering and administrative conundrums, I hope to crank up my production considerably and will also try for maximum creativity. Here’s an example of one of the first major pieces out of the new studio. It’s composed of two separate ceramic pieces mounted on a small granite base. The title is Flying to the Inside, and it’s the first in what will be a series of 3 or 4 variations on the same theme. Dimensions are 27” X 13” and it’s glazed stoneware.

See more of Judith's work, see her ceramic website. Also, see information about Judith's book illustrations see the Song of Songs website.

My Participation in A Paper Cut Workshop in New York by Anita Wolfenden

2011-12-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

I never had thought I would be taking a workshop in the big Apple, and I had been looking forward to this opportunity for months. I had seen Beatrice Coron’s paper cut work in museums and galleries for a couple of years and I was very intrigued with her work. To my surprise she responded positively when I asked her if she would participate in a small show in a small town in North Carolina, and that is how she came to show two of her pieces in the Black and White show at Frank Gallery in Chapel Hill this spring.

For those of you who are not familiar with her work, Beatrice cuts black Tyvek and makes incredibly detailed vignettes of all aspects of human life, mostly funny and whimsical but also more serious and above all her work is remarkable in its intense attention to detail. I asked her if she did any teaching and she mentioned the workshop the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Center for Book Art in New York.

As I was going to be in the area anyway for the holiday I jumped on this and I got myself a reservation at something called Chelsea Lodge, a dungeon on 20^th Street. I could see the feet of people walking by outside and at night I felt as if the metro trains went right under my bed, but the place was clean and roomy and the walk to the Center for Book Art was not too long.

Beatrice Coron is an inspiring person, very adventurous, enterprising, flexible. But what she does professionally is not really book art. She introduced us to materials I had never worked with before and her attitude of improvisation was great. I learned from how to cut, how to use that Xacto blade that I have had in my hand every day for years. There are lots of different kinds and I have tried several, but my problem is that I cut too far because if have the blade too parallel to the paper. I never knew this. If you cut more with the point you can stop and start more exactly. This is a great discovery. This is in fact the secret of her very very thin lines in the Tyvek, simple as it sounds it really isn’t. She showed us blades she learned to use in Japan, where you start the day in the studio sharpening the blade for at least 20 minutes and then you put the blade in the wooden handle and then you wrap many feet of thin twine around the handle to hold it together. Something for the meditative methodical mind. I am glad I don’t have to sharpen my blades!

In any class you learn not just from the teacher but from the other students in the class and we were ten of us. Some were professional artists, one was a sociologist, one was a scientific writer. A great bunch of people, very inspired, very talented. One was a young woman on scholarship to the Center for Book Arts and she is learning how to make books the way books was made in the middle ages.

The place was full of lethal looking machines, heavy clonking things, huge knives and blades to cut through many pages and hard covers and the first thing we had to do as we entered the class room was to sign a waver promising not to sue the Center if we creamed ourselves on something. The machines were beautiful though and you get an appreciation for the enormity of the work that used to go into making books before mass production with glued pages and soft covers.

We tried our hands at stenciling and at various 3-D books. I have made tunnel books for several years with varied success and Coron showed me a way to build them up section by section instead of cutting all the pates first and then fitting them in to the accordion sides. I am anxious to try this as it would be so much easier to go long and large with this technique.

As a artist that also works with paper, I picked up some tips from this workshop that should let me have even more pleasure as I work with paper. I work with very thick white paper -- to create a crisp sharp line and a play with light and shadows. I work with holes and I like the way layers of paper create a feeling of great depth. I also use thin paper, news print mostly, which lends itself to layering, tearing, sanding, washing and shaping to colorful collages. And I also transform dryer lint into abstract landscapes or small framed garments.

To see more of Anita's work, see her website. To see the work of all Orange County Artist Guild members, so to the OCAG website.

Thomson Opens FernsandFancy Studio for Sale of Crafts This Saturday 17th

2011-12-15T09:53:00.000-05:00

One afternoon opening for last minute shoppers! Sat the 17th 1-5 pm. Trudy Thomson invites you to come on out for her sale of crafts at the studio FernsandFancy -- located in Chapel Hill. You'll find highly decorative fused glass for display or function. Detailed whimsical soft silky scarves. Funky fun pendants and earrings. And notecards for stocking stuffers.

Trudy's studio is located just three miles south of the University. Signs will be up to lead the way from Mt. Carmel Church Road. Google 728 Clearwater Lake Drive and call Trudy at 933-2891 when you are on your way!
Read about Trudy's interests and art work at her website.

Insights on Art Collecting at the Ackland by Marilyn Strother

2011-12-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

Thought I would share with you what I learned from a recent talk on art collecting that was presented by Sheldon Peck at the Ackland Art Museum. Peck opened with a slide of Toulouse-Lautrec's oil on board of Dr. Jules Emile Paen, a dentist. Dr. Peck is an orthodontist who has amassed a remarkable collection of Flemish and Dutch drawings. He next showed a slide of a dentistry journal cover, a photograph of dental work being done that looked remarkably similar to the image painted in 1891. Dr. Peck used this as an example of what he called "image retention" that lasts for centuries. This became a thread in the interesting themes that ran through the evening's commentary.

There were many little tidbits of collecting insight that spoke to the depth of how a collectible piece of art can viewed. Dr. Peck went over a list of the more important aspects of connoisseurship, including aesthetic and authenticity:

good, confident draftsmanship
where's the light coming from
technical analysis (ink, paper, the use of spectroscopy, infra-red,etc.)
collector's marks (provenance)
stylistic analysis (medium, subject, etc.)
stroke analysis - a very interesting comparison made between several old masters' drawings of hands

It is possibly worthwhile to know, too, that the titles of old collectible pieces are often made up long after the creator is gone. Auction houses might make up a title for a drawing just to differentiate it from other work on the block, e.g. Boat on a River or Fishermen on a Boat. In fact the scene could actually have a recognizable place name, a remarkable structure in the background, or some historical significance in its content that only an astute collector or curator would research and recognize. Dr. Peck himself has had the pleasure of renaming collected work.

This talk was the last in the Conversations On Collecting series of free talks offered at the Ackland. I thought others would enjoy this analysis.

"If you're a right-handed artist, try not to get a left-handed critic." Anon.

See Marilyn's art work at her website.

Warren Hicks and Sarah Wilkins at Golden Belt Fundraiser

2011-12-10T00:31:00.000-05:00

Golden Belt artists will host a "12x12" event at our studios in downtown Durham. The event will be a fundraiser to benefit the Center for Child & Family Health. The show will offer for sale more than 250 unique pieces of fine art, each measuring 12x12 inches, for $200 each. Thirty artists are participating. Warren Hicks will personally have 18-20 framed paintings for sale, both on canvas and paper. (They will only be available for $200 during this two day event). Sarah Wilkins, another OCAG member, will also be participating.

The preview party is Thursday, Dec. 15th, 5:30-7:30pm. There will be hors d'oeuvres, drinks and a live string quartet set up in the Room 100 gallery.

Tickets for the holiday benefit party on Thursday 12/15 are $25.00 each. By attending the special event you will be helping a worthy cause during the Holiday season. You will also receive first choice at the incredible art created for this special event. A percentage of sales will also be given to CCFH.

This event will continue the following evening during our regular 3rd Friday open house from 6-9pm.

Address for viewing the event and ticket purchase: http://ccfh.ticketleap.com/twelvebytwelve

Directions: http://www.goldenbeltarts.com

Blown Glass Ornament Show & Sale with Pringle Teetor

2011-12-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hope y'all can come to our Blown Glass Ornament Show & Sale at Weaver Street Reality Dec 9th, 6-9 pm.

Two Shows with Sasha Bakaric Participating

2011-12-04T18:28:00.000-05:00

I am part of two seasonal shows. Check out the Holiday Show at Claymakers in Durham. It runs until Jan 14th. Also, I have a show at Chapel Hill Town Hall. It runs until Jan 28th. So if you are out and about -- even as the new year rolls around -- check them out.

Here is claymakers info:
http://www.claymakers.com/Next_in_the_Gallery_OZGE.php

Here is the town hall:
http://townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=255

Featured Artist At Carolina Inn's Christmas Display

2011-12-02T08:29:00.000-05:00

Betsy Vaden is the featured artist for the Carolina Inn's display of the Twelve Days of Christmas this year. She made the Three French Hens. http://www.carolinainn.com/

Also, on Saturday night, Dec. 3rd, the Green Hill Center for N.C. Art in Greensboro will have its Gala Opening Reception for the Invitational Winter Show 2011. Betsy is participating in that show, as is Carroll Lassiter, Natalie Boorman, and possibly other OCAG artists. The show runs Dec 4th through Jan 15. For more info see http://www.greenhillcenter.org/

OCAG Members Participate in Holiday Sale

2011-12-02T07:53:00.000-05:00

ClayWorks Holiday Sale
Saturday, December 3

10 am to 4 pm
Durham Academy Middle School

3116 Academy Rd

OCAG members participating in the event are Sasha Bakaric, Deb Harris, Emily Lees, Mary Ann Peter, and Betsy Vaden. Only Burger will have its truck there during the lunch hours for participants and visitors.

The Perspective of Artists on Our 2011 Open Studio Tour

2011-11-18T17:47:00.001-05:00

Jamie Hagenberger Photograms

Hagerberger Photogram

This year was my first year on the tour and it was amazing. Putting the house in "gallery mode" was a huge job, but well worth it. Welcoming the public into my home and sharing my work and my processes with them was an extremely satisfying and inspiring experience. Never have I felt so sure about my decision to be an artist. And as if we didn't all know how small the world could be, at one point I had a neighbor, a friend of a friend, a fellow artist and perfect stranger all conversing...turns out we were all connected socially, yet had never met before. Here's to the studio tour, building communities, artistic and otherwise alike! -- Jamie Hagenberger

Clay Carmichael Writer & Illustrator

I am a children's writer and illustrator. During my tour this year, over and over, my studio was filled with folks laughing to or among themselves or caught by surprise or turning to each other, saying, "Oh, look at this one." Many people commented on the overall feeling of joy, happiness or comfort, tenderness or pathos in the work -- mighty satisfying for an artist. A number of wide-eyed young artists and authors stopped by to meet, as they say, "a real, live author." Many people said some form of: "I've given your books or art over and over to people I love" or "I love coming here and seeing what you'll do next." -- Clay Carmichael

Lecluyse and Ray Location

This year, Luna Lee Ray and I shared a studio at Luna's, and it was so much fun. Studio guests were interested in our work on many levels. I had a beekeeper talk with me about her bees and my beeswax collages, and then a musician and I talked about the similarities in our experiences as artists. Several people expressed a desire to learn more about how to make art and talked with Luna about her classes. Some were "just looking" but very interested, while no interest was expressed by another -- our youngest visitor, 2 months old -- who slept through the whole thing. But that was just wonderful too.

Jean and Luna Collaborate

A couple of women looked at the painting Luna and I did together and it was amazing to hear what they saw in the painting. Last but not least we did have very good sales. So a huge thank you to all the people who come out to support the artists of Orange County during the tour. Thanks for not only by buying our art but also by expressing a genuine interest in what we do. -- Jean LeCluyse

Thomson Studio

As each new visitor stepped across the threshold, I had a five year old grandchild greet each person and ask them to sign in. At one point when we were fairly busy, little Katie positioned herself in the center of the room and then suddenly announced in this charming childish voice, "Time for introductions! " Who can deny a five year old? All the visitors looked her way, nodded and then starting shaking hands with each other.

Thomson Fused Glass

Those that had come here on their own suddenly had new friends to shop with! Also, since some folks had already received a short tour of the silk and glass studios, and I had also demonstrated how the loom works, visitors felt comfortable explaining what they had learned about the processes to others! -- Trudy Thomson

Mike Roig Sculpture

My sculpture is readily visible for people to enjoy, but the Studio Tour makes the welcome official for those who need an invitation to explore the yard. It was obvious that the economy had many people more reticent to make big purchases. I was prepared for the possibility that most of the larger sculptures would be beyond what most people wanted to spend. I had one piece left from a sculpture series created during last year's run up to Studio Tour, a series I'd titled The Whirled Series, games 1-7, in part because I'd made them while listening to that year's baseball World Series. This year, in a fashion akin to this year's baseball drama in St. Louis, at four o'clock on the final Sunday "Game Seven" left the park and found it's new home. And so the Studio Tour fulfilled all its functions - good conversation and cheers from appreciative fans, a chance to encourage new artists who need to see how one might go about creating the setting for a life devoted to making art, and enough commerce to make it possible for this artist to create another day. By my lights, a very successful Tour. -- Mike Roig

Dale with Balloons
After rushing around all day on the Friday before the tour I picked up 18 helium filled balloons from Balloons ‘n’ Tunes. It was a terribly windy day with intermittent showers. When I arrived at my house I opened the back door of my SUV, grabbed the groceries and went inside. A few minutes later I went back out to close the car door and realized that all of my balloons were gone! They were nowhere in sight. What was I going to do? While stomping and stewing in my driveway the UPS truck pulled up with some art supplies I had ordered.
Dale's Painting
While waiting for my package I looked up above the truck and there, hiding in the maple tree were my 18 balloons! They were perfectly camouflaged! I quickly asked the UPS driver if I could stand on the top of his truck to capture my balloons. He didn’t think that was allowed and muttered something about liability. Immediately I remembered that the extension ladder was behind the garden shed. I grabbed it and extended it 15 feet up the tree. After untangling the ribbons from the tree branches I was able to successfully wrangle them into submission and coral them back into the car. Whew! It was a close call and way too much excitement on top of an already busy day. Next year I think I’ll pass on the balloons. -- Dale A. Morgan

Anita Mills Ceramic Work

Coolest comment made by a visitor at my Open Studio: "You don't realize what an integral part of our community the artists are, until you drive around the county during the tour and see ALL the tour signs. They really are everywhere!" It's one thing to occupy Wall St.—but in my opinion, we need to "occupy the local economy," encouraging folks to think of artists and small businesses first when contemplating a purchase for gifts or goods, year round. It's only by supporting individuals and small business that we can truly transform culture, and thereby transform the economic culture. -- Anita Mills

Special thanks to the artists who contributed these stories to this special article about our experiences with the tour. We hope you enjoyed it.

And for terrific visuals, check out the work of all OCAG members at our website.

In Memory of Guy Wilkins by Sarah Wilkins

2011-11-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

My Dad, whom many OCAG members knew as Guy Wilkins, died on the first day of the Orange County Open Studio Tour. November 5, 2011. Although we are both members of the Orange County Artists Guild, we each decided not to participate in the tour this year. Something told me not to and it was a good thing.

Our Daddy Guy went "to the stars" as he called it, at sunset on Saturday Nov. 5th, after an arduous three-week struggle in ICU in VA, trying to bring his leukemia under control. During that time he had all his blood filtered 4 times, was on a breathing machine for extended periods, and had a surgical procedure. All of his kids & spouses were doing the extended vigil. It sounds odd to say, but although he was almost 85, it seems an "untimely death," a testament to his youthfulness. The week before the collapse Guy was singing to me on the phone, going to exercise class at the Y, doing some videos for us which he didn't finish, and of course, painting. It's like the starship came down and beamed him up.
I think that many of you--as fellow artists--might enjoy the fact that we carried out two of Guy's last requests:
1. That his coffin be decorated--which could have been a disaster, as there was not much time. But my Aussie sister Kate's partner, Dino Consalvo--also an Australian artist--came to the rescue. He talked the funeral director into letting him take the coffin to the house we were staying in and worked all night gluing bits of Dad's paintings (damaged or unfinished ones) to the lid of the coffin. Then he used brushes and paint to help merge the patches. A labor of love.

2. For a funeral AND art exhibition--it just so happened that a little gallery in his home town had just been remodeled and they had planned to have him as the first exhibit anyway. So we had a special little Art Tour after the service--the gallery was only half a block from the church. There were about 25 paintings, wine and sweets. The guests loved it. An obit will be printed in the N & O tomorrow--November 16, 2011.
In his honor, I am posting three of Guy's paintings:

The Magic and Mystery of Fusing Glass by Trudy Thomson

2011-11-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

Glass is amorphous, meaning that "its molecules are not arranged in a regular, specific pattern -- like those of a crystalline material -- but are random in their configuration." (Bulleyes TechNotes4, 2007) And, unless you have worked with glass in a kiln, as flame work, or blown, you might not know how finicky glass can be. As glass moves through different stages -- from a cool solid to a very hot liquid and then back down to a solid again – the temperature must be adjusted many times during one single session of firing in the kiln. If the transformation is not gradual, the stress caused by molecules combating each other at different rates will create an unplanned and heartbreaking crack through its surface. Glass expands or contracts at a rate determined by its coefficient of expansion, so it is critical that an artist buys glass that is manufactured with a high degree of quality control. You cannot mix glass that have different coefficients; if one type expands faster than another, its molecules will push against the other and cause the piece to crack and break.

To give you an idea of how glass behaves as a kiln ramps up the temp, here is a short description of what happens at different stages, based on how I usually approach creating a piece of glass art. But before I can get into the fusing process, I need to prepare the design for my piece. After drawing intricate patterns on tracing paper, I cut out different colored glass pieces using a glass cutter, a bandsaw or ring saw for more intricate curves. These saws are covered with small diamond bits which grind their way through the tough edges of glass. Then, onto a properly prepared kiln shelf, I assemble the pieces on to a large bottom piece cut out to the intended full size. Next, I program the kiln to go through a series of stages, commonly referred to as ramps. There are three different numbers to specify. One, the rate -- or how fast I want the temperature to rise (how many degrees per hour). Two, the temp I want the kiln to reach. And three, the hold -- or how long I want the controller to keep the kiln at that temp. Each kiln has its own idiosyncrasies and there is much trial and error before you obtain the desired results. For the first ramp, I program the controller so that the temp moves up at a rate of 300 degrees/hour from room temp to 1000 degrees. Glass is subject to thermal shock as the temperature increases, so I am very conservative with the rates I use during this ramp, particularly as it moves through a strain point of about 920 degrees. I soak the glass (maintain a constant temperature) at 1000 degrees for a short while so the glass will not get stress. For my second ramp, I program the computer to increase the heat 400 degrees/hour, move up to a temp of 1250 and then hold for 30 minutes. This soak helps the glass to "settle down" and also squeeze out any bubbles that might get trapped beneath the surface. For my third ramp I program a rate of 600/hour and move up to about 1500 degrees. If you were to look inside the kiln you would see that as the temp reaches between 1250 and 1350 degrees the surface of the glass starts to smooth out, and any abrasions on the surface disappear. If the temp is held too long undesirable crystals will begin to grow. Between 1400 and 1500 degrees glass becomes a molten flow and when it later settles itself back into a solid it is completely smooth. For my fourth ramp I program the kiln to go as fast as it can from 1500 degrees back down to 1000 degrees, which I hold for 30 minutes so the glass can properly anneal. I use only Bullseye glass, but because I mix iridescent, transparent, opaque and other speciality glass I place a hold at a temp higher than what others usually do (at around 960 degrees). After this, I let the kiln slowly lose temp at 150 degrees/hour all the way down to a safe 700 degrees. From when the glass was initially placed into the kiln, it might be 12 or 14 hours until the glass slowly moves back down to a temp that is cool enough for you to reach in and remove the glass from the kiln. In some cases, I do not take the glass up to the full fuse point, but stop short, somewhere around 1400, so that the individual pieces of glass -- placed on top of other glass -- stick together while retaining their particular shape. This is referred to as a Tack Fuse. Artists frequently intentionally use a Tack Fuse so that pieces have dimensionality on the surface.

If the first fuse firing is successful, I select a mold and place it down on the kiln shelf. Then I program the kiln for a slump, and take the temp up only as high as 1250 degrees, which is where glass starts to soften, but maintains its original diameter. If placed in a mold, this is where the piece flops down to assume that specific shape. Again, it is important to soak the glass so it has time to adjust to its new molded position.
So working with glass, and understanding how it behaves as a material process is part science, and also art. As you admire an individual piece of kiln-formed glass, take time to appreciate how careful the artist must be while controlling the creation of their work.
See samples of Trudy's glasswork as well as her weavings and hand-dyed scarves at her website. See samples of other OCAG artist's work at the OCAG website.

From Measuring Starlight to the Flair of Furniture Making by Jim Oleson

2011-10-29T16:21:00.000-04:00

Those that wonder about the background of a custom furniture maker might be surprised to learn that furniture making is actually my third career.

My first career was in physics; after receiving a Ph.D. in Physics at The Johns Hopkins University I did astrophysics research involving design and instrumentation of a specialized telescope on a mountaintop in Arizona. My second career was in medicine; I received an M.D. at the University of Arizona and then completed a residency in Radiation Oncology. I was on the faculty there and later at Duke University where I was engaged in medical research and clinical practice.
For over 30 years I have made furniture for my home and family. After retiring last year I launched my third career as a full-time custom furniture maker.If asked if my earlier career activities that have prepared me for my success today with handcrafting useful and aesthetically appealing furniture, I would answer this way...

Designing a telescope to measure accurately and precisely the bending of starlight in the sun’s gravitational field is seemingly far removed from furniture making, yet both involve knowledge of material properties, mechanical design, and fabrication. Medical research and practice as well as furniture making involves endless problem solving to achieve objectives: improving a patient’s health or crafting a beautiful object. In both cases a good result is deeply satisfying.

Today I enjoy concentrating on the unique problem solving aspects of designing a furniture piece. I create contemporary functional furniture that emphasizes lines, curves, and balance. I use wood that has beautiful grain and color to reinforce the design concept. During the construction process the emergence of a three dimensional object becomes the source of great satisfaction to me.

As a new member of the Orange County Artists Guild, I am busy making furniture that I will show during the first weekend ( November 5-6) of this year;s OCAG Open Studio Tour. There will be a variety of tables on exhibit that feature many construction techniques and hardwoods such as oak, cherry, ambrosia maple, walnut, wenge, and bubinga. In case you have not had an opportunity to see my furniture, my work will be shown at the Chapel Hill studio (# 40 on our map) of fellow Guild member Barbara Tyroler, so during the tour, stop by!

Check out my website to see many examples of my work. And take a look at the OCAG website to see the work of other artists that will participate in the tour this year. You can also download our brochure/map or pick one up at many places around town.

Nature's Repeated Patterns by Heather Delisle

2011-10-23T17:02:00.000-04:00

Ceramic artist, Heather Delisle, draws inspiration from nature as she replicates textures and patterns of the natural world in her handmade ceramic tiles and decorative sculptures. Delisle carefully selects and prunes cedar branches which are pressed into handmade tiles. The tiles are once fired and cold-finished with acrylics which enhance the beauty of the imprint. Delisle also incorporates her interest in arranging modules to produce sculptures reflecting nature’s repeated patterns. Wall-hung and balanced ceramic spheres are wheel-thrown and kiln fired before receiving the final surface treatment. They are finished in a sawdust firing which gives each sphere a unique carbon imprint from the organic material burned on its surface. Currently some spheres are also receiving a cold-finish with acrylics which adds a splash of color to her installations.

Growing up in the hills of Pennsylvania, Heather Delisle was always surrounded by the beauty of nature. Being the daughter of a master timber framer and wood worker taught her the importance of art and of finding the beauty in the fine details. In 1996, Delisle received a BA in studio art with an emphasis in ceramics from Berea College. Currently working in her Hillsborough, North Carolina studio, Delisle creates her handmade ceramic tiles and decorative sculptures which invite viewers to contemplate the infinite variations in the patterns and textures of the natural world.

Visit Heather's website for examples of her work.

Visit the OCAG website to see the work of others in the guild.

About A New York Experience by Marilyn Strother

2011-10-16T21:56:00.001-04:00

I was in New York near the end of August this summer visiting my friend Jan who, with her husband, has an apartment in a building designed by I. M. Pei. The city morgue is within shouting distance from them. After 9/11, for almost a year, the broad sidewalk along the front of the apartment building was wall to wall tents where people could bring DNA samples to try to identify their lost loved ones, with very few results. In the afternoon Jan led me on a walk through her neighborhood of Murray Hill to Madison Square Park. It was a beautiful day. Crossing through the park we skirted an open grassy area. In the middle was a huge sculpture that looked to be a kind of white egg rising from a rounded pedestal. As we walked around the space, the changing shadows made it clear that the vertical raised design down the back of the egg was a braid and that the entire piece was a woman's head. Her face was very serene and soft, an image of introspection. I was puzzling over the title on a plaque, 'Zen', and the simply cordoned off green. A few folks walked through an opening and stood or sat quietly alone. Then Jan leaned into me and whispered with emotion, "Look, look where she's facing". I turned my head to see where she was looking and followed her gaze, "The twin towers used to be right there," she said pointing above the remaining buildings between. Jaume Plensa may not have been a good match for Raleigh, but he nailed it in Manhattan.

Marilyn can be reached at http://www.marilynstrother.com/. You can see the work of OCAG artists at http://orangecountryartistsguild.com

An Instance of Clarity by Eduardo Lapentina

2011-10-14T16:52:00.000-04:00

OCAG artist, Eduardo Lapentina, is going to share "An Instance of Clarity" in an upcoming show of his new works.

Mentioned as one of the BestBets by ArtsWeek in the Chapel Hill News, Focal Point Gallery, in Chapel Hill, will hold a reception for "An Instance of Clarity," new paintings by Eduardo Lapetina. Friday, October 14, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Focal Point Gallery
1215 E. Franklin St.,
Show is up from September 30 to October 31
919-636-4557
www.chapelhillfocalpoint.com

You can see more of Eduardo's works at his website. You can see the work of other OCAG artists at the OCAG website.

Portrait Making Photography ~ Truth or Illusion ~ by Barbara Tyroler

2011-10-07T15:12:00.000-04:00

After many years as a traditional photographer, I now work digitally, finding that the instant feedback afforded by the medium enhances interaction and collaboration with my subjects. Digital has also expanded my ability to inject color with emotion and to collage elements together to create new imagery that pushes my photographs further toward visual ambiguity. When I feel I have this capacity to bring about a state of relaxation and excitement, and creativity with my energy, the work becomes therapeutic in a way.

Some photographers see all their portraits as self-portraits because the image naturally reflects the shooter’s perspective and sensibility. But my photographs are records of a period of interaction. They are portraits of a moment.

In producing portraiture with my family, water initially served as the set design. For my father, water was a healing environment for his medical condition, but ultimately we used the lens to produce beauty, to remember our shared experiences, rather than to document his pain and discomfort. For my daughter, this water portraiture extended the photographic explorations of the oceans, lakes, and pools of her youth, but it was more about passage and transition.

Working with them and looking at the resulting photographs, I contemplated my own issues of separation, connection, transition, and memory. I learned about the notion of "photographic gift giving" through the process of making art. For me, this experience strengthened my work as a family portrait-maker, as artist, and as educator, contributing to the reconstruction of personal memories in the search for intimacy and familial identity.

And what about photography’s relationship with identity and memory in the twenty-first century? When I bring this up in my university classroom, it evokes critical dialogue among my students for interpretation, perception, and manipulation. College students raised in the digital era take for granted that photography never really was a vendor of truth, so that inquiries concerning photography’s bonds with truth and its capacity for fantasy might soon become obsolete. At least while my generation makes the imagery, I am constantly reminded by my peers that truth telling is still relevant.

My hope is that this work—while colliding with the intersection of nature and portraiture, truth and illusion—enables its own form of universality that transcends issues of racism, classism, or prejudicial blindness as it asserts its own claim to memory, intimacy, and beauty.

Who Says Don't Touch? If It's Mine, Go Right Ahead! by Linda Carmel

2011-09-30T17:18:00.000-04:00

How many times have you walked into a museum or gallery and wanted to reach your hand out and touch the texture you see in front of you? You know that's not allowed. In most cases, anyhow...

I encourage my viewers to touch the sculpted surfaces of my paintings. For instance, this painting of a dining scene is more than a ‘feast for the eyes’. It is a feast for the fingers as well.

While most people think of paintings as flat, I add a third dimension to my work. I use acrylic modeling paste, which is like the spackle used to fill holes in the wall. Generally, the paste is applied with a palette knife, but sometimes I go to my kitchen to find the right tools to get the effect I am looking for.

I build up the surface of the canvas and then sand it smooth. The viewer’s fingers can trace the smooth contours while the eyes enjoy the rich colors. I want to engage as many of your senses as I can. I am drawn to the silkiness I feel when I touch the sanded modeling paste. It’s like well-polished wood or stone.

How do I get a polished surface effect? By rubbing thin layers of transparent colors into the surface with a soft cloth. Sometimes I etch into the surface and sometimes I embellish the final painting with beads and other decorations.

The subjects of my paintings are often chosen because they lend themselves to my sculptural techniques. But there are common themes. Objects like fruit or vegetables are abstracted or made decorative. Figurative paintings explore themes of community, as in my Sand Series or more recently my Inspirational Women Series, that depict women of all shapes and colors coming together to help each other. I am concerned about social issues and the health of our environment, and I often look to history to find patterns. To see an image repeated again and again in art can be calming and harmonious, and this is true of life also. But in our everyday lives, as we repeat tasks again and again, we have the opportunity to focus on each moment as something special, to really see the color of the sky or the sparkle of a clean floor. My job as an artist is to reflect something special into everyday moments.

See Linda's work at her website. See the work of other OCAG artists at the OCAG website.

Healing and the Gift of Creativity by Nadine Zenobi

2011-09-27T09:35:00.000-04:00

As a jeweler, I have observed that the gift of creativity is intricately connected to the gift of healing. As an artist and a healer, I aim to synthesize the expression of both in my work and in my life. Through years of study and interest in the healing arts, I have come to appreciate and honor the ability of stones to heal the body, mind and spirit. From the combination of specific stones and the overlay and appliqué of precious metals, emerges a unique creation. The stones speak to me of placement within geometric and/or organic forms, and the combining of the precious metals, silver, white, pink and yellow gold enhance the beauty and energetics of each piece. The fabrication process enriches the uniqueness of the work, giving it a ‘hands on flavor’ from the concept to the final polish.

The forms that I use come directly from observation of the world around me, especially when I begin to create a custom piece. All the information from a client is directly transmitted to my intuition as I begin to follow this inner knowledge in the creation of that piece. A specific metal might be of benefit to the client. Next the stone or stones, which can encourage a healing process. Often a shape or animal might come into the picture. Whatever it is that the intuition directs me to do, the creative process begins. I am always honored when a client allows me to create an intimate piece for them. My pieces are completely one of a kind and hand fabricated, making a mini sculpture for one to wear!

See examples of Nadine's work at her website. And the work of other OCAG artists at the OCAG website.

Melissa York ORGANICS

2011-09-24T14:16:00.000-04:00

Melissa York

September 30 to October 22, 2011

Opening Reception: Friday 6-9, September 30, 2011

Interpretations from the natural world result in organic shapes and undulating forms.

Melissa York creates hand-built clay sculptures for the home and garden.

Hillsborough Arts Council Gallery

220-B Churton Street

Hillsborough, NC 27278

919-643-2500

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 1-4pm

http://www.hillsboroughartscouncil.org

See Melissa's website. See work of other OCAG artists at the OCAG website.

Announcing Naturally Inspired ~ Show at Sagasti studio

2011-09-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Miriam Sagasti and Sue Aldworth are having a show at Miriam's studio September 24 and 25 from 10am to 5 pm. 2406 Damascus Church Rd. Chapel Hill. "Naturally Inspired" will feature artwork and gifts inspired by nature, prints, cards, bookmarks and enamel work. Miriam is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators as well as the Orange County Artists Guild. Check out Miriam's website to see her work.

Susan J. Aldworth draws on her wide education and experience in horticulture, botany, fine art, and scientific illustration to render botanical images depicting the natural world.

Through her artwork, Sue Aldworth translates her love and knowledge of plants and their growth habits into vivid, lifelike paintings and drawings. Depending on the subject matter and the artistic objective, she uses various media, including watercolor, ink, graphite, acrylic, scratchboard, colored pencil, silverpoint, or mixed media. See Sue's work at her website.

Clay Contemplations By Emily Jo Lees

2011-09-16T18:32:00.000-04:00

Clay is a meditation and a joy. Whether wedging clay, rolling it into slabs, or smoothing the texture left by my slab roller’s canvas, I feel connected to the earth.

A major influence on my work is the aesthetic of ukiyo-e woodblock prints from nineteenth century Japan. The circles in my work are inspired by the harvest moon found in many of these prints. My design placement echoes the asymmetry typical of ukiyo-e. Also, my childhood love of drawing and painting is reflected in small abstract expressionist slabs placed on a piece of pottery. Other influences include the geometry of art deco, which was introduced to me through my grandmother’s furniture, and mid-century modernism, which surrounds me in my own home.

The idea of containment is central to my work. My flat vertical vases, or flounders, create interplay between two and three dimensions. I create low horizontal pieces appropriate for Ikebana. Bottles both hide and suggest content.

My functional stoneware and my decorative Raku pieces are united through a similarity of form. The latter become therefore sculptural representations of functional work. I design templates to guide my shapes, much as one would cut a garment using a pattern. Sometimes, I use the same template for both, and other times, I enlarge the patterns for stoneware to offset the greater shrinkage that occurs in firing to hotter temperatures. After the slabs have stiffened a bit, I drape them over tubes in order to create volume. When they can stand without collapsing, I attach two or more of them together with slip made from the same clay. Recently, I have explored using harder slabs, which allows my pieces to take on a more architectural quality.

Working with clay fills me with peace. I hope that viewing my pottery likewise brings pleasure.

Find Emily's name in our gallery listing at the OCAG website, so you can see more of her work as well as other artists in the Guild.

Three OCAG Artists Interviewed on WCOM in Carrboro

2011-09-10T18:44:00.004-04:00

Artists Mark Todd, Betsy Vaden and Linda Carmel of the Orange County Artists Guild joined Jackie Helvey and Valarie Schwartz on the West End Report on WCOM 103.5 FM, this Friday, Sept 9th, 2011. The program introduces you to the upcoming Orange County Open Studio Tour which is held on November 5-6 and November 12-13.
The interviews with three OCAG members provide a nice overview and history of the Orange County Artists Tour coming up as well as unique insight into the three artists interviewed and how they have explored their medium. See the video

The Impulse for Jewelry by Rebecca Neigher

2011-09-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

As a jeweler, my work begins in varied ways. The first impulse could be a shape, a texture, a stone, a thought, a spiritual leading. During the process I remain open to new ideas and directions.

In 1996 I moved to North Carolina. I live and work in the woods overlooking forest and meadow. My energy is directed inward first and flows through me into the physical, mental, and spiritual acts of making. Keeping my studio wide open, I have seasonal visitors including, moths, butterflies, spiders, skinks, crickets, frogs, birds and an occasional snake. So far the squirrels and deer are happy looking and not venturing in!

I love being a full time studio artist. I compare it to being like a farmer, making things grow. There is joy in playing with fire, shaping metal, perusing and arranging stones, and creating pieces that express my inner feelings and my sense of beauty and meaning. I feel a deep connection to the earth and the ocean where most of my materials come from. And I feel a kinship with the ancient metal smiths working over open fires and hot coals.

Holding a finished piece in my hand, I get great satisfaction when a client has an inner connection and response to a piece I have created, and that the piece has the potential to lift or reveal the spirit.

See more of Rebecca's jewelry and the work of other OCAG artists at our website.

Depicting Space and Distance by Julie Eastman

2011-08-29T10:54:00.000-04:00

Certain guidelines can help a painter create a sense of space or distance in a painting. There are always exceptions to the rule, but these guidelines can be used in any kind of painting (representational or abstract) to help create a sense of space. Linear and aerial perspective concepts play important roles.

Overlap is the most basic way to indicate distance to the viewer--one object overlaps another, such as the darker tree in front of the lighter tree at the right of the scene portrayed here.
Linear perspective helps us give any object proper size and placement, as well as keep all our shapes and receding lines in correct proportion to each other. The general rule here is that parallel lines that recede will always appear to meet at a vanishing point somewhere on the horizon (eye level of the viewer). For one example, you can see the road edges moving closer together as they recede. The vanishing point shifts when the road changes direction.
Color contributes to our perception of space. The earth's atmosphere fuzzes up how we see things over distance. For this reason, distant objects appear differently to us than nearby objects. For this reason, we have the concepts of aerial perspective. Warm colors tend to move closer, and cool colors tend to recede. Also bright colors tend to be in the foreground, and dull down as they recede. If you look at the flowers in this example, you can see that they get duller as they recede.
Detail as a concept of aerial perspective: there is usually more detail in the foreground and less in the background. In this example, note more detail on the foreground shed when compared to the shed in the distance.
Edge in aerial perspective: edges in the foreground are sharper, edges in the distance are fuzzier. Here, you see sharper edges of the shed compared to the fuzzy edge of the hill behind it.
Value used in aerial perspective: dark values tend to move forward, and light values recede. Here, you can see a shift in values between the closer ridge and the farther ridge.

Julie Eastman teaches classes at the Art Center as well as at other locations around the Triangle. You can see her work at her website. Explore the work of all OCAG artists at the OCAG website.

Teaching or Making Art: A Creative Endeavor by Lolette Guthrie

2011-08-21T15:53:00.000-04:00

A fascination with psychology and the process of learning...have been driving forces in my life and in my art. I've been a teacher for much of my life and always a painter. For me, the creative process is similar in both endeavors.

As a teacher, I loved discovering how to successfully reach a particular child -- by building up knowledge layer upon layer through constant evaluation, experimentation and revision. As an artist, I have created images by building up a work layer upon layer, constantly evaluating and revising until I am satisfied that what I have created is true. It is almost a form of meditation. I love the concentrated stillness of making marks on a page or canvas; And, I love playing with those marks to create interesting layers, texture, and visual energy. Sometimes, my work is pure abstraction; more often it is representational. Always, however, I strive to create exciting and thought provoking visual metaphors and to explore the unique beauty of the natural world.

I currently divide my time between painting landscapes in oils and pastels, and producing commission portraits. In my portraits, I try to capture the person behind the image. My landscapes are explorations of the many and varied faces of nature: the changing colors; the changes in terrain, water flow, times of day, seasons and weather; the changing effects of light and atmosphere. Regardless of the subject, I strive to discover and convey the essence of what I see. I hope that through my work I can help viewers to be open to the incredible beauty and diversity of the world around them.

To see the range of my work, view my website. To see the work of other OCAG members, see the OCAG website.

2011 Scenic Byways Calendar Debut

2011-07-26T14:25:00.000-04:00

For the 2nd year, local Efland Artist Louise Francke creates a notable desk top calendar: 2012 North Carolina Byways. Each month incorporates a North Carolina scene from her art works. Original paintings, pastels, monoprints and etchings from her 2011 The Birds as well as her 2012 NC Byways calendars will be on display at the North Carolina Crafts Gallery in Carrboro from September 1 to 30, 2011. They will also be available at the following locations in the Triangle Area including Frank Gallery (Chapel Hill), Purple Crow Books (Hillsborough in Sept.) and The Joyful Jewel (Pittsboro). It will even be available at Amazon.com soon.

To provide you with some background, here is what Louise has to say about this work: "Every painting is a witness to much more than what I see. These perceptions draw me back to my childhood memories which randomly resurface in unexpected places. Hopefully, my images will give you a sense of place and moment. They have been created over a period of 22 years. Some places no longer exist. These are some of my “Byways” to memories: nature trails, antique cars, salt water aromas, hot sand dunes, juicy tomatoes, the harvest moon, lightning bugs, winds sound, and water slapping the shoreline.I don't have a particular and predictable style. I trust that every work will have a trace of me in it since I created each piece. A predictable style hinders my internal development and limits any new insights. I attempt to remain alert to new perceptions and hopefully even surprise myself and you, my audience. Once my art goes public, it frees itself from my hand and mind. It then becomes its own enigma celebrating life's senses.

The Teabowl Challenge

2011-07-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

Deborah Harris reports, "I'm really excited about an exhibit I'm in at Claymakers in Durham. I presented a challenge to a fellow potter who is also a retired medical illustrator. I threw 100 teabowls and she carved them with botanical illustrations."

Here is the show information:

Claymakers Presents: EXCHANGE

July 15 - September 10

A collection of work by Joy Tanner, Teresa Pietsch,

Marsha Kitkowsi, Deborah Harris and Stephanie Martin

This exhibition centers on the idea of exchange, in terms of ideas,

collaboration, and synthesis of a ceramic vocabulary.

Claymakers

705 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701

919-530-8355

Link to Claymaker's Website

A Loom is Like a Piano by Trudy Thomson

2011-07-24T13:02:00.003-04:00

Have you ever thought about the idea that a loom is a lot like a piano? Both create patterns and percussive sounds.

If you play the piano well, you read a musical score -- the notation of notes on the treble or bass cleft -- to produce a sound that presents itself as melody and chords. With a woven presentation, you read a "draft" and follow it closely to properly place each warp thread in a corresponding harness so that the resulting woven piece has a precise, repetitive pattern. One could say of the woven piece, there are rises and falls in the pitch.

Another thing to consider. With both "instruments" there is rhythm. Yes, the loom is a percussive instrument when you listen to the sound of wooden "blocks": the clank as harnesses rise and fall, the chop as the reed is pulled to and fro. And, there are strings on a loom; mine has wire heddles through which the warp is stretched -- to control which strings are pulled up or down; the piano has strung wires that are gently hammered -- to produce a different pitch. Another similarity? A piano has pedals beneath that are used to sustain the sound, while the working of the treadles beneath the loom -- the sequence followed -- is what produces the pattern.

Check out the weaving as well as other crafts on my website.

Nadine Zanobi at Festival for the Eno

2011-06-21T12:33:00.001-04:00

Nadine Zanobi of Skyrivers Jewelry

will be exhibiting her jewelry creations

at Festival for the Eno

in Durham on July 2, 3 and 4

from 10 am - 6 pm.

Stop by her booth and see how jewelry can give you

a breath of fresh COOL air in the heat of the summer!

Check out this link for more information about the Festival on the Eno.

Cathy Kiffney at Crook's Corner

2011-05-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

For the month of June Cathy Kiffney's work will hang in the restaurant, Crook's Corner. And who hasn't heard of Crooks or eaten there? It's known for it's wonderful southern food.

Cathy says, "This is a very exciting time to be having a show at Crook's because they just won a James Beard Foundation American Classics Award! I hope you will be able to enjoy a fabulous meal at Crook's and see my new work. "

The show will be a mix of familiar and some new pieces. Cathy has been working on new shapes and glaze techniques, and has a new cast of characters to show: foxes, chickens, hedgehogs, Magpies and owls just to name a few!

So check it out.

Workshop to Benefit IAR Auction

2011-04-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

Join Us to Make Embellished Cut-Outs

One for the live Auction, plus 1 for YOU!

A large silhouette out of plywood + one smaller.

Cat-Dog-Bird-Butterfly-Flower .

May, the 14th and 21st, 1 to 5 p.m

Chapel Hill location to-be-announced.

All materials included in fee, $75

Taught by artists Emily Weinstein, Kathryn DeMarco and Paula MacLeod; specializing in faux finish, mosaic, animal portraiture, collage and metal & 3D collage.

Please register asap so we can get to you the choice of silhouette forms to choose from and get them cut-out.

Checks should be made out to Kathryn DeMarco and mailed to:

WORKSHOP TO BENEFIT IAR AUCTION

c/o Emily E. Weinstein

P.O. Box 3223

Chapel Hill, NC 27515

For questions or to pay by credit card please call (919) 402-0160.

Animal Rescue Website

Also see the websites of the artists:

www.FlowerSoup.com

www.WeinsteinArt.com

www.kathryndemarco.com

Art Inside Piola presents Lapetina Exhibition

2011-04-25T08:27:00.000-04:00

Art Inside Piola presents Eduardo Lapentina's exhibition, The Sound of Time. Opening Reception is on Thursday, April 28, 2011 from 6 to 8 pm. Complimentary wine, soft drinks and appetizers will be served.

The location for Piola Chapel Hill is 1101 Environ Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. The phone is 919-537-8488.

Piola's Website

Carroll Lassiter as FRANK's Featured Artist

2011-04-19T07:28:00.000-04:00

April 18-May 15. Check out the Thursday Salon, May 5, 6-8pm.
There will be a reception and music by
Alison Weiner's Maholo Jazz 2. April 18-May 15.
FRANK Gallery is located in downtown Chapel Hill.
http://www.frankisart.com/

Emily Lees announces ClayWorks show

2011-04-18T18:25:00.000-04:00

Emily Lees reminds us about the upcoming spring ClayWorks guild pottery sale. Several OCAG members -- including Sasha Bakaric, Deb Harris, Emily Jo Lees, Mary Ann Peterare and possibly other OCAG members -- will be exhibiting at the sale. The event will be held Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd in Chapel Hill. Emily hopes to see your there. More information is available at http://www.ncclayworks.org/.

2011-04-18T10:41:00.001-04:00

Hope to see you soon!

Nadine Zenobe of Skyrivers Jewelry announces her Open Studio Show for Spring. Put it on your calendar for May 14 and 15. If you can't make it there, then come by the Sanford Pottery Festival on April 30th and May 1st. All the details for that show can be seen by viewing www.sanfordpottery.org.

Dynamic Duo: Bill McAllister and Madelyn Smoak at the Horace Williams House

2011-02-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

Madelyn Smoak “Influences”

Bill McAllister “Infrared Photographs”

March 6-27, 2011

The Preservation Society of Chapel Hill

At the Horace Williams House

610 East Rosemary St. Chapel Hill NC 27514

Opening Reception

March 6, 2-4 pm

Hours

Tuesday - Friday 10am - 4pm

Sundays 1 - 4pm

See Madelyn's website. See Bill's website.

Work of Louise Francke to be Published

2011-02-21T08:42:00.003-05:00

The work of Louise Francke is to be published in the Best of Worldwide Wildlife Artists (Kennedy Publishing in VA.) Here's what she has to say about one particular painting in this series: It is rare that I choose to keep one particular oil painting. This is my favorite! Carlos as Rembrandt's Oriental was the first painting in this series of 30+ works. By putting the endangered species into Master Paintings, it was my way of bringing attention to the preservation of biodiversity. The emphasis is on preservation. Carlos still whispers to me even though he is now deceased. He reminds me of the days at the NC Zoological Garden when he sat on the other side of the glass wall and watched me drawing him. It lasted 45 minutes and then he tapped on the window and made a facial puckering of his lips before he rose and left.

While there, I heard a couple of stories about him which I'd like to share with you. He used to dance in his cell with a sheet. Perhaps that's where I got the idea of the turban. There was another story about how one day he had found a dead bird in his padlock. Because the apes had been taught to render up anything found for a treat, he proceeded to de-feather the bird for a gold mine of treats, in particular celery. I enjoy so much living with my menagerie of the endangered and especially Carlos that I could not bear to part with him. Every time I gaze into his eyes, I wonder if we will succeed in preserving this ape species. They seem to be speaking to us subconsciously if we would only listen. Recently visiting the Atlanta Zoo brought joy to my heart in seeing so many lowland gorillas in their breeding program.

Dan Murphy Sculpture Show at UNC

2011-02-20T15:17:00.000-05:00

Dan Murphy of the Orange County Artist Guild invites you to take a look at his 1st one person show in a while! The opening was last Friday, but the show will be up through March 1. The show is held at the University of North Carolina, in the Student Union Bldg at the Carolina Union Gallery. Note that the gallery is on the north side of the building's main floor, and is open whenever the building is open. Have a nice walk through campus, grab a snack at Alpine Bagel (across the hall) and enjoy viewing sculpture in the gallery. OCAG members get in free (& so does everyone else).

Excerpted from Dan's Artist statement on the OCAG website: Dan Murphy has been a full time sculptor of abstract metal sculpture since 1976. His sculptures are located throughout most of the USA and also in many other countries on four continents. See examples of Dan's work.

-- Dan Murphy

See the work by all OCAG artists.

Two of Our Finest Talk at Frank Feb. 17

2011-02-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

Judith Ernst and Alan Dehmer will be speaking about their work at the Frank gallery, in downtown Chapel hill on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 6:00 pm.

Here's an excerpt from Judith's bio on the OCAG website: My ceramic work features forms and patterns from the natural world and provides a three-dimensional canvas...The vessel form allows for the possibility of working not just with the outside, but with what is implied by the inside. Dichotomies between the inner and outer, between that which is hidden and that which is seen, between the esoteric and the exoteric, create a metaphysical resonance, suggesting infinity in the continuity between the inside and outside.

Here's an excerpt from Alan's bio on the OCAG website: I am fascinated with the early history of photo methods from 1839-1889, before the silver gelatin method became standard by 1890. My favorite of these alternate methods is gum bichromate, made by mixing a sensitive dichromate with acacia tree sap. I combine this mixture with plant and mineral pigments such as indigo, green Italian earth, walnut hulls, and sandlewood--brushed onto watercolor paper and exposed outdoors in the sun. Multiple coats are applied using different pigments and can be printed on handmade papers, watercolor paper, or cloth. When completed several days or weeks later, the image is both a photograph and a painting.

Enamels and Enameling by Miriam Sagasti

2011-01-23T12:00:00.004-05:00

“Enameling is a dying art”. I refused to believe it! I just came back from Austria, where I expected to see and maybe buy some pieces of the most beautiful enamel work, as I remember they had many years ago. I was greatly disappointed when I could not find one piece of traditional or modern enamel anywhere in Vienna or Salzburg. I asked everywhere and nobody knew where to find it. I finally found a jeweler who told me of a small shop on the outskirts of Vienna that might have a few pieces. I never found it. The irony is that most of the enamels that I use on my work are Schauer enamels from Austria. Well, I’ll treasure the few pieces I have from Austria, France, Germany, Chile and Mexico. Maybe they still make it? But if you want to see beautiful enamel work on this country you should go to the Enamelists Gallery at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. I was a member of that gallery for 10 years. I stop working on enamels in 1994 when we moved to Chapel Hill. Since then I have been working on children books, botanical illustration, and many other things, but now after 16 years I’m back doing enamels, experimenting with techniques and working on mix media. It’s exiting.

What is Enamel?

The word “enamel” refers to the glass material as well as to the finish product.

Enameling is the process of applying a specially prepared glass to metal and then fusing the two together through the use of heat.

More than any other medium utilizing color, enamel is permanent. The color will not fade over time due to light, and the texture will not change or decay. Only a hard blow or fall can destroy or damage the enamel. In addition to these qualities, its gemlike surface, brilliance and richness of color and the light shining through the enamel and reflecting the metal underneath it showing depth, all contribute to the luxurious appearance of enamel work.

Enamels can be bond to most metals, like gold, silver, copper, steel, cast iron, aluminum and titanium. The enamel becomes a veil of color between the metal and all else.

History

Enameling is an art form with a long and rich heritage. The Greeks were enameling gold jewelry as early as the 5th Century B.C., as did the Celtics in the 1st Century BBC and during the Byzantine era. In the 4th through 12th Centuries, numerous enamel religious works were produced. The artisans in Limoges perfected the use of enamels in a painting technique in the 15th Century. The 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries and the early decades of the 20th, saw production of a great volume of luxury and decorative enamels. Cloisonné was also employed by the japanese and chinese since the last part of the 19th century. The use of enamels for utilitarian purposes started at the end of the 19th Century. First on pots and pans for cooking, then stoves, refrigerators, kitchen sinks, bath tubs, laundry appliances, architectural panels, etc...

Enameling materials

Contemporary enamelists can purchase enamels in many forms. Powdered enamels can be transparent, opaque, opalescent or clear, called flux. Also painting enamels, watercolor and acrylic enamels, under glaze pencils, chalks, ceramic pigments, lumps, chips, and threads and decal papers.

Lead-free enamels are safer to use and more acid resistant. All enamels, both lead-free and lead-bearing contain ingredients that can be hazardous when inhaled. When sifting any type of enamel, always wear a mask and fire enamels in a well-ventilated area. Here is a picture of me at my kiln which is 9”x9” inside.

How is it done?

The enamel (glass) is crushed to a powder finer than granulated sugar and coarser than flour. This powder is applied, by one of several methods, to the metal surface and heated in a kiln at a temperature of between 1000º to 1600º F or with a hand held torch. After a few minutes the piece is removed and allowed to cool at room temperature. Several coats are applied and sometimes one piece will require 10 or more firings to bring about the desire results.

Covering both sides of the metal with enamel evenly distributes the stress of expansion and contraction.The coat on the front of the piece is called the base coat, and the coat on the back is the counter enamel. It will warp less if the counter enamel is about as thick as the base coat.

Techniques

The traditional techniques include: Limoges, cloisonné, basse-taille, champlevé, grissaille, plique-a-jour and repoussé. In addition to those you can use sgraffito, stenciling, silver and gold foils and liquids, or combinations. In modern enamels you will find a variety and combination of techniques such as highfiring, copper collage, fusing glass chunks and threads, burnout, oxidation, electroplating or firescale. Any possible combination that produces the results that you are looking for is worth experimenting.

Following is a brief description of the traditional techniques. You can find much more information on the Internet.

Limoges

In the Limoges or wet inlay technique, moistened enamels are applied onto a metal surface, in a thin and uniform coat using special inlay tools or a brush.

Basse-Taille

In basse-taille, a french word meaning “low cut”, the metal surface is treated extensively through a variety of techniques like etching, engraving, hammering, stamping, carving, punching or scratching. Several layers of transparent enamels are then fired over this base.

Cloisonné

Cloisonné is from the french word cloisons, meaning “partitioned areas” or cells. In this technique the enamels are separated from each other by thin metal wires.This metal dividers form the design. The wires are fixed upright to the surface to form the cells which are then carefully filled with enamel until the color reaches the level of the wires.

Champlevé

In champlevé or “raised plane” areas of the metal are etched with acid to form recessed compartments. Enamels are then wet inlaid in the recessed areas until they are flushed with the surrounding metal.

Grisaille

The word is from the french gris, meaning “gray”. Grissaile resembles Limoges in terms of technique, but no color is utilized. A finely ground white opaque is applied to a fired black opaque base, and designed details are scratched through or are painted on with liquid enamel. The design is established by building up successive coats of white that fused into the black base to form a gray/white image.

Plique-a-jour

The beauty of this technique is reveal in its transparency. This technique uses transparent enamels without metal backing, looking like a miniature stain window. There are four methods to create plique-a-jour:

Pierced Plique-a-jour
Cloisonné wiring and acid etching
Cloisonné wires on mica
Soldered filigree

Repoussé

In repoussé the metal is formed from the back to produce areas of high and low relief that can become highly complex, to the point of becoming and sculpture. The metal is worked with different hammers. The process of delineation is called chasing. Extremely beautiful copper pieces can be achieved with this technique.

Here is a sample of my work, which is completely non-traditional. I have made a piece and taken pictures at various stages to show some of the process. Below the pictures is a description of the process.
The completed work is seen at the top of this article.

This piece has at least six or seven firings. Here are the steps:

I started with two 6”x6” enameled steel plates with a white cover coat and counter enamel on the back, which I had previously enameled but that I did not like. That’s the beauty of working non-traditional, you can recycle.
Over those colors I sifted my design, free hand. The colors are opaque but they will sink on the kiln and pick up some of the colors underneath. I fired them one by one at 1400ºF. (See the first picture of the process above)
In the next step I created shapes with silver foil and I also formed round copper wires to create a loose cloisonné. I applied transparent flux and colors over all the silver, more of the background color for a heavier coat and wet enamels inside the wires. (See the second picture of the process above) and after firing (See the third picture of the process above)
The next step was to add more color on the trees and the houses and glass lumps and threads for texture.
After I fired that I wanted to have more color at the bottom so I sifted some light green over the purple and placed some millefiore beads and glass threads. I also carefully applied, with a limoges technique, light blue enamel around the water creatures to create more contrast and detail and some specks of glass and on the house shapes.
The following step was to apply the liquid gold with a fine pen over the black background and on the water creatures. The gold needs to be carefully monitored because low firing won’t turn to gold and very hot can burned it. This last firing enables the enamels to sink a little bit more onto the previous colors and blend together. I like that look and the accidents that can happen.
In between every firing I have to clean the oxide from the copper wires. You don’t want specks flying over your colors and also it makes it easier to clean after the piece is done.
The last thing is to carefully clean the wire with a copper cleaner and the finest wet sanding paper. I finally burnish the copper for a clean look.

This is just “scratching the surface”. Enameling is a complex and demanding process that can deliver beautiful results. I hope you will have a better appreciation for this ancient and beautiful technique.

See Miriam's website to see her work. See the work of all OCAG artists.

Ins and Outs of Plein Air Painting by Julie Eastman

2010-07-13T09:46:00.001-04:00

Julie has taught plein air painting at the Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh. She now teaches a variety of courses at the Arts Center in Carrboro. The illustrations are plein air paintings she did while in Bonaire a few years ago.

Simply put, plein air painting means outdoor painting. Because of its direct, experiential quality, many artists prefer plein air painting to studio painting. In some ways plein air painting can carry a different weight and more personal meaning, because the completed painting becomes a souvenir of that direct experience with nature.

Best times for plein air painting are usually early morning or late afternoon/early evening when the lighting and long shadows add interest to the composition. It helps to make a note of the cloud structures, direction of light and shadows right away, because they will shift quickly. A few shots from the camera also can be useful for future reference.

Logistics - A folding chair and easel will help, but don't get bogged down with too much beyond your basic paint supplies. Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat can help protect you from the sunís rays, and a water bottle and snacks will keep you going. Take along insect repellent in case needed.

Not too close - Place yourself some distance from your subject. Sitting too close can skew your sense of linear perspective, and keeping distance also helps you avoid the common mistake of getting too fussy or detailed with the foreground.

View-finder - It is a big world out there. A view-finder is any small rectangular card with a cut-out window. Looking through this small window can help you both to reduce your landscape to a manageable size and to explore potential subjects. If you donít have a view-finder, you can use your thumbs and forefingers to form a viewing rectangle.

Simplify what you see - Good organization of the value shapes and patterns helps make a successful painting. Look abstractly at what you see and simplify into as few as three basic value shapes (light, medium and dark). For example, it might be better to see a group of trees as one large shape rather than many smaller individual shapes.   Squinting is a common way to help you see values. Feel free to change, combine, and organize your values to make a cohesive and effective composition.

Decide on your focal point (subject) - Once you determine your focal point, place it well (off-center and not too close to an edge usually works). Give the most visual weight to your focal point by use of higher contrast, brighter colors, sharper edges, etc. The rest of your painting plays a supporting role and should not compete with it.

Develop your painting - After laying in the large shapes, model the shapes with lights and darks. Then think about detail and texture. Remember that suggestion can be very effective, you don't have to paint it all. Try assigning yourself a deadline of 1-2 hours to complete a plein air painting. This creates a sense of urgency that can spur you to paint more quickly and spontaneously as well as help you avoid overworking.

Remember the rules of aerial perspective. Because of atmospheric effects, objects in the distance tend to have cool colors, blurry edges, light values, and low contrasts.   Objects in the foreground tend to have warm colors, sharp edges, dark values, and high contrasts.

Not enough time? - If your schedule doesn't allow you time to spend hours outdoors, you can still gain some of the experiential  benefits of plein air painting if you take just 10-15 minutes outdoors to sketch a landscape in a small sketchbook. Take supplementary notes as needed, listing light source, color choices, and painting strategies. Later when you have time, you can develop a larger painting from your small sketch in the comfort of your studio.

See Julie's website for more illustrations. See the work of all OCAG artists.

Painting in a Series by Julie Eastman

2010-05-24T08:52:00.001-04:00

It can be a challenge to keep our painting and artistic growth moving forward at a steady pace. Setting limits often serves as a springboard for creativity.

The painter Michael Crespo writes that after he had completed his formal art education and set up his own studio, he missed school and felt at a loss as to what to paint. But he remembered the advice of one instructor -- if nothing else comes to mind, throw together a still life. So he did, and from there he painted a series of still lifes. It was at this point that he came to realize that painting in a series is an effective way to keep his creative energy sustained, focused and growing (Michael Crespo, Experiments in Watercolor, Watson-Guptill).

Monet is well known for his various series -- focusing on haystacks, the Rouen Cathedral, as well as his garden and lily pond at Giverny. Monet would paint outside, developing several canvases simultaneously, changing canvases as the time of day and light shifted or as the weather changed, resulting in batches of paintings of the same subjects but with different color themes (Sally Harper, ed., The Complete Watercolor Artist, Chartwell Books, Inc.).

I have found that painting in a series works very well for me in developing a cohesive body of work. Often a series choice is connected to a place I have traveled, like France, Bonaire, or the Southwest. The end result is a group of paintings with a collective visual impact greater than any one painting in the series.

So, how does one choose *what* to paint in a series when there are a myriad of choices? It helps if you begin by thinking of your own personal themes, and what is important to you. Are you drawn to interiors? Landscapes? People? Animals? Geometry? Color? Ideas?

Here are eight suggestions to help you get started:

Develop a series that focuses on any *one* subject that interests you -- trees, barns, roads, paths, rivers, fruit, cows, etc.
Select a subject (photo ok) and develop a series of four paintings - One of the overall scene (perhaps a landscape or still life), then a close-up, and then perhaps a couple more close-ups or "macros" focusing on areas of your subject.
Select a landscape, and depict at different times of the day, or different times of the year.
Select a subject, and abstract it in the first painting. Then abstract further in the second painting, and even further in a third painting, etc.
Develop a series from a place you have traveled.
Develop a series of "macros" of familiar objects...magnified close-ups.
Select a window view or interior view, and depict at different times of the day.
Have a "blue" period -- or choose another color to dominate (think 90/10 ratio).

It can help to start a few or all of the planned paintings in your series at the same time so that you can develop them as a group at a comfortable pace, shifting from one to another as the mood strikes. An added convenience in working in a series is that often the colors will relate from one painting to another, which allows you to use the same or a similar palette.

Note that Julie teaches at the Arts Center and occasionally teaches a course on series painting. You can see Julie's art at her website. See the work of all Orange Country Artists Guild members.

My Art by Louise Zjawin Francke

2010-05-17T10:34:00.010-04:00

Drawing is a form of meditation for me. It helps me concentrate on the details and thus see the whole in a totally different perspective than just through the mind’s memory which lacks the same attentiveness to detail.

My life’s works are a sequence of narratives. They quite often relate to my personal experiences.. I have drawn and painted pictures concerning feminism, divorce, motherhood, childhood, adolescence, love of domestic and wild animals, and now my cherished copper headed grandson as a harlequin. All of my works are done for myself no matter what the theme/story. They further my understanding of who I am.

How does one present a cherished child in a way which makes others love the idea? The Harlequin series is the theme, begun in March 2010, which purvays this . It is also an offshoot of my current major interest – the circus. This one encompassing entity combines many of my interests: the mutual dependency and interaction between man and animal, or between animals themselves. The circus also has elements which I love: the humor, the sadness, the grotesque, the spectacular, the color, the glitz, the flamboyance and the macabre. This tantalizing theme unites my extensive experience as a portrait painter of both animals and people. It permits me to investigate the psyche behind the big top’s and carnival’s magical lure. It allows me to be surreal and dream as a child would.

My Petite Harlequin Series is based on photos of my Grandchild. I’ve taken him out of his natural setting and put him on a Zebra, in a chair with a rescued Macaw, taming rabbits , and just mischievous. Already the Harlequin is developing into adult figures in mysterious settings and situations.

Why pastel? I find that this media allows me the freedom I need to develop this new repertoire. I’m not worried about my expensive oil paints drying out in between painting sessions. These pastels are an extension of my drawings in color. They are studies for possible oil paintings or monoprints.

This "circus theme" continues my life long search for those pregnant moments which awaken us. It allows me to be a child again. I believe as Horace did: art’s purpose is to inform and delight. Drawing & painting complete me; and, it delights me to create art which hopefully delights and mystifies you. Louise Francke is a member of the Orange County Artists Guild. See her work and the work of other members.

Dreams and Reality by Nancy Marple

2010-01-07T16:20:00.010-05:00

I've always loved associations with other artists - fun, honorable and endlessly energetic people. Now it's the "endlessly energetic part" that I've always thought of as part of me, a big piece of who I am.

So recently when given an opportunity to be a part of a successful co-op gallery, I jumped at the chance to work with a group of good people - good artists. It was a dream coming true. The work shifts, hanging shows, meetings, cleaning, checking emails for group decisions to be made and all the things that go into running a business suddenly became part of my life along with painting serious work in my slow thoughtful manner, of course. But more paintings, more quickly and smaller were needed. Then there were still friends and activities in my life not in the art world and family and travel and something I hadn't counted on. Surprise, my age and energy weren't what they used to be. Darn, life can be a bugger.

In a recent church sermon, the old familiar theme of life's seasons hit me like a ton of bricks. "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." My season of living my big dreams of "doing it all, all at once" has passed and I know that I have to live in this season. In accepting reality, I wisely let go of the newest addition, that of working in an art business with other artists, and cling to what is tried and true for me.

Perhaps accepting the reality of the new season will bring forth dreams of a different kind to strive for and live in. I promise myself to live fully in each season. Doorways open when we look for them. It could be that doorways in recent paintings are a good omen.

See samples of my work. See the work of Orange Country Artist Guild members.

Inspiration for Wild Things Part 1 by Clay Carmichael

2010-01-06T11:20:00.004-05:00

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:1-2

The first inspiration for my novel Wild Things walked into my life on all fours. I wish I could say that I took one look at that filthy, hungry, strikingly handsome creature and saw immediately the muse he was, knew instantly that he would steal my heart and transform my life. But ashamed as I am to admit it, I took one look at my four-footed muse and ran him right out of the yard.

My muses have been non-standard from the start, when my father Parkinson’s disease inspired me to write and illustrate my first picture book—and this was at a time when I not only didn’t illustrate, but hadn’t planned on authoring children’s books at all. Maybe other writers are better at knowing a muse when they see one, but looking back now at mine, I see a lot of unlikely angels entertained unawares.

But that dreary winter morning, I didn’t see any angel. I glanced out my Carrboro kitchen window and saw, crouched in the periwinkle under the bird feeder, an enormous black-and-white tomcat. His head was huge, a build-up of scar tissue from years of fighting, but I didn’t know that then. He was black except for a white chest, stomach, four white paws and a rough triangle of white around his muzzle that rose to a point between two green-gold eyes. To the right of his pink nose was his most distinguishing feature: an oval splotch of black, as though someone had stuck a thumb into black paint then pressed a solid, sideways thumbprint just there. His “half mustache” was as unmistakable as a tattoo, and gave him a goofy look. Goofy, except that his eyes were fixed on several sparrows and two brown rats feasting on fallen seeds. Goofy, except that he was poised to strike.

When I was a child growing up in Chapel Hill, my grandmother— a muse for both the grandmother and the intolerant churchwomen in Wild Things--watched her birds, as she called them, every afternoon at the kitchen window while she prayed the rosary. Though she’d become a Catholic after marrying my grandfather, her faith retained the pragmatic, reactionary character of her depression-era, Southern Baptist upbringing. Her feeders and statues of St. Francis welcomed some animals, but not others. She beheaded snakes with a hoe, bombed moles and voles in their tunnels, and poisoned chipmunks, mice and rats. She despised squirrels and fought her gray nemesis with greased poles, worthless baffles, idiotic-looking wire contrivances and relentless, unsuccessful craft. But though she hated squirrels, the antichrist would have been more welcome than a cat. So whenever I remember my grandmother perched on her step stool in afternoon prayer, I remember the cap pistol she kept on the counter beside her, and how at the sight of a squirrel or cat she left-fisted the rosary, right-handed the pistol and flew out the door firing and screeching, “Scat!”

I grew up to disagree with my grandmother that there were good animals and bad animals, that the pretty and well-behaved ones should be fed and the ugly or troublesome ones beheaded, poisoned or gassed. Everyone ate at the birdfeeder behind my Carrboro house, even squirrels and the occasional mouse or rat. The mice and rats came from a neighbor’s compost pile and the next-door open field, which belonged to my friend Ruby King, another muse, who I made a friend of my eleven-year-old main character, Zoë, in Wild Things.

But even though I fed all kinds of animals in my backyard, I did think it was wrong to entice creatures to a feeder so that other animals could hunt them there, so I shooed away the hawks, snakes and cats--including my own tabby—when I caught them hunting underneath. Which was why, on that winter morning, I did something that I shall regret all my days. I imitated my grandmother, flew out the front door, raced to the side of the house and chased off that frightened, funny-faced cat.

See samples of my work. See the work of Orange County Artist Guild Members.

Inspiration for Wild Things Part 2 by Clay Carmichael

2010-01-06T11:16:00.004-05:00

At the time the cat came, I was learning to write and illustrate picture books for children. My then-husband, Sam, and I called our house the Love Bungalow, because whatever it lacked in comfort, it was full of that good feeling. It didn't have insulation or reliable plumbing. It barely had heat. A big kerosene furnace took up most of the living room, but only heated the house to fifty or sixty degrees. On cold days, we could see our breath in the two upstairs rooms and I wore gloves when I drew or typed. There were cracks in the outside walls we could see the front yard through. We filled them, but they opened up again as the house settled, and it was always settling. A crack an inch or two wide ran through the living room floor and foundation; we called it the San Carrboro Fault. When it rained hard, the downstairs flooded. That house was surely my muse for the drafty forest log cabin my main character Zoë finds and fixes up inWild Things.

The winter the cat appeared the weather was unusually raw. Ice storms bowed the trees, and the wind cut more sharply into anything warm-blooded, doubling the number of hungry birds at the feeder. Now and then, I caught glimpses of the cat again from my upstairs study window, but he was always gone before I could run through the bedroom, down the backstairs, across the kitchen and outside to shoo him away—so I stopped bothering and began to watch him. His stark coloring made him stand out, as did the heavy way he walked, more like a lumbering lion than a house cat, though his stubby legs could sprint when they had to.

He favored rats over poultry and unlike most cats, he never toyed with his prey before he killed it, which I admired.

I remember vividly the day I understood that his hunting was a matter of life and death, that he was all alone in the world. I had just left my desk for lunch, and was walking by the bedroom window on the other side of the upstairs when I heard rustling in the leaves outside. I caught sight of him down below, hunched over something in the leaf litter. The area was overgrown with scraggly trees and privet; scattered with old tools, broken flowerpots, bricks and discarded clay pipe. He was tearing at something with his teeth and I saw he had killed a brown rat and was tearing off its fur in tufts to eat it, which he did, every edible bite. He ate quickly and ravenously, as the truly starving do. At first I felt sorry for the rat, then disgusted watching the cat eat it. But after a few minutes—which was all it took him to finish--I understood what I was really seeing: a lone, homeless, hungry animal surviving a hard winter as best he could. I realized he was wild.

These are the moments that I live for as an author. The moments in a character’s life where the heart shifts, where the eyes look and for the first time really see. That was the day my own heart shifted and I saw the cat’s life through his eyes. That was day I began the first chapter of Wild Things, though it was years before I wrote a single word.

See samples of my work. See the work of Orange County Artist Guild Members.

Inspiration for Wild Things Part 3 by Clay Carmichael

2010-01-06T11:03:00.007-05:00

In time, and it took a long time, that wild black-and-white cat came to trust me, and only me, the way the fictional cat in Wild Things comes to trust my main character Zoë, who has huge trust issues of her own. I, like Zoë, was patient, and, as in the book, one day that cat just decided about me. His cat heart shifted. He was sunning himself in the yard when I pulled into the drive. He was wary, as usual, as I got out of the car, but this time he didn’t bolt as I slowly approached him. Step by step I got closer, and closer still, and as I got to him he rolled over, showed me his belly and even let me scratch it. I have never felt so honored in my life.

That was the beginning of our many years together and in those years we grew close. I called him Mr. C’mere, because "C’mere" was what he came to. During our time together, I wrote, illustrated and published three picture books. He made a cameo appearance in the third. He wasn’t ever tame. Until he was quite old, he went off for weeks at a time and came home as spent and bloody as a drunken sailor from doing what tomcats do best. His story and eventful life went on for ten more years, but it was the early years and our mutual shifts of heart that I tried to capture in Wild Things.

Mr. C’mere and my first husband Sam died in the same year, within two months of each other. Mr. C’mere was very old, twenty the vet judged by his teeth. He died as peacefully as my husband did not. Loss is also a muse of Wild Things. The loss of love, of family, of home, of trust. At the beginning of Wild Things, the little girl Zoë has lost both her parents, along with any hope of a loving family, when her uncle Henry, a sculptor grieving the loss of his wife, takes her in.

But Wild Things isn’t a tragic novel. In telling Zoë and the cat’s story, I wanted to write about what comes after the pain and the loss, about the restoration of trust. I wanted to write about human and animal resilience, those mutual shifts of heart; about the power of love to heal the heart and transform it.

Which brings me to Wild Things’ other primary muse. One night, about three years after Sam and Mr. C’mere died, I was at a friends’ house admiring the beautiful stonework in their new outdoor pool, when I felt someone come up behind me, pick me up and dance me across the terrace. This someone was a sculptor, much like the sculptor I would later write about in Wild Things. He was someone I knew, though not well, but that changed pretty quickly. He and I were married six months later, and that was more than eight years ago. This muse I didn’t chase off, or have to work to win over. Sometimes muses take matters into their own hands.

I don’t want to make too much of the “real life” in my book. My friend the storyteller Donna Washington says all her stories are true, except for the parts she makes up. I could name a dozen lesser muses. I could tell you, for instance, that the lifelike wooden animals the teen boy Wil carves in Wild Things were absolutely inspired by the beautiful wooden animal carvings of Carl Boettcher’s Circus Parade, a magnificent moving fixture of my childhood in Chapel Hill, first in the Circus Room of the old Monogram Club where we bought our ice cream cones when we were kids, then in the old Carolina Inn cafeteria where I ate hundreds of meals with my family, and last, now, in the UNC Alumni Center where I visit the Circus from time to time. But I also need to say that Wild Things is a work of fiction, a story I made up. Though my life and people and animals I know and have known inform the story, the situations and characters in it are really alive only in my imagination, and, I hope, in the pages of the book. In all creative work—at least all of mine—life and imagination converge.

It’s my belief that all stories have happy endings depending on where you end them. I think I left Zoë and her cat in a promising place at the end of Wild Things. I live now very happily with my sculptor-husband in a beautiful sculpture-filled yard. Today, another mustachioed black-and-white cat from the shelter suns himself on the lawn. The house we live in, my muse Mrs. King’s former house, has heat and decent plumbing and stays warm and dry when it rains.

But I can see the Love Bungalow, the drafty little house where I wrote my first book and met Mr. C’mere, from my studio window. And Mr. C’mere’s stone grave stands at the edge of the sculpture garden. Both are daily reminders, as Zoë observes in Wild Things, that things are beginning and ending, all in some measure, all the time—that muses are everywhere.

See samples of my work. See the work of Orange County Artist Guild Members.

It's Never Too Late To Seek A Creative Life by Anita Mills

2009-10-20T11:18:00.002-04:00

Once, a friend of mine who was an emerging artist at age fifty-one expressed that she always had a sense of terror when she faced a blank sheet of watercolor paper. The weight of all the years she had desired to paint, but had put off trying, came in full force to haunt her. In a flippant reply I said, "Don't worry, no one ever died of 'watercolor.' Just DO IT!" Later, I felt badly that I had popped off like that, and I sat down to write her a long letter. Here are excerpts:

Part of the "freeing" that I feel must happen in the hearts and minds of anyone who attempts to express themselves through art (be it painting, dance, voice, whatever) is to learn that the "making of art" is no more "special" nor more "significant" than any other seriously applied human endeavor. It simply should be allowed to transpire without fanfare. It ought to be as simple and as natural as breathing, sleeping, walking.

We are raised with the unfortunate misinformation that artists must possess this thing called "genius" in order to truly be called an artist. Further, the Western art historical canon has preached that these "geniuses" were born possessing all the possible talents that are required to make "masterpieces." And need I mention that for eons and eons, the "genius" so portrayed was always male. [Or, they were such hale and hardy women that they simply couldn't be ignored-Rosa Bonheur, Georgia O'Keefe, etc.]

The truth is, even the so-called "child prodigies" of the Western historical lore (Michelangelo, Bernini, Picasso) had to learn to perform the skills of their art one step at a time. They crawled, and then they walked-perhaps their advantage was that they had earlier encouragement and were given extreme permission to do so. Have you ever looked at very early works by Picasso or other heralded masters? You should. It will make you feel much better about your own first efforts.

In my opinion, self-doubt is the single greatest killer of creativity known to humankind.

It is sad to me that so many people suffer this particular self-doubt. I hear it all the time in two phrases I'd like to banish from all human conversation: "I can't draw a straight line without a ruler." [Duh! Neither can I!] And, the other most often expressed, "I can't even draw stick people." [It's okay, people don't look like sticks anyhow!]

Many of these self-doubts came to us from our early teachers who said, "That doesn't look like a _________!" Fill in the blank with whatever was on the still-life table that day, or whichever classmate you were attempting to portray. Many of the teachers who taught my generation [perhaps even contemporary teachers, too?] said these things because they didn't know better and they didn't possess the ability to give positive, constructive criticism that our tender souls could hear with an open spirit.

These are the ghosts and demons of self-doubt, and have no place at the worktable of the creative heart. Drawing, painting, sculpting (and any other medium) are means of human expression that, had we been trained and practiced in them since childhood-as we were with reading, writing, and math-would be just as useful to us now in the expression of our ideas, feelings, and intangible thoughts. It's simply a matter of training and most of all, practice. Can you imagine a classroom where equal attention is given to drawing that is given to writing? In my dreams this classroom exists.

Here's my advice for the frightened, self-doubting beginner? Pretend you are once again a student in kindergarten. Seriously! Tie back your hair and put on one of your dad's old white dress shirts for a smock. Pick up a brush filled with paint or ink, put it to paper, and PLAY! [Don't care what others think.] Play and play some more. [Don't even think of what others think.] Play in this way with any new tools and materials for one hundred hours or more. [Don't give any attention to what others think.] Fifty hours won't do it, nor will ninety-nine. In this way, you will learn the possibilities and limitations of any creative medium. You will know the ins and outs of it. You will know how you can use it to express yourself. You will have learned that mastering a creative tool or method is actually an ongoing pursuit, albeit one you may advance at your own pace. At the very least, you will have made a wonderful new beginning.

It doesn't matter a whit when one begins one's creative life-it is always a matter of how diligently one applies oneself to the process and the play. And remember, "No one ever died of watercolor.'"

For more, terrific thoughts on the concept of "late bloomers" you will enjoy reading this article by Malcolm Gladwell: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_gladwell

See samples of my work. See the work of Orange Country Artist Guild members and find out about the Studio Tour for November 2009.

Encaustic Painting by Peg Bachenheimer

2009-10-14T15:39:00.009-04:00

What it is?

Encaustic painting is a process of heating beeswax mixed with damar resin to around 200 degrees.

You can add pigment such as oil paint or purchase blocks of wax to which the pigment has been added. The hot wax mix is applied to a sturdy substrate such as a wood panel with a brush, metal tool or by dripping or pouring. Each layer is fused with a heat source such as a heat gun, iron or propane torch. It's possible to scrape and incise the wax, as well as to collage materials into it, and to paint on it with oil paints. Layers are built up and fused, scraped back and incised and built up again. Layers can be opaque or translucent. To fuse my work, I use three different kinds of propane torches, a heat gun and sometimes an iron depending on what I want to do.

The final painting is buffed with a soft cloth to bring out the shine of the wax. This ancient and durable medium has a mystery, luminosity and organic qualities that give the final pieces a spiritual feeling. This is my fourth year of working in encaustic and I discover new things about it everyday. It is unpredictable which I enjoy. As you build up layers, it's possible to scrape down when it has cooled and find something you had covered that really works with the current layer.

How to care for an encaustic painting

An encaustic painting is durable and archival. There are encaustic paintings from Greco-Roman Egypt that have survived in good condition. Encaustic paintings also need care. They will melt at 150 degrees so storage in a hot car trunk is not an option. Below freezing, the wax can crack. So, the encaustic painting needs to be kept between 35 and 120 degrees. Like most paintings, the best place for an encaustic painting, is on the wall, inside. If the surface of the painting becomes cloudy, it can be buffed with a soft cloth and it will regain its shine. The artist can make small repairs easily.

A quote about Encaustic Painting by Joanne Matera

"When I interviewed Jasper Johns in 1986, he remarked rightly of encaustic that it's an archaic medium, and few people use it. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he was virtually its sole practitioner, and at the time we spoke, just a handful of artists had gone beyond experimenting to create a serious body of encaustic work. Yet now, a decade and a half later, thousands of artists- impelled by the zeitgeist, the luminosity, or perhaps simply by the recent availability of good tools and materials - are exploring the possibilities of expression in pigmented wax."

--Excerpt from The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax by Joanne Matera (Watson-Guptill, 2001)

To see my website, go to: http://www.pegbachenheimer.com. To see the work of all OCAG artists go to the OCAG website.

Creating a Painting in Layers by Louise Francke

2009-08-24T20:01:00.006-04:00

The biggest challenge in painting is creating a composition which not only draws the viewers in but speaks to them. It is even more of a challenge when the painting has been commissioned.

Before Adobe Photoshop, I layered my cryptic and undecipherable sketches. There was a lot of erasing on many mylar sheets. Some compositions came together rapidly but others were difficult when both proportions and placement had to be changed. Now, the computer allows me to alter proportions and move elements to more advantageous positions, archive jpgs, and layer the work. Midway and in the last stages of the actual painting, I review a jpg of it in the computer and tweak the colors and contrasts before doing so on the canvas.

My ideas come when something I see sparks my imagination. The “Check Mate” set was an area in the client’s home and just waiting to be part of a painting. Initially this painting was to have been only a portrait of a her two Springer Spaniels. As ideas and discussion via emails progressed, her two cats were added. Then a totally different painting emerged when her son was included. I photographed all objects and figures in “Check Mate” digitally. Each item was separated out into individual layers before merging in Photoshop: Chessboard and the chess pieces on the game table plus two chairs were arranged and rendered a different color in Photoshop. (4 layers merged) The stained glass lamp was separated from its base to hang above and light the area. Its edge was used to create the framing device. (5 layers merged) The tile floor was in a different room. (1 layer with perspective adjusted) Dogs and cats were photographed separately from many different viewpoints. The paw of one Spaniel was fabricated to create the challenging pose. (5 layers)

Once everything worked spatially and led the eye around the composition, I flattened the image. Next, I worked with color adjustments: hue, saturation, curves, and finally filters to sharpen or blur certain elements. The composition was sized in the very beginning to the canvas/panel dimensions. Once a grid was superimposed the composition could be mapped out on the painting surface. No matter what the computer design, a painting on the easel dictates what it needs.

“Aviator Jack" was born into a family of pilots. Knowing this, it influenced how I saw Jack, my red headed grandson. Every element was a different layer: Jack’s gesture on the diapering table was rotated to a vertical. Snoopy was changed into our Dalmatian with her spots and the helmet and goggles from an old photo were added with a scarf. This head gear was used and manipulated to fit Jack. His quilt with biplanes was photographed and later readjusted to simulate a cockpit and aerial landscape view with hills and valleys. The biplane was a toy. Although tempted, I chose not to make it hang from a wire in the painting. Sky was created in photoshop and enhanced when painted. Colors were saturated and darkened more to emphasize the shadows.

So a composition is created when ideas are gathered and the sum of all the parts contributes to the finished visual experience. Finally, I commit it to oil.

For an evenings entertainment, please visit my web site and let me see you smile: http://www.franckearts.com. To see the work of all OCAG artists, go to the OCAG site.

Painting from Memory by Lindesay Harkness

2009-07-31T11:55:00.009-04:00

As those of you who have attempted it and I will attest, landscape painting en plein air is a lot harder than it looks. Many of us experience disappointment when we bring our paintings home: we find them dull and grey compared with the glorious richness we experienced outside. Photographs don't help us, because they too don't seem to capture what we experienced. One of the major problems is the huge disparity between outside and inside light: sunlight is a thousand times more intense than indoor light.

Pigments displayed in indoor light cannot literally represent the sensations we experience outside, any more than photographs can.

The impressionists' great contribution was to discover a transformation that could convey the visual sensation of sunlight. They represented the most fundamental color relationships characterizing a scene outside and subordinated everything else to this underlying relationship. In order to do this effectively, they found they had to use the purest color of highest chroma . I knew this, intellectually, but was still unable to get my paintings looking how I wanted them to look...conveying the feeling I have outside on a brilliant North Carolina fall day.

My trusted teacher and friend in New Hampshire, Paul Ingbretson, suggested I try memory painting. The results were quite startling. The first thing I discovered, much to my chagrin, was that I was not seeing, correctly, the big,underlying color relationships outside. Learning how to work from memory forces your brain to learn how to do this. Once I could see this fundamental relationship, I learned, with time and much experimentation, to find a combination of pigments in the studio that would convey this relationship in small studio color sketches.

Using the knowledge gleaned from working from memory, I am trying to figure out how to paint on location, in very high light levels, and still have the painting hold up when it is viewed by inside light. I can't do this consistently yet, but I have come pretty close on at least one occasion, so I am encouraged to keep trying.

Feel free to visit my website to read and see more. To see the work of all OCAG artists, go to the OCAG site.

Don’t Refuse to Refuse by Trudy Thomson

2009-07-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

I started making glass about ten years ago setting aside a large chunk of time to make and break glass. The first year was great. In fact, most of my favorite pieces were fresh in concept, intricate, and remain my favorites. I worked at the process eight hours a day and learned a lot.

Then suddenly everything broke down. Every piece I made cracked because it had thermal stress. I would be upstairs and suddenly I could hear a ping. I ran downstairs and my latest treasure (three months after I made it) split down the center. It nearly broke my heart. But I am stubborn. I called and emailed anybody I could and finally figured out I should ignore the advice of the manufacturer of my kiln and slow everything way down.

Now I get to “refuse”; I cut little pieces out of the broken glass and rearrange it and it becomes even more intricate than when I started the project. I have programmed my computer control on the kiln to let it go through a process for a long time—like 13 hours, then never open the lid until 24 hours. That rewards my obsessive behavior, but “better safe than sorry”.

If you want to know more about how to do this because you are a beginner, contact me at t-thomson@nc.rr.com or to take a peek at my work see my website at http://www.fernsandfancy.com.