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Thrown dogwood vessel by Nancy
Lewis.
Photo submitted
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With spring just around the corner expressing new cycles of
growth, a new beginning of exhibiting art is sprouting at Carlton
Gallery.
New local artists have been added to the gallery art family
this season, which brings an added dimension and also emphasizes
the gallery’s philosophy to support local artists in their
creative endeavors.
For the months of April and May during the interim of the
major exhibitions, the gallery will feature new sculptural and
other three-dimensional works in various media.
To begin this series on featured mediums, local artists working
in clay include Nancy Lewis, Gordon Batten and Jeff Martin.
The hand-built vessels of local ceramic artist Nancy Lewis
are inspired by the area’s scenic environment and flora,
such as rhododendron, Chinese dogwood and iris. The architectural
nature of building the vessels and altering their individual
components results in a variety of sizes and shapes. Lewis’s
vessels are watertight and can hold enormous floral arrangements,
as each one is weighted on the bottom for stability. They can
also be wired to make a personal and striking art lamp.
Jeff Martin is a local artist who specializes in “sgraffito”
to create his ceramics. Sgraffito is an Italian word, which
translates “to scratch.” This is a technique where
the top layer of color or surface is scratched to reveal another
layer of color or surface underneath. Martin uses many methods
for creating his art work, including the potter’s wheel,
hand-building and slip-casting. His work is highly focused on
design, utilizing the three-dimensional aspect of forms to create
cups, bottles, platters, vases, teapots and decorative masks.
Martin’s unique style offers the viewer, at first glance,
a drawing in black and white but on a three-dimensional form.
His clay body is white stoneware and the black slip glaze adds
a remarkable contrast. Other bright colors are painted on with
glaze to complete designs with tulips, balloons and contemporary
abstract along with writings, such as serenity, grace and namaste.
The sculptural and elaborately designed work of Gordon Batten
will return to Carlton Gallery soon. A few pieces are on display
now that add diversity to the other fine sculptural clay artists
that are represented. Batten was one of the first clay artists
to show his work at Carlton Gallery in the early ’80s.
Sculptural works in clay by Bob Wager, Holly Fischer and Joe
Edwards also enhance the ongoing exhibits at the gallery.
Carlton Gallery begins its 27th year of showcasing fine art
by local and regional artists working in oils, mixed media collage,
watercolor, blown glass, wood, fiber, clay, and fine jewelry,
located on N.C. 105 South, 10 miles south of Boone and 7 miles
north of Linville. Winter hours are Wednesday through Saturday,
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday or by appointment.
The gallery will be open Monday, April 13, from 11-5 p.m. and
closed Easter Sunday, April 12.
Information about seasonal exhibitions and workshops can be
found by calling (828) 963-4288 or visiting www.carltonartgallery.com.
Gallery Times is a weekly feature of the Focus section of
The Mountain Times, featuring short news items submitted by
local galleries.
For more information, contact entertainment editor Frank Ruggiero
at frank@mountaintimes.com or (828) 264-6397.
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