North Carolina Artist Donates Large Painting To 2013 "Wish Ball" Auction

CARY, N.C. - May 14, 2013 - PRLog -- (Cary, NC) -- North Carolina abstract artist Don Mertz of Cary has donated an original painting, entitled “Where Have All the Balloons Gone II,” to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Eastern North Carolina, for its annual “Wish Ball” fundraising event.

The gala ball, including a live auction, will be held at the Raleigh Marriot City Center, downtown Raleigh, on Saturday, May 18.

This is the seventh year in a row that Mertz has donated his original abstract paintings to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish, the non-profit organization that grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“I donate paintings to four or five different charity auctions every year, and I make it a point not to miss this Make-A-Wish,” Mertz said. “I hope my art can, in some small way, help them in the supportive and caring work they do.”

“Where Have All The Balloons Gone II” is a 30-inch wide by 40-inch high, non-representational, mixed media on canvas painting of exuberant colors, textures, and drip lines.

“I approach my canvasses in a childlike manner,” he explains, “eager to play and to capture the spontaneity, exuberance, and joy of discovery that a child feels when creating art. Yet all the while I am guided by my adult sense of composition. What appears on the canvas is the result of my feelings, influenced by my memories, moods, anxieties, fears, thoughts, or what I had for lunch.  There is no subject matter to be recognized; no hidden messages to be interpreted, no angst being resolved.”

Mertz’s abstract paintings have been shown widely in the Triangle area and are included in numerous corporate and private collections.

The Wish Ball brings together business leaders, community activists, and philanthropists. The evening begins with a reception honoring sponsors, followed by dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and dancing.  Proceeds from the Ball event help to grant wishes to children in the 49 counties of eastern North Carolina.

For more information on Don Mertz, visit www.mertzart.com.

About Don Mertz:

Don Mertz is an abstract artist who has lived in Cary for 13 years with his wife, Carol, and their two cats, Fred and Ethel. A former Marine and IBM branch manager, he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and The Art Students League in New York City where he lived for 25 years. He is a member of the Visual Arts Exchange of Raleigh, the Fine Arts League of Cary and the Durham Art Guild.  He is represented by ArtSource Fine Art Gallery in North Hills, Raleigh, NC, and by Joe Rowand Art Fine Art Services in Chapel Hill, NC.