Three Hillsborough Gallery Artists Share Their Reflections

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. - July 19, 2015 - PRLog -- Painter Lolette Guthrie states that for “Reflections” she explored through her paintings both the physical idea of reflections of sky in water and her own reflections on what it felt like to be in a particular place at a particular time. Her long interest in composition, color relationships and the edges of paintings has led to increasingly simplified/spare landscapes and to abstractions derived from these landscapes. She will be exhibiting both oil paintings and pastels.

Guthrie writes, “I paint largely from memory, so my paintings are always reflections on what I have experienced. Because the light quality at a particular time of day, the temperature and the season are so much a part of my memories, my paintings are also always paintings of light and atmosphere as I strive to capture the ephemeral nature of light to creates a mood that is timeless. I begin a piece with a general idea of time and place and let the painting tell me where and how far to go. At some point the painting always takes on a life of its own so I am never sure what the end result will be.

Many of Guthrie’s pieces are reflections on time spent on the tiny island of Ocracoke, NC. Located at the southernmost tip of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, it is bounded on one side by Pamlico Sound with its beautiful and vitally important marshes, and on the other by the Atlantic Ocean, thirteen miles of pristine beaches and the magic of the ever-changing sea. Says Guthrie, “It is a place to heal, to relax and to find one’s center. Paradoxically, it is also where I go to get reenergized, where I feel most alive, where I find inspiration.”

Textile artist Alice Levinson will be exhibiting her non-traditional sewn clothworks. Levinson writes, “My work generally begins with fragments of thoughts or memories, jotted in a verbal ‘sketchbook.’ This text suggests visual motifs and choice of technique as I move toward the work.”

“I have looked at ‘Reflections’ as a metaphor. Just as our image, reflected in a mirror is refracted through the medium of light, so past experiences are seen as refracted through the prism of time. Memories, recollections are transformed through time as new experiences and novel circumstances influence our sense of the familiar.” Levinson explains that she began her work for this exhibit by “looking back to earlier techniques, to materials previously used. Moving ahead, I experimented with new ways of using these familiar processes and tools. At times actually starting with remnants of an earlier effort and turning it on its head to yield a new direction. The clothworks in this exhibit are the result of this exercise. Each piece has its inception in the familiar elements, yet each represents an exploration beyond the known and practiced toward the new.”

“Visual motifs primarily derive from nature” continues Levinson, “which provides a major source of inspiration for my work. Color and movement are primary features. In each piece, hand dyed fabric has been layered and densely sewn. Occasionally I add bits of vintage cloth remnants to add visual and textural interest - as you might add spices to enhance a stew. Sewing, both machine and hand stitching, is my principal construction medium. I work to meld the disparate pieces of cloth into an integral whole, unifying them with lines drawn of stitching and multicolored thread.”

Potter Evelyn Ward will be showing her salt-fired pottery. She writes that her work for this show is an outgrowth of reflections on her frequent walks outdoors and time spent working in her garden. Ward states “I will largely be exhibiting functional pieces such as vases, pitchers and bowls that incorporate my hand-drawn decals. These decals are made from drawings inspired by the time spent in my garden and on frequent walks. I love to draw the plants and flowers I encounter; I don’t try to reproduce nature but rather try to find the essence of my subjects. This process forces me to slow down and reflect as I search out the essential elements.”

Ward's functional pottery is made to be used. She hopes her work will add enjoyment to people's lives, whether it's a bowl used to serve food at a family celebration or the quiet respite a cup of coffee in a handmade mug can bring.

The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts, an artist-owned and operated gallery in downtown Hillsborough, NC will present a month-long show, “Reflections,” featuring new artwork by Lolette Guthrie, Alice Levinson and Evelyn Ward. The show runs from July 27 to August 23, 2015, with an opening reception on Friday, July 31 from 6-9 pm.

The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts is owned and operated by 22 local artists and represents these established artists exhibiting contemporary fine art and fine craft. The Gallery's offerings include acrylic and oil paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, jewelry, glass, metals, encaustic, enamel, and wood. 121 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278. (919) 732-5001. The Gallery is open 10am-6pm Monday - Thursday, 10am – 8pm Friday & Saturday and noon – 4pm on Sunday. www.HillsboroughGallery.com