North Carolina Artists Exhibition

On view January 24 - March 18

Lynn Alker, Waiting Room, acrylic/mixed media/canvas, 60x48, 2024, $4000 (Inquire to purchase)

Lynn Alker

Artist Statement

The mystery of abstraction speaks to me. Without thought as to the outcome, my oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, paper, and wood board begin with mark-making then evolve into what I call a “conclusion.” For me, there is a great anticipation throughout the process as I watch the work developing, turning, and arriving at places and ideas, much like the way a conversation does. I start with mark-making that often includes symbols, words, and phrases, then apply bold color and texture. I most enjoy working on hard boards which allow me, without inhibition, to gouge, excise, and dig into the paint layers which are often created with materials such as pastes, coffee, and dirt. With these materials I can build the surface and create the foundation for even more experimentation

Bio

Lynn Alker requires that her art-making offer a substantial meaning and purpose, even if it’s for herself. For many artists, the formative years of their youth serve as an influential force in their art-making. For Lynn Alker, that’s also true. As an adolescent raised in the deep south in the 1960’s, Lynn was keenly aware of the racial turmoil and formed a sensitivity to these (and other) injustices. Today, a variety of politically charged emotions manifest in her abstract acrylic paintings on canvas. Bold applications of color and loose mark-making allow her to express topics such as mental health, ecological awareness, and feminine strife, among others which she hopes inspires the viewers' awareness and conscience. For Lynn, these realities guide the painting process and sometimes present to her after the fact. By contrast to many of her contemporaries, Lynn’s career began later in life and didn’t originate with an early gravity for creating visual art or a formal arts education. While she was and is an avid collector of abstract visual art, she didn’t create her first painting until she was in her early 60’s. Lynn’s passion for interior design and a strong career in flower growing led her to enroll in a painting class at a local arts center. Her beginning art classes were few and far between each other, but Lynn approached art-making with an out-of-the gate seriousness. Since then, she has not stopped on her trajectory to create art. Lynn quickly realized that she had more to offer through abstract painting rather than the traditional subject matter she was first introduced to. She describes that abstractions best align with her desire for “the unknown” of what’s to come on the canvas. Since her first art classes in 2015, Lynn has attended dozens more professional arts development programs including master classes with nationally recognized educators, and she has a growing exhibition history that is free of trepidation about traditional artist career labels and pathways. Lynn lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband John with whom she has two adult daughters, two grandsons, and a dog Peyton. She is an active member of several arts organizations and works almost daily from her home studio.

Ann Travis

Artist Statement

In my botanical oil paintings, I strive to capture nature's serene beauty and tranquility. Inspired by flora, my work invites viewers into a peaceful world filled with nature's ever-changing light and textures. My paintings celebrate nature's ability to soothe the soul. They invite viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the beauty around us, reminding us of nature's profound tranquility and inspiration.

Bio

Ann Travis is a self-taught artist and finance professional whose creative journey began after an animation class rekindled her love for creating. She taught herself to paint and discovered her true passion. Disappearing into her paintings while she creates allows her to find a peaceful flow, translating into the sense of tranquility reflected in her work. Ann’s art has been showcased throughout the Charlotte region and nationally. Her work has also been recognized and accepted into numerous juried shows and publications.

Ann Travis, Peonies, Oil on canvas, 30” x 24”, 2022, $1,400 (Inquire to purchase)

Frank Campion, Farrab, acrylic/canvas, 48" x 96", 2023, $10,000 (Inquire to purchase)

Frank Campion

Artist Statement

As a unifying general principle, the emotive power of color is really important to me. it authors the central impact of each work. dramatic contrasts, harmonious passages, subtle relationships — color triggers the emotions, stirs the memory and inspires the imagination. the development of these critical color relationships and the physical application of paint (color is paint: paint is color) also include a keen attention to and management of contrasts. a process in which hard edges shake hands with soft edges, thin paint meets thick paint, and logical, intentional composition collides with random painterly incident. the rational dances with the irrational – order and chaos. as abstract as it may initially appear, my work is essentially derived from the tradition of landscape painting. the issues of space and atmosphere seem always to be with me as are the more formal issues about what constitutes an authentic painting – proportion, form, color, composition, and surface. each painting is a negotiation and an intense personal journey of discovery. while i always start with an intention or notion of where i want to go, the material, the paint, inevitably asserts itself and subsequently informs the progress of the work. the decisions and impulses that guide this journey tend to be spontaneous, in the moment. with any luck, all of these elements and energies come together to create a new and unexpected beauty. in the end, i believe great paintings are felt through the eyes much as we encounter nature. they stand on their own two feet without apology, excuse or explanation. they declare their independence and offer something new – a fresh visual experience. once language and literal association fall away, one is left with a visual impression that is intended to evoke very personal associations and powerful feelings.

Tara Weymouth, Muster, Oil on Paper, 14” x 17”/22” x 25” framed, 2024, $350 (Inquire to purchase)

Tara Weymouth

Artist Statement

Abstraction serves as a method for Tara to explore the intangible aspects of our human experience — the double-edged sword of joy and sorrow, memories held deep or fleeting, moments of profound awe or disillusionment— and the enigmatic nature of existence itself. By stripping away the constraints of representation, Tara invites the viewer to contemplate the essence of our existence and the energies that accompany us on our journey.

Bio

Growing up in Downeast Maine, Tara spent her most formative years in companionship with nature and her imagination. After crisscrossing the country, she now resides in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Mark Slawson, Garden in Red, Acrylic on art board 9" x 18", $1,620 (Inquire to purchase)

Mark Slawson

Artist Statement

I am passionate about everything art and everything nature. As a realist painter, my paintings are dependent on my research and accurate portrayal of the wildlife that I paint. I photograph and sketch all of the scenery and subject matter in my paintings and my designs are always a composite of several references and experiences. This enables me to bring a lot more to my art; to express more than the physical characteristics of the species to reveal something of it’s personality and create an experience.

Bio

Originally a native of the Finger Lakes Region in central New York State, Mark has lived more than half his life in North Carolina with his wife, Jacqui. He paints from personal experiences and his lifetime fascination with nature that is our wilderness rivers, lakes and streams. Mark’s research and art adventures to sketch, paint and observe his subjects in their natural habitat, have taken him from North Carolina’s Outer Banks to Alaska’s Baranoff Islands, from the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the Grand Tetons, and to the Masai Mara in Kenya’s Savanna. He has continuously invested in his craft and has studied under, field painted with and exhibited with some of our greatest wildlife artists. He has participated in various juried and invitation-only wildlife art shows across the country and his artwork has been exhibited in galleries in North Carolina’s Piedmont, Highlands and Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ro Fainstein, Storm, acrylic on canvas, 30” x 45", 2023, $1000 (Inquire to purchase)

Ro Fainstein

Artist Statement

Ro picked painting back up as an adult as a form of therapy to work through trauma. Today, her works span different media and include the celebration of quirky, extreme and joyful memories, as well as moments that are more trying.

Bio

Rochelle (Ro) Fainstein is a self-taught, intuitive artist who has lived and created in CT, NYC, TX, and NC. She travels often for inspiration. She has exhibited and sold works in NYC, Austin, Pittsburgh, and throughout NC.

Annora Dirsa, Big Blue, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 15” x 20”, $295 (Inquire to purchase)

Donna Stubbs, "Fragmentation and Repair II," Mixed media, 36” x 48”, $2000 (Inquire to purchase)

Donna Stubbs

Artist Statement

Donna’s artwork is inspired by found objects and driven by an intuitive exploration of contradictions and associations between abstract shapes, collage, mark-making, and painting. Her process involves layering acrylic paint, drawing materials, vintage book pages, scraps of clothing, and her own photography. Each piece invites close examination, revealing many textured layers that represent a part of her own history. By mixing unexpected media, Donna’s work gives viewers a deeper sense of discovery, offering something new to uncover each time they engage with it.

Artist Bio

Donna Stubbs work includes paintings, assemblage art and photography. She grew up in Mount Airy, NC, and graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, and from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC. Donna is represented by Frank Gallery in Carrboro, NC and is a member of the Chatham Artists Guild.

Taylor Tynes, "Zinnia Magic", Oil on panel, 5” x 7”, 2024, $500 (Inquire to purchase)

Taylor Tynes

Bio/Artist Statement

Taylor Tynes is an artist living and working in western North Carolina.

I explore playful color concepts and the juxtaposition of realism with abstract design in order to paint my experiences. I primarily paint in oils and draw influence from the people, places, and things around me.