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March Issue 2008
RedSky Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Features Works by Donna Craven and Mary Ellen Neff
RedSky Gallery in Charlotte, NC, will present an exhibition of works by Seagrove, NC, potter Donna Craven and abstract painter Mary Ellen Neff. The exhibit will be on view from Mar. 7 through Apr. 9, 2008.
Donna Craven
Donna Craven learned a great deal of respect
for tradition, refinement, and repetition while working in the
studios of the Seagrove potters. She became a Seagrove journeyman
in 1996 working at Humble Mill and Turn and Burn Potteries.
Craven says she is "challenged by each piece to create a
continuity between the thrown form and the surface. Working on
the wheel completely engages me. Then creating those optical accents
on the piece, while labor intensive and time consuming, absorbs
me and makes the form come to life." The work is created
by wheel, coil, and paddle using a one inch extruded coil of commercial
stoneware clay.
Craven's pots are wood-fired and salt glazed
- wood-firing gives the pots a rich, wild, sometimes rough surface,
reminding us of where they came from. "Once in a while, in
my obsessive struggle to make the perfect pot, I'll pull a stunning
pot from the kiln, only to find that its imperfections are what
have made it so beautiful."
Craven's 2007 exhibitions included the Wayne County Arts Council,
the Moring Arts Center, Asheboro, and the Cabarrus Arts Council.
Her work is represented in the Mint Museums, Charlotte, NC.
Mary Ellen Neff
Mary Ellen Neff is known as an abstract/encaustic painter, but in her new body of work, she incorporates acrylics in her exploration of landscapes along with her abstract designs. Organic shapes evolve into the work and reoccurring elements appear.
"Abstract marks may or may not be beautiful, but are usually meant to communicate a message or evoke a mood. Conveying meaning is up to the artist, but the viewer has to be willing to learn also. Abstract art in all its forms requires both the artist and the viewer to think and question," says Neff.
In reviewing her new work, Neff states that "abstract qualities (color, shapes and the edges between those shapes that create the patterns) are the most important elements in all my art. Recognition of subject matter is of secondary importance. I strove to be faithful to the landscapes I painted, but the work is still more about color and shapes."
Neff's work is displayed in private and corporate collections and has shown in solo and group exhibitions across the country. She graduated from Webster University in Missouri and has furthered her education in workshops and advanced studies with respected regional artists in Maryland & Virginia.
For further info check our NC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 704/377-6400 or visit (www.redskygallery.com).
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