Main Gallery - March 2012 - Rural Reflections

 

Rural Reflections

March 2-30, 2012

Opening Reception March 2, 5-7:30pm
hosted by Caldwell County Schools
Association of Educational Office
Professionals (CCSAEOP)

Featuring artwork by Darron Silva (photography)
Walter Stanford (Century Farms series paintings)
J. Nelson Brookshire (rolled paper art)
Pete Lupo (realistic wood carving)

Pastel by Walter Stanford

 

 

Rolled paper art by J. Nelson Brookshire

 

 

Wood carving by Pete Lupo
(even the 'rusty can' and the leaves are made of wood!)

 

Photography by Darron Silva

 

Nelson Brookshire says "I consider myself to be a "sporadic folk artist" because I only create when inspiration finds me.  Although some may find using small tubes of rolled magazine paper to create a work of folk art to be tedious and/or "quirky," it can be both challenging and relaxing at the same time.  The pieces exhibited typically take at least 100 hours to complete.  I do not know if my use of rolled paper as an art medium is unique, but I've never encountered another artist using this technique as I do.  

 

Pete Lupo (see his website at petelupo.com) - 

Sculpting since 1983, Pete brings an intimate knowledge of wildlife, their habitat and their interaction with mankind. Growing up around his grandparents farms in rural southeastern North Carolina, he was rewarded with an awareness of the simple things of life. How a change in light can reveal color and form in everyday objects that so often go unnoticed, learning along the way that sometimes we must slowdown in order to see.

Working primarily in Tupelo or Basswood, he carves wildlife and manmade objects in a realistic style. Each component of a composition is carved entirely out of wood, then copper or brass sheets are hand cut and shaped into flowers, leaves or grasses. He completes the process by applying multiple thin washes of acrylic paint to bring the piece to life. The finished piece captures a moment of co-existence between beings.

“To me, nature, truly wild nature, is the only reality. It is the perfect cycle; it manages itself, cares for itself, and rights its own wrongs. It is not anything other than what it is. Perfect.”   “With my work, I create moments that depict wildlife interacting within the human world. Man is changing nature to suit his needs, often without regard to the creatures that share this world, but nature, given the chance, finds a way to live with man. The Zen masters have a word, “Satori” it means a moment of clarity, or a moment of enlightenment. I wish to engage the viewer in a moment of connection between beings of a shared space. To become aware of these moments for what they are, gifts from the creator.”

 

Walter Stanford, a resident of Kannapolis, NC, is a versatile, award winning pastel painter. He enjoys landscapes, farm life and fantasy as his subjects and has exhibited in numerous venues across the state. In 2009, Stanford began a series of works on Century farms which began after receiving a 2009 regional artist project grant from the NC Arts and Science Council.  He says "Century Farms are operational farms that have been in the family for over a century and there are 1600 of these among the 52,000 farms in NC. I chose four for this series that includes works in pastel, acrylic and oil and spotlights the farmer and the work that occurs on these farms. As a son of a retired county agent, I hope you enjoy viewing these as much as I did painting them. Feel free to visit my website at WalterStanford.com for more details."

 

Darron Silva resides in Granite Falls and is a freelance photojournalist