The Art of a Pet 😸

In the heart of Historic Waynesville

98 N. Main Street, Waynesville NC 28786

(828) 456-1940

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:30

Sunday 1:00-4:00

Dancing with Nature

July 2021 Issue 6 Vol 11

News, Life, and the Art Culture in the Smoky Mountains

Hello!

People love pets. And pets love people, well mostly.

Growing up there was a full gamut of pets in our household including raccoons, rabbits, a bear, along with all sorts of dogs and cats. I remember asking our father if we could get a monkey. That did not happen, which was probably a good idea. My first pet was an orange, tabby cat named Tiger. An outdoor cat, he was a neighborhood cruiser, arriving home for dinner of a can of Friskies then off for some nightlife. One time he was gone for two years, showing up like nothing had happened.

I guess I spoke of this feline wonder to my son who assumed I fantasized about having another, so he brought home “Red” who lived inside and out. Once we introduced a dog into the household Red took up residence across the street so that when we moved here, he stayed in FL. We did bring “Debbie,” our adopted-from-our-son Beagle, which became the gallery dog and my shadow. It was a heartbreaking day when she passed away. We still miss her after all this time.

After that void happened, John thought I would like some gallery company and gifted me a rescue tabby we named “Milo” who is an indoor cat but definitely NOT gallery material (that was a crazy idea). Milo is a curious feline, as many cats are, that appreciates me as his food provider, especially at 5:30 AM, but hangs out with John to watch TV in hopes of some chocolate milk. Otherwise, Milo is all about Milo.

People frequently ask if we will get another shop dog, remembering Debbie. That just takes a special dog. I would like a dog when the day comes there is no apartment life and gallery work. When freshly wed, my son told my daughter-in-law that he wished to get a dog who would be filled with excitement when he arrived home. Instead, he got a kid ….. then a dog. Until I get a pooch, Milo, show some sort of excitement when we return home!

We have a number of artists capturing pets in a variety of creative ways. Chances are we have your pet in some shape, form, or fashion. If we don’t have it we can probably find someone to do it for you.

Summer has filled downtown Waynesville with many guests. We have just finished a condensed 4-day version of the traditional two-week Folkmoot. We have a couple of gallery events planned for August, but still no Art After Dark. Make sure you check out below the "pop-ups" we have scheduled. Fun things are about to happen.

Plenty of rain has kept things lush so the beauty continues. Downtown has a couple of changes, one being JGabriel that has been purchased with plans to open with a new name in September. Sassafras on Main, in the old Cedar Hill location, is set to open soon with children’s games and toys as well as a floor filled with books.

As summer simmers in high gear, come enjoy a bit of mountain cool and take a dip in the chilly mountain streams. Your pet is welcomed in the gallery should you two be downtown for a bit of shopping/dining. We know how much your pet means to you, so come on in!

May You Walk in Beauty ~ Carrie

SPOTLIGHT ARTIST:

Gayle Woody

Gayle Woody lives in Dillsboro, which is a small community in Jackson County North Carolina. She is a retired art teacher from Smoky Mountain High School where she was often inspired by her students to experiment with new artistic techniques. She earned BA in Art and Art Education from Seattle Pacific University. Her father was a seasonal naturalist for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so she learned to appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of local flora and fauna at an early age. She is married to Phil Woody and they have four grown children and 12 grandchildren, some of whom love to create in her studio.

Gayle is inspired by the beauty of God’s creation and enjoys taking a natural form, such as a salamander, box turtle, bear, or blue heron and creating artwork exploring that form by printing with linoleum blocks on various types of paper. She experiments with the process of paper making by using natural fibers and parts of plants to color and strengthen the paper. She especially enjoys using paper made from grinding up paper wasp nests. This is “nature’s paper” and printing on this beautifully organic surface creates a unique and lovely result.

The marriage of art and craft in bookbinding allows Gayle to create hand bound journals using vintage book covers, Coptic binding, and linen or cotton content pages. These journals lie flat with each page and are durable for journaling and sketching. Some covers are graced with a linoleum print.

August Featured Artist

Sarah Sneeden

A North Carolina resident since 1967, Sarah Sneeden is a native of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Centenary College in New Jersey, the Famous Artists School, the New York Institute of Photography, and the Portrait Institute of New York. Annual workshops in the West have added experience and new ideas to her painting repertoire. A voracious reader, Sarah’s extensive art library keeps the art world at her fingertips.

Sarah’s 50 years of experience, distinctive style and versatility are evident in her original and innumerable works of art. She likes watercolors, prismacolor pencils, and pastels for sketching but prefers the permanency of oils for her finished pieces. When she can find a sunny spot, Sarah’s favorite way of working is en plein air – working out-of-doors on location where she can study firsthand the play of light on her subject. Interpreting reality with sure brush strokes, rich color and verve, Sarah experiments with the season and the subject, always seeking that play of light. Larger pieces are completed in her studio.

Sarah is an associate member of Oil Painters of America. She has won Best of Show awards in Brevard, Tryon, and Hendersonville, N.C. She was awarded the Grumbacher Gold Medallion for Excellence in the ’99 Pen Women Show.

Save the Date!

Oil Painting Demonstration

Saturday, August 2nd

11-4pm

Join us in the gallery on Saturday, August 2nd for an oil painting demonstration with our August featured artist, Sarah Sneeden.

Can't join us? We will go live on Facebook at 1pm with Sarah for those that are unable to attend.

Facebook event details here.

Melissa Burrell Pop-Up Demo

Saturday, August 21st 12-3pm

Melissa Burrell has lived in Haywood County all her life. She has been a self-employed custom picture framer and antiques dealer over 30 years. She has always enjoyed being an artist and holds degrees in Fine Arts and Business. Melissa works in several mediums including acrylics, colored pencil, graphite, fiber art and basket making.

View more work by Melissa here.