Shannon Bueker

Artist's Statement

A few words about my approach to painting and drawing

I have drawn since my beginning, in books, on my shoes, and now on most any surface. Years ago, a Chinese painting class introduced me to the long strokes of Asian brushes and the varied beauties of ink on paper.

I paint and draw animals and people and things on the move. Gesture is the backbone of my approach. I am fascinated by gesture and am challenged to see how much shape and power I can express with the simplest of lines. I look for what is essential or of the essence. Watercolor and ink, or fluid acrylics and charcoal are my tools of choice. I work on canvas, board and paper in all sizes, large to small.

If not starting from an observation I have found in my sketchbooks, I let the paintings make themselves initially, allowing water, ink, paint, and charcoal or to tangle together on paper or canvas. But art being what it is, I see reflections of own life, memories, and dreams in the resulting shades and blurs.

A man?s work is nothing but a slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those one or two things in whose presence his heart first opened.
- Albert Camus

I have a BFA from the University of Texas in Austin in painting and drawing and maintain a working studio in Pittsboro, NC.

- Shannon Bueker

Sally L. Sutton

Much of my inspiration comes from local landscapes in rural Chatham County where I live. This collection of paintings at the General Store Care includes many scenes of Pittsboro and the county. I started my ?Hometown Pride? series right after September 11, 2001 after taking a walk around Pittsboro one Sunday afternoon. I was inspired by all the American flags hanging everywhere and the color the flags added to my already colorful town. I felt a patriotic glow about Pittsboro which influenced my first painting in the series that has the title ?Hometown Pride? 30? x 40? oil on canvas. I have since followed with many other paintings as ?View of the General Store Caf?? 36? x 36? oil on canvas and smaller pieces as ?Antiques and Collectibles? and ?Pittsboro Afternoon? which are both 12? x 12? oil on canvas.

My paintings are expressing all that I am. I paint my feelings of excitement about a place, see mystery in the shadows or perhaps feel the warmth of a sunny Pittsboro day. I am compelled to paint a scene in the way that it affects me. Many of my paintings have an urgency about them in style while some are languid and relaxed. Just as my emotions change, so does the canvas.

I have grown up with Monet, Van Gogh, C?zanne, Bonnard, Gauguin and Munch. As a child, I would get out the large heavy book of paintings and spend hours going through it until I was immersed in visions of great works of art. I was especially attracted to Impressionism and wondered about the effects of light and color. When I attempted my first oil painting of my cat, Kiki, at the age of nine, I used an Impressionistic style, and with the help of my mother, who taught art, I succeeded in producing quite a good likeness. I also remember painting my sister and me running through green fields with a storm looming in the background as if we were trying to get home before it rained. I learned at an early age to put my feelings and emotions into a painting to create an atmosphere of a particular time and place.

In 1999 I was honored to be able to do 21 commissioned works for the new Duke Birthing Center in Durham. I painted watercolors and oils, and each one of them was placed in a birthing room. Out of the 21 paintings most of them were of Fearrington Village garden scenes.

Alyssa Hinton
Star River Cards

Alyssa Hinton is a mixed media artist and painter. Her intricate photocollage narratives explore the folklore and history surrounding her southeastern Indian roots . These unique composite images delve into the soul of the past, portraying aspects of traditional spirituality while commenting on the cultural displacement of native peoples. By combining multiple layers of organic forms with figurative depictions and historical references, she illustrates a vibrant, yet contemplative theme of indigenous cultural reawakening.

In the words of her cousin, Pura Fe, of the native women?s a cappella trio Ulali, "Her works speak to the soul and of the soul".

Alyssa Hinton earned a B.F.A. degree from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after studying art in both China and France. She was born in Philadelphia in 1962 and now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

"My work is inspired by questions and experiences relating to my mixed cultural heritage and personal spiritual awareness. As memories and visions emerge in my consciousness, the process of creating becomes a vehicle for ancestral awakening and reconnection. My recent collage images communicate a universal message of transformation and rebirth."

Juan Pons

Juan Pons was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the age of sixteen, Juan began attending high school at Chapel Hill-Chauncey Hall in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school had an excellent photography program lead by an inspiring teacher, Alice Solorow, and it was here that Juan?s interest in photography began. Juan?s studies focused on the essentials of photography such as light, composition, and developing an artistic eye. Juan concentrated on black and white photography in high school, developing his own film and processing his own prints.

Upon graduating from high school, Juan attended Clark University where he continued to pursue his interests in photography and gain experience working with the media. Juan worked as student photographer for the university's communications department and also took on occasional photo work for the university newspaper and yearbook. In addition, he helped develop photo portfolios for several aspiring models/actresses.

Following his four years in college, Juan?s photography pursuits yielded to his professional career demands, and he was not able to dedicate time to developing his skill. After several years, Juan picked up photography with renewed vigor, this time using color slide film for its color richness and ease of use. Juan continued to learn about the artistic and technical aspects of the craft and, as a lifelong nature enthusiast, Juan focused on nature and wildlife subjects.

Soon after rekindling his interest in photography, Juan converted to digital equipment due to the tremendous advantages he feels digital technology offers. Digital equipment allows Juan to have the same control over his images as he once had when he developed and printed his own black and white images. While Juan now uses digital photography technology exclusively, his images are unaltered and present subjects as they appear in nature. Juan has been recognized for the considerable skill he has developed in digital photography and now runs a business offering services to other photographers in the beginning stages of using digital photography technology.

As a nature and wildlife photographer, Juan is a strong supporter of wildlife and natural habitat conservation and is a member of several conservation organizations. Though private individuals purchase photos directly from him, Juan donates his images to non-profit organizations with nature and wildlife preservation missions.

Juan and his wife, Abby, live in Pittsboro, North Carolina and are expecting their first child in July. Although much of his photography is focused on native wildlife in North Carolina, Juan and his family also travel frequently to other regions of interest, such as Puerto Rico, New England, and the Southwestern states. Juan never ceases to be amazed by the natural subjects he photographs and hopes that sharing his photographs will inspire others to appreciate and respect natural life.

To see more of Juan?s work, please visit his website at www.wildnaturephoto.com

Monnda Welch

I make original one of a kind jewelry and a few production pieces. I use 14 and 18K gold, fine silver, sterling silver, bronze and copper with precious and semi-precious stones to fabricate unusual pieces of art. I have studied jewelry at The Old School House; County Wicklow, Ireland; John C. Campbell Folk School, Duke University, Penland School of Crafts, NC State University Craft Center, Meredith College, The ArtCenter all in NC and Arrowmont, TN. For large welded outdoor sculptural pieces, I use found material and purchased steel. I am a self-taught welder. I have made dragons, garden flies, tripods and trellises, snails, proctors, small tables with mosaic tops and very large praying mantis holding flower baskets.