Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Lasting Impresssions



Turning Point Gallery’s “Lasting Impressions” show will elegantly blend Seattle, Washington-based painter Maeve Harris’ expressions of color and light with Johnstown, Colorado-based sculptor Wayne Salge’s focus on shape, line and form. The gallery, located at University Mall in Chapel Hill, will also host a reception for Harris and Salge May 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. during the 2ndFriday ArtWalk.

Maeve will also be demonstrating her painting techniques on Saturday May 10th 1-4 p.m. in front of the gallery.

Maeve Harris uses various inks and pigments to integrate traditional subject matter, such as horses or flowers, with contemporary styles and techniques. She focuses on the medium and process first, and from that, a concept surfaces.

Many of her paintings disclose her interest in natural and organic forms, and her lifelong passion for horses. Born in New Jersey in 1976, Maeve Harris became an equestrian at an early age and perfected the art of horse dressage. Saturday evening Maeve Harris is attending a private BBQ hosted by BrightHorse Farm & Art Studio.

Study abroad in Florence, Italy also influenced her life personally and artistically. Harris discusses her paintings on YouTube . Her work also appeared on the set of “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Wayne Salge was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He attended San Antonio College and La Villita School of Art. Originally a student of abstract painting, Salge switched to sculpture at the suggestion of a college professor. He worked as a television director, Army illustrator, advertising agency art director and freelance graphic designer following graduation, but remained devoted to sculpture.

Salge says his sculpture depicts a “not easy to label or describe” style. He applies the painting term of impressionism to his work, and often molds humans and animals, but says “sometimes the terminology ‘stylized,’ ‘modern’ or ‘contemporary’ is used. It falls somewhere between realism and abstraction.”

Visit here to view more work from Maeve Harris and Wayne Salge.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ruffin Hobbs launches Spring Fever


Ruffin Hobbs has been a featured artist at Turning Point Gallery in University Mall, Chapel Hill, NC for over 7 years. Ruffin and his wife live in a wonderful restored grist mill in Alamance County, North Carolina. It is in this setting that Ruffin has his large studio for creating masterpieces such as the 7000 pound stainless tigers at Princeton University, the giant mobile at the Durham Museum of Life and Sciences and a recent sculpture addition to UNC Chapel Hill.

Every year at Turning Point Gallery Ruffin unveils 10-15 new pieces as he did this last Friday night.
The three pieces shown here are the life size Poised, a delicately balanced mixed metal staibile and Phoenix on the right. The whole new collection can be seen at Ruffin's New Works Page.