Featured - IBxarts.org

Erik Mattsson, Mixed Media - Washington County

If you attempted to squeeze Erik into a particular genre, you would be sadly mistaken. His work is noted to stimulate the intellect yet transcends into the spiritual and for good reason. Erik shares, " I came to America by boat, from Stockholm. My parents, gifted academicians, have left me full of multi-cultural interests and a desire to know as much as possible about our world." working in clay for my own sculptures, I was drawn to a particular vessel that was wheel thrown. "Nice piece" I said, Erik replies " yes, that is a favorite hand built work of mine", "HAND BUILT?" I ask? - yes, although nearly perfect in cylindrical form, the piece I held netted Erik praise from his university. Erik confides: "Artists must make art. whether early, or late, they rise with one thing on their mind. Create the vision, both for self-evaluation and self-expression. The object of fear is not-doing; the acceptance of critics is immaterial. Preserving an observation, a feeling, a special moment in your life, is all that matters. Knowing your medium, and contacting your muse, you must make art. Because I see and hear and feel, I create works which set me free from the moment. All things are temporal, even in bronze, but your hope has been preserved, for a while. Live on, sweet muse."

Nancy Pingree Hoover - Camden County

Nancy's precision with colored pencils give her work an incredible realistic effect while maintaining a shift of artistic achievement that separates her from photo realistic artists. Nancy relays " My style of creating art is Realism. This means that I create art that looks like real life, similar to looking like a photograph, but not necessarily photo-realism. . Contact her by visiting her site here.

IBXartsSummer Intern - Devon Hurley, potter Pasquotank

Devon "ting ting" Hurley, became known for his unique ability to push the pottery process along at an incredible speed, while maintaining unique tooled forms on the wheel. A Summer 2009 IBXarts intern Always pushing the limits of the medium. visit his site here

July IBXarts Review- Jonathan Bowling - Pitt County

Pitt county's found art artist Jonathan Bowling transports us into the world of his imagination. click here.

Featured Artists in the July "Our State" Alison Ellis - Hyde

Alison Ellis- Stained glass artist, custom and commissioned glass work and work inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
www.greenheronglass.com

Featured Artists in the July "Our State" Tom Kilian - Tyrrell

Tom Kilian- Sculptor and IBXarts director, Kilian's thrust is in fine and public art.
http//:www.TomKilian.com

Candace Young, potter, Pamlico County

Throwing clay is such a simple term for what Pamlico County potter Candace Young does. She has homed the process of working with clay for over 30 years and has achieved unparalleled quality and uniqueness that make any of her pieces an Inner Banks treasure. Most of Young's work contains elements of carved or pierced design. Bay River Pottery

Sherry Thurston, painter, Onslow County

Sherry Williams Thurston is a prominent North Carolina artist, especially well-known along the Carolina Coast. From her gallery, open for the past three decades in the scenic fishing village of Sneads Ferry, she has gained acclaim for her wide variety of works in various artistic media. Her trademark-a depiction of watermen’s' boots, are known in eastern North Carolina as “Sneads Ferry Sneakers," but have other names in other places. http://www.thurstonartgallery.com/

Margi Wynn, Watercolor. Perquimans County

Margi's fluidity and the glow of transparent paint combines to create the magical happy accidents available only in watercolor. Her subjects include landscapes, flowers, boats, water and an occasional impressionistic or abstract expression. She also enjoys experimenting with rice paper collages and produces intriguing mixed media combinations. she exhibits a Perquimans Arts League.

Ken Cherry, Photographer, Tyrrell County

Photographer Ken Cherry shoots to bring the past into your future While most photographers look at a field from the outside in, this homegrown photographer had gained inspiration from his labor as a farmer. Ken grew up on a Pasquotank County farm and later moved to Tyrrell County establishing a seed growing operation. Ken now travels North America with his lens focused on agriculture and bring his photographic work back home to Columbia where he and his wife Terrie operate the Southern Dreams Gallery

Jean Olecki, Photographer, Washington County

IBXPhotographer, Jean Olecki , shooting from a different angle
Jean Davis Olecki has taken a different slant through the lens of a camera and through her life, "Since we moved to the Inner Banks I have been amazed and fascinated by their beauty of the abandoned houses and farm that are so numerous in our area."says Jean of her interest in Inner Banks architecture, " I always wonder what the back story is....who lived there, what happened."What makes Jean Olecki's composition unique could be due to her unfettered perspective on both the culture she is recording and the way she is going about her work. exhibiting at Chowan Arts and viewable on flicker.

Mark Barnes, Basketry, Washington County

Mark Barnes of Washington County, is an accomplished weaver using the vines of the Inner Banks to fashion beautiful, yet functional basketry and trellises. The woods of the Innerbanks has become Mark's "supply market" for kudzu ,wisteria, and grape vines to build frames and jasmine for random weave. Marks passion began while he attended John C.Campbell Folk Art School, for Mark , a old North Carolina tradition became a new way to express his artistic endeavors . visit his site here