In Town Gallery presents clay artist Mary Lynch and fiber artist Linda White in the exhibit “Inspired Details from Nature,” which subtly combines the diversity of their individual mediums with a nature theme.
Mary Lynch’s functional clay work is embossed or collaged with natural objects while Linda White’s colorful art quilts stitch together snapshots of nature’s diversity. The artists have dedicated the exhibit to the Chattanooga Nature Center, and a portion of their sales for the month will be donated to the Center. The public is invited to an opening reception at In-Town Gallery on Friday, April 2 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
Mary Lynch has a very organic approach with pottery. She “grows” it. Instead of a preconceived shape being thrown on a potter’s wheel, the form incubates in the mind and hands of the artist. Slowly, the clay develops a life of its own as Mary rolls, coils and nurtures it along with an embossed twig here and the impression of a leaf there. She claims, “The end result sometimes can be dramatically different from what I had envisioned in the beginning. Fortunately, I like being surprised sometimes – it keeps me interested and always looking forward to the next piece.”
Linda White takes a standard sewing machine, some basic sewing and appliqué supplies, fabrics full of color and patterns, mixes them together with a great sense of design, a heap of imagination and BAM…there’s art in fabric! Like most great recipes, this one takes time, and Linda has been honing her skills over the years. Sometimes people will stop and ask “Is that fabric or paint?” But Linda doesn’t use paint or any surface embellishment other than stitching. It is her skilled blending or collage of patterns into a pictorial scene that seems to fool and fascinate the viewer.
The art pieces that use traditional quilting techniques are more obviously fabric. “My work is somewhere in between traditional quilting and modern art quilting. However, I do not use traditional quilt patterns and in that sense it is more akin to modern art quilting. ”
Both artists find inspiration in the beauty of the outdoors, specifically in the patterns and shapes found in the landscape, but each artist has a unique response. Linda White celebrates the colors, while Mary Lynch’s textural and earthy vessels are indicative of what she calls “the ‘wabi sabi’ philosophy of beauty.” Together, both women have produced a harmonious exhibit that seamlessly blends the two bodies of work and their mutual respect for the Nature Center. In a joint comment, the artists said, “The Chattanooga Nature Center is one of the places that nurtures a deep appreciation in us of the native plants and animals here. I’m happy that they continue to educate the public about the wildlife and habitats of the area and what we can do to protect them.”
In-Town Gallery is located on the “Hip to Historical” North Shore, at 26A Frazier Avenue, between the Market Street and Walnut Street bridges, adjacent to Coolidge Park. It is open 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday, from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sundays, and until 8:00 pm on most First Fridays. Call 423-267-9214 for more information, or visit the website www.intowngallery.com.
