From Functional to Fun features the whimsical ceramics, paintings and sculptures of local White Mountains artists, Karen Lee Lewis and Marsha Scholl.
Karen Lee Lewis Artist Statement:
Animals are often subjects of my art; they have always touched my heart, and their spirits intrigue me. Their eyes outwardly speak of the wild and/or whimsical nature in their souls, and they are masters of the living moment. I pause, ponder and play with animals in my art mediums and stop their action, ending with finished pieces. I liken my creative process to reading a good book; it becomes my friend during its time with me, and I miss it when the last page is read. It is finished, but it stays embedded in who I am. I walk with pride and humility as I represent animals in my artwork.
In this show, I showcase the “fun” through my animals. I worked mainly in ceramics for sculpting and acrylics for paintings, with a dash of “other” mediums. My choices allow for working quickly, which I prefer. Sculpting for me needs to be fast because the less I touch the clay, the more “life” it retains. The acrylics dry fast between layers, which really helps when painting with abandon!
I want viewers of my creations to enjoy hunting for information left from the parts of my process that leave lines, marks and brush strokes. Others may be involved in reading only the eyes of my subjects, having a “hey, this reminds me of” moment or an emotion, a smile or a tear. I like joy the best because smiles absolutely delight me. My logo is a heart with a smile through it.
Marsha Scholl Artist Statement:
Pottery, for me, started in September 2019 with the gift of a kiln, 25lbs of clay and a friend telling me to “get busy.” My love for clay and my husband being a big “Foody” inspired me to start this journey of hand-building functional pottery, mainly for kitchen items like garlic keepers, butter crocks, honey pots, sugar bowls and wine coolers.
Our move to Arizona put pottery on the back burner for about 6 months. In April of 2020 the studio was set up, and more functional items were developed. At times I would branch out to making “box” turtles, snakes, and plant pots.
Discovering pottery classes at NPC was exciting, as was being around other artists. There is always something else to design, discover and to teach to others. The journey continues…
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Karen Lee Lewis and Marsha Scholl co-teach a non-credit ceramics class at Northland Pioneer College for the department of Community and Corporate Learning. For more information about non-credit classes, please contact: melissa.willis@npc.edu
Please join us for an artist reception on Friday September 27, from 5-7PM
Additional Art Events at NPC: