November, December, January Gallery Exhibitions at Pullen Arts Center

Main Gallery Exhibition

The work of 27 local artists will be featured in the November, December and January Exhibition at Pullen Arts Center. 

Ami Patel, Becky Joye, Callen Burrill, Constance Pappalardo, Courtney Lassiter, Dain Kim, DeDe Richardson, Delphine Peller, Diego Utera, Eddie Sheehy, Jennifer WinterRose, Kathleen Hall, Katie Podracky, Kay Adams, Kerrie Davis, Leroi DeRubertis, Lynn Newman, Marilyn Reyes, Melinda Abrams, Natacha Sochat, Rick Bennett, Sailor Burnswell, Sam Lasris, Shady Kimzey, Sheree Cameron, Shirley Cadmus, Todd Kreisman

Artwork will be on display from November 2, 2024-January 26, 2025. A closing reception will be held at Pullen Arts Center on Saturday,  January 25 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Chalk Wall Mural

Artist Rick Bennett's Mural will be displayed through January 25, 2025 on the Pullen Chalk Wall. Located near the first-floor entrance, this mural program gives invited artists a blank canvas to create large artworks. Read more.

Learn more about upcoming exhibitions at Pullen Arts Center.

Exhibition & Reception Details

• When: November 2, 2024-January 26, 2025
• Location: Pullen Arts Center, 105 Pullen Rd., Raleigh, NC 27607
• Parking: Visitors must have a parking permit between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Check-in at Pullen Arts Center’s front desk for a license plate-based parking permit. View our parking map
• Cost: Free and open to the public
• Hours:
  • Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Friday, Closed
  • Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• To purchase artwork, contact Pullen Arts Center for details.

Artist Reception 

Join us at Pullen Arts Center on Saturday, January 25, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. for a closing reception.

Artwork

About the Artists

Ami Patel

Project Title: Bloom
@amipatel.art

Artwork Statement: Ami Patel’s project, "Bloom," draws inspiration from the natural world’s ability to thrive and grow under different circumstances. Through her vibrant, abstract works, Patel captures the emotional resonance of transformation, joy, and gratitude. “Thank You for bringing me Flowers,” evokes the feeling of serenity and connection through swirling hues of blue and green, reminiscent of an underwater garden or lush landscapes. It celebrates the small yet profound moments of beauty found in everyday life. In contrast, “Banana Laffy Taffy Sunshiney Days” is a whimsical ode to nostalgia and playfulness, where bold, bright colors invite viewers to tap into their inner child and recall the simple pleasures that color their memories. Through "Bloom," Patel seeks to convey the importance of embracing change, growth, and joy in a world that often feels overwhelming. Her use of acrylic pour and textured brushstrokes creates a tactile experience, mirroring the fluidity of emotions and experiences that shape us. Patel’s work invites the audience to pause, reflect, and bloom in their own ways.

Artist Biography: Ami Patel is a self-taught visual artist currently residing in Cary, North Carolina, with deep roots in Asheville, where she grew up, and early childhood memories in Franklin, NC, where her family lived in and owned The Franklin Motel. It was in this small-town setting that Patel first discovered her passion for creating art. Sunday afternoons with her artistic mother were special moments, spent exploring creativity with just a 24-pack of Crayola crayons from the Dollar General across the street, turning simple days into imaginative adventures. These early experiences of finding joy and beauty in the everyday shaped Patel’s artistic approach. Her abstract, acrylic-based work is a reflection of this nostalgia, incorporating vibrant colors and organic forms. Through her playful practice, Patel encourages viewers to embrace the beauty found in change and the natural rhythms of life, while her abstract, acrylic-based creations continue to explore themes of connection, growth, and creative possibility.

Becky Joye

Project Title: Wearable Quilts
Instagram @beckyjoyeart

Artwork Statement: The quilt has become a symbol of mental comfort in my work, in my quilted houses and structures, and hideouts. Using machine-quilted fabrics that include vintage fabrics inherited from my grandmother, I am using the language of flowers, a theme found in many of her fabrics. Floral elements bring hope and warmth like the arrival of spring and strength and resilience in the face of hardship. Quilts and quilted objects act as a protective element, as an amulet against harm or blanket that gives physical and mental strength.

Artist Biography: Becky Joye is a visual artist based in Raleigh, NC. Becky was raised in Belmont, NC and graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2003. Instead of architecture, she enjoys escaping to an invented world full of color and pattern. She is the recipient of numerous grants including the VAE Snapdragon Fund Grant and the United Arts Council Artist Support Grant in 2024. Her work is in the collections of Fidelity Investments, Capital One, the City of Raleigh, and UVA Hospital. She is represented by Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX.

Callen Burril

Project Title: Intertwined
Instagram @Callenontheinternet | Callenontheinternet.com

Artwork Statement: “Intertwined" is a vibrant tufted piece featuring bright, intertwined shapes that radiate joy and playfulness. With bold colors and dynamic forms, the piece evokes a sense of fun and spontaneity, inviting viewers to engage with its lighthearted energy. The whimsical design reflects the artist's love for creating art that brings happiness and a touch of silliness to personal spaces. Made with the belief that art should be fun and deeply personal, "Intertwined" highlights the importance of surrounding oneself with meaningful creations. The piece encourages the idea that art can transform everyday environments, filling them with warmth, personality, and joy.

Artist Biography: Callen is an artist with a degree in textiles and a passion for all things creative. While fibers are her first love, she doesn't like to be tied down to one medium. Pottery is another favorite. She’s all about working big—whether it's a giant tufted piece or a bold ceramic form, the bigger, the better! When she's not making her own art, Callen enjoys teaching pottery and sharing the joy of getting your hands dirty with clay. Her home is filled with art made by herself, her partner Christian, and the people they love, because to her, surrounding yourself with beautiful, personal items makes all the difference.

Constance Pappalardo

Project Title: Clouds Majestic
Instagram @constancepappalardoart

Artwork Statement: “Clouds Majestic” is a meditation on the beauty of clouds, as well as the peace and drama of weather and light. Pappalardo primarily works with watercolor on canvas, but her intention is never to follow the traditional path of watercolor. She is always experimenting, using the fluidity of her medium to her advantage. Sometimes, she uses printing techniques to achieve patterns, while at other times, she is spraying and rubbing and creating shadows by taking the paint off as quickly as she has applied it. It’s an exciting process because the outcome is always a surprise and that is what she looks for, the happy accident, when the very wet paint has a mind of its own and directs her next step.

Artist Biography: Constance Pappalardo was born in Lima, Peru. Pappalardo studied painting at The Art Students League and at The School of Visual Arts, in Manhattan. She is best known for her richly pigmented watercolor on canvas paintings as well as her more minimalistic black and white paintings. A recipient of various art awards, her works are included in corporate and private collections in the States, throughout Europe and in her native Peru. In NC she is represented in Wilmington by Art in Bloom Fine Art, in Hendersonville by Art Mob Studios and in Raleigh by Glenwood Fine Art.

Dain Kim

Project Title: Botanic Journal
Instagram @dainart | www.dainkim.art

Artwork Statement: This painting series captures seasonal moments in nature’s rhythm inspired by botanical beings the artist encounters. Each piece focuses on a different aspect of botanical life, from blooming flowers tro intricate tree trunks and fungi. The compositions highlight nature’s cycles, growth and interconnectedness, evoking a sense of wonder and respect for the natural world.

Artist Biography: Dain’s work captures moments of living creation, emphasizing nature’s beauty with a bold composition and warm palette. Taking inspiration from Eastern philosophies of universal oneness, her art is imbued with the magic and spirit of living organisms, seeking out beauty and harmonic balance as an artistic motif and life goal. After living and traveling in many different countries, her adaptation to new environments became intuitive. Recently moving from the urban megacity of Seoul KR to a semi-rural area in Raleigh NC, she aims to mirror the resilience and vitality of the natural world in deeper connection with herself and her surroundings.

Delphine Peller

Project Title: Group Show Nov 2 2024-Jan 25 2025
Instagram :@delphine_peller_art  | Facebook: @ArtbyDelphinePeller | www.delphinepellerart.com

Artwork Statement: Delphine Peller believes that art is the opportunity to capture and celebrate what she sees as beautiful in the world. She is often inspired by nature. Peller’s paintings are texture-rich and infused with color built from layers within the main composition. Through de-constructive and building processes each canvas becomes its own story. Her goal is for the viewer to contemplate the nuances and unique qualities of the moment. Layers, depth and components are to be appreciated but do not define the whole image. The common thread for her work is the creativity joining representational, raw, and abstract elements.

Artist Biography: Delphine was always creative in her youth, but it was always secondary to other goals and dreams.  After she was faced with her diagnosis of the chronic illness Lupus in 1992, she began to work on her craft and discover her artistic voice.  Art has been a big part of her life ever since. Delphine enjoys painting in a style that has lots of texture, layers and depth in her expression to pause and celebrate the blessings in each moment.  She has been selling and doing commission work for 20 years and is an active volunteer in the art community. She works with the Wake Forest Guild of Artists and is the current chair of the Wake Forest Public Arts Commission. 

Diego Utrera

Project Title: "Dogs and Sticks"
Instagram @PotsandPencil

Artwork Statement: Art is often used to explore complex sentiments and abstract concepts. This applies to Diego's artwork which has been driven by experiences and emotions sometimes difficult to find words for. These topics have spanned insecurities, turmoil, tranquility, fragmented identity, and the search for belonging among others. One day he received a request for a particular piece; a dog carrying a stick that was way too big to be practical. Finishing this piece, he realized that was a topic he hadn't yet explored in his artwork: joy.  This project continues that representation of joy, simple and unfiltered, by presenting dogs enthralled in their happy triumph of possessing these large sticks. It doesn't strive for any more complexity beyond showing a few moments of plain joy. Each piece in this series brought a chuckle upon completion and, sometimes, that's exactly what's needed.

Artist Biography: A resident of Wake Forest, North Carolina, Diego is a self-taught artist who first started sketching at the age of 6. His student years brought a hiatus to artwork which was ended by a desire to document the spires of his hometown of Frederick, Maryland and other views that made an impression on him in his early 20s. He's humbled to be a part of North Carolina's community of artists. 

Diego's artistic style commonly uses ink or charcoal on paper to bring attention to the details he finds necessary to express while maintaining a certain simplicity. He prefers to minimize backgrounds of the subjects he portrays and allows a certain amount of messiness to make its way into his pieces.

Eddie Sheehy

Project Title: The Dinosaurs Duel
www.eddiesheehy.com

Artist Statement: "The Dinosaurs Duel" is a stained-glass mural created by Eddie Sheehy in 2023, inspired by the 2024 unveiling of the “Dueling Dinosaurs” fossil at the Natural Science Museum in Raleigh, NC. Having followed the story of the Dueling Dinosaurs since he was a teenager, Eddie was thrilled to see the fossil come to his city, and created this mural as a tribute to that momentous event. Capturing Eddie’s interpretation of the final moments before these ancient creatures became immortalized in fossil form, The Dinosaurs Duel invites viewers to reflect on the dramatic final moments of one of the most famous confrontations in history. As an artist, Eddie strives to both educate and entertain with his work, weaving stories and history into every piece he creates. The mural, composed of hundreds of individually cut and meticulously soldered glass pieces, measures 28 by 20 inches and serves as a dramatic exploration of a moment frozen in time.

Artist Biography : Eddie Sheehy is a versatile artist based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in media arts, and a Master of Arts in applied arts and science. Self-taught in the intricate craft of stained glass, Eddie also works in several other mediums, including bookbinding, sculpting, photography, painting, and drawing. Eddie’s work often reflects a deep connection to storytelling and education, aiming to engage and inform through visual art. The inspiration behind Eddie’s creations frequently draws from historical and scientific events.

Jennifer WinterRose
Project Title: Health Journey/Rat Selfie Project

@theswedishgeekball and @jenniferwinterrose on facebook, instagram, threads | www.winterroseartandillustration.com

Artwork Statement: These 4 pieces are combined from two series Jennifer WinterRose is working on at the moment that are very much entwined. Once piece is specifically from her Personal Heath Journey Project, while the rest are from the Rat Selfie Project and the Personal Health Journey Series together. Each piece is about the mental and physical difficulties of being chronically ill. The Personal Health Journey Series is still a work in progress as she navigates things like having a pituitary tumor and chronic fatigue. The Rat Selfie Project paintings are about her codependence with her pet rats. WinterRose has kept pet rats since she was very young and recently noticed a large number of selfies taken with them in these last few years as she has struggled with her health and theirs. Representative here are times when she and her rats are dealing with pain and sickness and surgeries. She plans to make this a much larger series that depicts so many of the emotions she feels.

Artist Biography: Jennifer WinterRose has been creating art all her life but has recently moved into a distinct phase of her creative life as she has aged into her forties. She has discovered a love and appreciation of watercolors and gouache. With this in mind, she has been painting anything and everything from still life to portraiture, but in the end, she still comes back to her first love: illustrative work. She is focusing now on painting cohesive bodies of work on subjects that touch her most, like health and relationships to people and pets. Her current fascination is working in gouache, with its bright colors and ability to work in both washes and thick layers.

Kathleen Hall

www.kayhall.org

Artist Statement: My work references the complexities we all face in our lives. We sometimes struggle with inner demons while reaching for all that is beautiful and good. This duality thrusts us into confrontation with the voices of fear, anxiety, and judgement of ourselves and others which appear in our dreams and relationships. We acknowledge them not to vanquish them but to hear what they are saying. It suggests that the vitality of nature and life are always there to support and help us when we have the courage to look. I use color and contrast to suggest the lightness and darkness of being, I use organic forms to suggest the natural flow of energy always at hand, and more encapsulated forms for the issues that assail us.

Artist Biography: Kathleen Hall grew up in California and received a B.A from U.C. Berkeley. She subsequently lived for several years in France, where she began painting in oils, then moved to England where she lived for eight years. In 2004 she attended the Slade School of Art summer session in London. Her work has been exhibited in France, England, and the United States. In 2015 she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where she began working with acrylics as well as oils under the tutelage of Peter Marin.

Katie Wall Podracky

Project Title: Love Letter to California
Instagram @katie_podracky | https://www.katiewallart.com/

Artist Statement: Love Letter to California is from The Cadence Collection. Imagine the rhythm of your soles gingerly finding footing along a jagged coastline. You look up and catch a glimpse of enormous waves of aquamarine and indigo crashing against the shore [AT1] [PS2] . That’s exactly what The Cadence Collection is about. Podracky paints moments that steal our breath. While we never know what the next high tide will bring, beauty holds space for all of it. Beauty does not deny the smallest of pebbles nor the largest of boulders, acknowledging all as an authentic, vital part of life.  With sensuous brushwork and saturated color, The Cadence Collection searches for beauty and brokenness in the same moment, all while trying to preserve fleeting moments indefinitely. If there's one thing California has taught the artist, it's that our fault lines don't detract from our landscapes--they're exactly what make them so breathtaking to begin with.

Artist Biography: Katie Wall Podracky is an impressionist painter from North Carolina. She paints joy and teaches others how to do the same. Nature and family adventures inspire lively, bright collections of original oil, watercolor and gouache paintings. Described as breathtaking and full of “uninhibited joy,” Podracky's work is collected across the United States and featured in the permanent collections of four universities and multiple corporations. Her family's travels to every N.C. State Park and resulting paintings were featured in Our State Magazine in 2022. New paintings and prints are released for sale throughout the year on her website: www.katiewallart.com.

Kay Adams

Project Title: Home of the Brave

Artist Statement: This body of work was inspired by the expressions on faces in our country during the last ten years. There are so many people in this country who bravely carry on each day. These portraits portray their courage. Gaze into their eyes. Feel their emotions. Adjust how you see and treat others. Be courageous. Be brave.

Artist Biography: Adams’s work is a study of human faces and forms. Her works are expressionistic and emphasize the feelings she intuits from her subjects. Pastels, Conte Crayons and charcoals applied to paper, pastel board and mat are favorite mediums. She began producing art in 2019. Kay has been fortunate to have access to the many classes offered by the Pullen and Sertoma Art Centers. She has also advanced her knowledge through private classes with Peter Marin, the North Carolina Museum of Art, self study and international travel. She currently resides in Raleigh, NC and works from a home studio. Art has become her passion and joy. It frames how she sees the world.

Leroi DeRubertis 

Project Title: Periphery 6
Instagram @leroylita_d

Artist Statement: Periphery 6 is part of a series of wire mobiles and wall hangings of wire hands and feet breaking free of entanglement. My inspiration came from stories of social injustices, and the constant struggle marginal societies experience. I twist the individual hands and feet into a sort of web, rooted in chaos. They reach out, breaking free from that chaos.

Artist Biography: Leroi DeRubertis is a visual artist and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. She studied painting at Maryland Institute of Art, then spent a decade writing and making narrative films. Along with experimentation, her wire work is a marriage of these art forms, abstract fluid pictures. She is the recipient of an NCARTS Fellowship for narrative filmmaking, an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant for stop-motion animation, and a Frey Foundation Seed Grant to exhibit her immersive wire installation at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. She creates to connect, heal, and add momentum towards positive change. 

Marilyn Reyes

Project Title: From Sea to Stars; Florence; Bellagio; Greece; Hawaii
Instagram @marilynmasterpieces

Artist Statement: The inspiration behind Marilyn's project stems from her deep love for travel and exploration. Each journey she embarks on reveals a new world of vibrant cultures, breathtaking landscapes and raw emotions. Through bold, expressive colors, Marilyn captures the essence of these experiences, turning her artwork into a visual diary that reflects the joy, wonder, and sometimes beautiful chaos that travel brings. Her paintings are more than just scenes; they are stories of connection, adventure and discovery. Each brushstroke conveys the excitement of stepping into the unknown, inviting viewers to feel that same sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Marilyn's art is an invitation to explore, to connect and to see the beauty in every moment. With every piece, Marilyn hopes to inspire others to embrace their own journeys—whether near or far—and to remember that life is a colorful adventure waiting to be discovered.

Artist Biography: Born in Anamorós, El Salvador in 1996, Marilyn is a North Carolina-based artist whose love for art began at a young age. Fascinated by how the world could be captured through different perspectives, she found joy in turning simple sketches into expressive works of art. Encouraged by her family during her teenage years, Marilyn’s natural talent flourished, even without formal training. Though she earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and initially pursued a career in law, her heart was pulled toward art. Traveling throughout her life inspired her deep appreciation for scenic landscapes, and painting became her sanctuary—a way to find calm and reflect on the beauty of the world. Through her vibrant, scenic works, Marilyn hopes to offer viewers that same sense of peace and wonder, inviting them to pause and appreciate the world’s natural beauty.

Melinda Abrams

Project Title: N/A
Instagram @ melinda_abrams_art | melindaabramsart.com

Artist Statement: Melinda Abrams is a creator at heart. Possessing a BFA, MSA and CPCC as well as a passion for exploring new techniques and mediums, she has produced a body of work that showcases her versatility and artistic vision where anything is possible, and each piece is more spellbinding than the last. Whether you are a fan of contemporary art or simply appreciate creativity, you will find something to admire in Melinda’s portfolio.

Artist Biography: My art has always been grounded in movement and intention. Movement serves as the vehicle for communicating thoughts, feelings, and relationships. Being moved by the art is the impact I yearn for. My senior thesis in the 1980s, “Accumulations,” was based on adding a series of movements to a simple phrase that moved dancers through points in space. Fast forward to the 2020s and my paintings with alcohol inks. I love working with alcohol ink because inherent to this medium is movement. I literally move the inks on the paper to express my intentions. Some people begin with the end in mind, with an image or scene that they are going to create. I am not interested in replicating an existing image, but rather in creating one that is uniquely my own. 

Natacha Sochat

Project Title: Lo Que Tengo Que Decir
Instagram @natachasochat | http://natachasochat.com/

Artist Statement[AT3] [PS4] : When Natacha was a young, self-taught painter she created works appropriating the Eurocentric style of the invaders of the land of her mother’s ancestors. By taking this style, she could eat and spit out their essence to digest and transform. Natacha has roots in the Caribbean, Africa, America, and Europe. She views style as an element and not a definer of what an artist is. No matter what style she paints in, or does woodblocks in, or create books in, she finds a way to insert iconography signifying the meaning of dreams and roots. With her science background and art history knowledge she researches the simultaneous use of different planes of existence, the interplay of shallow vs deep, tangible vs intangible, chaos vs order, emergence and complexity. The language signifying her dreams and Taino roots are embedded in the work. Since her spirit-name is wildDreamer, Natacha sings and is playful as she works.

Artist Biography: Creating objects has always been a part of Natacha’s life. Natacha is Latina but not a stereotype. Her work fuses art, social/economic justice, and science. Natacha has a BA in biology from Boston University College of Liberal Arts. While at BU she met Arthur Polonsky who inspired her to pursue art. She is also influenced by the photography of Jerry Uelsmann. Natacha entered BUSM, graduating with an MD. Initially self-taught in painting and drawing, she went on to do an MFA in studio art at SMFA/Tufts University. Natacha has participated in over 130 group exhibitions as well as over thirteen solo exhibitions for her paintings, drawings and printmaking. Currently, she lives in Raleigh NC.

Rick Bennett

Project Title: Layered Watercolor Still Lifes

Artist Statement[TA5] [PS6] : When Rick begins painting, there are frequently thoughts and ideas of how it may be processed. But when he picks up the brush, he follows the paint. He makes a proposition but water is the boss. He lets each area tell him what needs to be elsewhere. He did not intend to start a layered watercolor still life series, but the painting of apples made him think, what if I use this layering technique on this subject? What if I changed this about it in another painting? Each painting leading to the next with variations. The paintings were each started as a class demonstration in front of 10 students and refined his studio. Rick likes to say he has unfounded confidence.

Artist Biography: In rural eastern North Carolina, Rick's mother would gather the family to the car and off they would go exploring some abandoned house, trampling through the woods or hunting for fossils along the river shore. His art is an extension of that need to examine and investigate the world we inhabit. He looks for extraordinary elements in the ordinary things found in our everyday lives. Born in the small town of Arapahoe, NC, Rick lives in Raleigh. He is a full-time artist and has taught watercolor for 13 years. He is represented by Mattie King Davis Gallery, Beaufort, NC and GreenHill Gallery Shop, Greensboro, NC.

Sam Lasris

Artist Statement: This piece is about consumerism. All the pieces that comprise it come from manufactured paper. Every day consumers see a multitude of objects that have been packaged to catch one’s attention. Hours of deliberation by marketing executives go into deciding the color, shade, tone, size, shape, contrasts and fonts. Yet the consumer makes a purchase, and more often than not, quickly discards the packaging. Every week we get flyers, magazines and other items with very deliberate color layouts. This work makes use of the mass of material that accumulates. It’s designed to not only make the viewer think about the practically unlimited “stuff” produced nowadays, but it is also an exercise in reusing materials that would otherwise be thrown away.

Artist Biography: A life-long student of the arts, his starting influence was George Seurat. Other influences include Piet Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, Frank Stella and Jasper Johns. The earlier pieces were mixed media found object collages—small items often picked up on a sidewalk or floor. They were populated with metals, plastics, wood, fabrics, rubber, man-made leather, and paper. More recent work has focused on paper using the accumulation of brochures, calendars, magazines, flyers, cards, food packaging, and other papers that come in the daily mail.

Sheree Cameron

Project Title: Ferocity
Instagram @shereecameronart | https://www.shereecameron.com/

Artist Statement: Sheree is inspired by imperfection in the human form, the way we are viewed by others versus the way we view ourselves, and the versions of ourselves that we project to others.

Artist Biography: Sheree Cameron is an artist who resides in Raleigh. She began teaching herself to paint and later began taking extensive classes in charcoal drawing and acrylic painting. Her style ranges from detailed, realistic animal drawings and paintings to very exaggerated, expressive paintings of the human face. Sheree sees art as her freedom from the stress of daily life.

Shirley Cadmus

www.shirleycadmus.com

Artist Statement: Long hours of hard work are something that non-artists rarely associate with Fine Art and Craft. Consumers fail to realize that for every successful work of art there are failures—countless hours of hard physical and mental labor. Commitment to one's art often means sacrifice. After nearly forty years of creating with clay, glazes, and firings I developed emphysema and had to give it up. It was not easy to manipulate and control the 3D Pen, but since that first awkward month, I found my way and started making pottery-inspired shapes. I use a wide variety of nontoxic plant based plastic filaments. I sometimes use a bowl or some such form to support the filaments until they can support themselves. An artist's visual statement is the result of his/her own life experiences. An artist should be true to oneself rather than bend to the whims of a fickle public. I find pleasure in works that evolve intuitively and welcome experimentation.

Artist Biography: For the past five years Cadmus has been putting most of her time and efforts into creating her forms using a 3D Pen and PLA filaments. These forms are hollow, and reminiscent of the forms she loved throwing on the potter's wheel. They have been receiving attention and awards Nationally and Internationally. Most recently, two of Cadmus' 3D pieces were included in an International Exhibition held in Wayne, PA. Several have been included in National Exhibitions. One was awarded a second-place award in the Bower National Fibers competition, while receiving a Best In Crafts in New Bern, NC. Her 3D works have been included in several National Competitions in North Carolina.

Todd Kreisman

Project Title: Studies in Pencil
Instagram @ToddKreisman | www.toddkreismanart.com

Artist Statement: Drawing or sketching is often thought of as a jumping-off point for more substantial works. Kreisman often strives, however, to elevate the medium to inspire and move observers without the use of paint, pastels, or other materials. When attempting realism, he prefers the control of the pencil and related instruments in his hand, and the flexibility it grants him. Kreisman's goal in creating a piece is to provoke emotion from his viewer. It does not need to be profound; even if that emotion is amusement (or bemusement), as long as someone reacts in some way, he feels he has achieved his purpose. Kreisman loves to foster a personal connection with his audience, and he therefore encourages them to reach out to him, whether to communicate your feelings about a particular piece, or to suggest a subject for a future one. Perhaps his next work will be inspired not only by his own imagination, but by yours as well.

Artist Biography: Todd Kreisman has been an artist and an enthusiastic fan of creative experimentation since he was young but has only been pursuing a career in art for the past few years. In that time, he has taken classes, watched numerous online tutorials and practiced his craft tirelessly to hone his skills and define his artistic vision. While the majority of his work is graphite and colored pencil on paper and acrylic paint on canvas, he has also dabbled in charcoal, pastel, oil painting, and collage. Humor plays an important role for him. While it may not be evident in the pieces seen here today, much of his work is silly or absurdist, and his titles are often playful.

Tyamica Mabry

Project Title: Evolution of My Love
Social Media Handles: @typesofher | typesofher.com

Artwork Statement: Evolution of My Love is a story in poetry form that takes the reader on a journey through love. Tyamica shares her life experience in seeking love, which comes with heartache. Practicing self-love leads to finding a soulmate. Once her soulmate transitions, life as a widow is the beginning of a new journey in love. The painting, Connected, depicts Tyamica's soulmate in his physical form. Connected is a representation of how life is connected in the physical realm and after. A soul is still connected to an eternal lifeline through transitioning from physical to spiritual. "Energy cannot be created or destroyed," therefore, energy never dies. Loved ones live on through their connection in love. Grief only exists because of love, which shows love is ever evolving. Continuing to be creative helped Tyamica process the difficult time of grieving by expressing her love and emotions in a way that may help others through their own experiences.

Artist Biography: Tyamica Mabry is a self-taught artist in Mebane, North Carolina. She discovered her gift for art in her adult years which confirms her belief that where there is passion, there is ability. Her medium of choice is acrylic, but she likes to experiment with other mediums to create more textured paintings. While there are no limitations in her subject matter, she captures life's beauty as bold faces and flowers take the forefront of her collection. Tyamica creates artwork through poetry, painting, crafting, instructing and encouraging others to embrace their internal beauty and to appreciate the moments.