Potters Ted Reeder and Roger Harvey, woodturner Jim Roche and painters Marie Miller and Victoria Pearmain all share natural instincts about their artwork. Whether creating with nature's resources of clay and wood or representing scenes of natural beauty, these five talented artists are presenting a collection of their work during December.
The public is invited to meet them at a reception on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Ted Reeder designs his porcelain pots to be ergonomically correct with a high degree of functionality. As a cook, he personally field-tests each piece. His skill as a sculptor influences his shapes, which reflect the curves found in nature. Developing his own glazes and firing schedules gives him control over the colors he produces.
"I seek peace, harmony and serenity in my life, and I hope those qualities are conveyed to the observer through my art," Reeder says in his artist's statement.
- Roger Harvey throws his pots on the potter's wheel but distorts many of them while they are on the wheel or when partially dry. He became interested in salt glazing in college and used the process when he was a potter on Cape Cod.
"I am continuing the technique in my new endeavors because the glazing is so integrated with the making of the pot," he said. "The pots are high-fired, and then salt is thrown into the kiln while at the highest temperature."
Harvey also does many of the decorations on the wheel before the clay dries, using colored clays called slip.
- Jim Roche began working in a cabinet shop in the 1970s in Florida. He later learned to perform the same milling operations by hand, which led to his love of working with wood. His primary focus is on turned wood, including segmented pieces.
"I enjoy making deep, hollow forms where the challenge is to produce a clean, smooth finish inside the vessel where conventional finishing techniques cannot be used," he says in his statement.
Popular and practical items that Roche creates include pens with the barrel made of hand-turned exotic wood that is finished with hardware plated with precious metals such as sterling silver, rhodium, platinum, black and gold titanium.
Marie Miller, a former member of In-Town Gallery, paints distinctive oils and watercolors that capture light through color on canvas and paper. Although her subject matter reflects her life and travel experience, she prefers to paint primarily on location. The artist produces dramatic and luminous work by pushing color further than it is normally perceived. Loose brushwork depicts her subject matter through gesture.
Victoria Pearmain, also a former member of the gallery, is primarily a plein-air oil painter who portrays the landscape and architecture in small-scale works on canvas or paper. Rough fields, dirt roads, hidden pastures and remnants of industrial America where nature has reclaimed the land are her favorite subjects.
"My paintings combine plein-air and studio work to create a sense of place," she said. "In the field, my interest is in the immediacy of color, light and the momentary feeling of the location. In the studio, the work is often a reduction of elements to find what is most important to me about the scene."
On Dec. 9, Eleanor Goodson will hold her annual fine-jewelry trunk show from 4 to 7 p.m. She will be showing her latest original creations in pearls, rare beads, precious stones and jewels, in addition to her trademark handmade silver and gold link necklaces, bracelets and exquisitely designed gold rings.
In-Town Gallery, 26 Frazier Ave., is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 267-9214 for more information.