Toxicity, Barry Benner Plastic, 17 x 16 x 10, $250 Why I don’t know, but I decided to save the plastic rings drink containers came in over the years. During a get rid of useless stuff phase, I reconsidered the items I had collected. I thought that since I had drunk what they held through the years and the fact that they would last forever, I should save some trash and make something out of them that might still have some life long after I was dead. The dimensionality of time. Fractured Reflections, Barry Benner Used dvds, 24 x 30, $450 For several years I would save DVDS and CDS that were scratched or that I decided I didn’t want to use again. Each one I had devoted some of my time to. They were in a nice stack. There got to be so many that I decided to throw them out last year, but on looking at them, I saw how reflective the backs were and how light made rainbows and decided they would be better used as art than trash. Roopville Potato House, Patrick Henrickson Mixed media on canvas, 36 x 24 framed, $500 I have been working with the family to restore the Potato House in Roopville, Georgia a few miles from my studio. Seemed like a good time to do a painting of a country scene with sunflowers which have been planted at the potato house. The chair is just a symbol of relaxing country living. Crows are always hanging around the sunflowers. Sweet Dreams, Patrick Henrickson Photo taken from IpHone: Mounted archival print, 14 x 14, $100 iPhone digital illustration piece. Every night I am required to wear a CPAP mask. This is a self-portrait waking after a Good Night's sleep due to wearing this mask. I am grateful that my condition is improved, and I am able to have "Sweet Dreams." Compelled by Nature, Alice Searcy, Oil, 11 x 14, $385 Art has always been a passion, and Mother Nature has influenced that passion. As a result, I try to capture her beauty through landscape paintings or by creating a still life composition that includes some form of nature. “Compelled by Nature” represents both loves. The small landscape painting is a scene from rural Carroll county, the brushes are from my studio, and the birds bring life to the painting. Together, they represent some of my favorite things. Primary Residence, Alice Searcy Oil, 20 x 24, $495 As a painter, my work is usually inspired by nature, and bird’s nests are a favorite subject. I’m in awe of a bird’s ability to gather, transport, and weave a structure that is both intricate and architectural. In my painting, “Primary Residence”, I substituted the eggs with tubes of paint. All colors in nature can be derived from these three primary colors plus white. I can no longer look at objects without mentally mixing these colors in various combinations to recreate the color I see. Beauty at Rest, Wanda Cox, Pastel, 21 x 18 (w/o frame), NFS Kaley, my second granddaughter, was never easy. She stayed overnight and decided to sleep on the floor. The next morning she was sleeping peacefully with a beautiful light streaming from behind while under a quilt her great-grandmother made. I knew I had to paint her and the memory of four generations of women that have loved, prayed and in a small way shaped her to be the young woman she now is. Mila's Light, Wanda Cox Pastel, 24 x 18 (w/o frame), NFS Born in Alaska, I didn’t meet my third granddaughter until she was 3 years old. During her visit she was sitting near the window with the sun shining from behind her. When I looked at the photo, I could see her great-grandmother’s profile (my mother) along with her mother’s curly hair. I painted her with the vision of my mother, me, and my daughter to capture a moment in time and remember where she came from. Caravaggio, Andrea Stone Oil on canvas, 32 x 32, $800 Art history has been a strong passion since early art education. My interest has never dimmed, and I continue to be fascinated by the stories and journeys of great artists' lives and works. In this still life, I make reference to one of my favorite artists, Caravaggio. When The Time Comes, Jeffrey Thomas Glass, 11 x 11, $150 Blockages come in all shapes and sizes. Historically, or prehistorically even, they were bigger. Drainage Issues, Jeffrey Thomas Glass, 11 x 11, $150 Being deep in a forest, or bamboo grove, one may become conscious of the unknown. In this case a storm culvert, in the middle of nowhere, why? Owl, Bluebird and Heron, Helen Helwig, Clay (3 plates with hanging wire), approx 8" each, $150 for the set As a Girl Scout and scout leader, I enjoyed camping. Being outdoors heightened my awareness of nature. I became an avid birdwatcher which connects me with the world. Nouveau Blue Iris, Helen Helwig Clay with wire hanger, 13 x 9, $110 I have lived in many diverse geographic locations during my life. One of my first goals when I move to a new place is to learn about the trees, flowers and birds of that area. The flowers in Georgia are so colorful and dramatic. This blue iris design is influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. Native Flowers and Butterfly Pollinator, Helen Helwig Clay with wire hanger, 13 x 7, $110 As a young adult I attended a National Audubon camp with classes on ecosystems and photography. It was a wonderful education where I learned about the natural world. Later I was a volunteer at an Environmental Center and led groups of school children on hikes. I loved pointing out pollinators (bees, butterflies, moths and bugs) on flowers and talking about their importance. A Slice of Life from 1976, Randy Ayers, Raku ceramic, 6 x 6 put together, $60 A thrown pot cut in half. In 1976 as I was learning the wheel I spent the summer making pot after pot and cutting them in half to see how well I was handling the clay. Overthrown Vase, Randy Ayers, Raku ceramic, 9", $70 As I tried to make taller cylinders, I was not always aware of the clay's ability to support itself, and they would distort in a variety of ways. This piece is a reminder to me of that time after I was thinking of retirement and returned to making pots. A slice from circa 2003. Tree of Change, Randy Ayers Raku ceramic, 18 x 14, $120 This tree represents three slices that are very important to me. This style of product was my first attempt at Raku pieces that were not wheel thrown. It also represents the changes that occur each fall in foliage in Georgia. And a slice from 2008 my year of retirement. Quarantine 2020, Laura Smith, Oil on birch, 8 x 12, $150 During the quarantine of 2020, my (and your!) life quickly morphed into an abstract version of its former self, while retaining many of its realities. "Quarantine 2020”, through the use of abstract combined with representational, illustrates that duality playing out in my new- sometimes lovely, sometimes not- everyday. Slice of Light, Laura Smith Oil on birch panel, 20 x 40, $900 Before I took up painting in 2017, I never lurked in alleys. Suddenly, the first thing I do when hunting for ideas in a new (or familiar) location is seek out the back sides of the shops, or head straight to the train tracks - that’s where the best stuff is! If there’s a strong light and shadow pattern falling across a derelict building, I’m hooked! Closed for Business, Laura Smith, Oil on birch panel, 12 x 14, $250 “Closed for Business” is an example of both my love of abandoned buildings, and a strong shadow at that perfect time of day. This painting came alive for me, after posting it on social media during the “shelter at home” 2020. Many community members shared a slice of their lives involving memories of this old gas station. From childhood ice cream cones, to sheltering under its expansive awning waiting out a hail storm. This painting taught me how all of our “slices” fit together, whether we realize it or not. Sailor Take Warning, Carlos Anduze, Acrylic, 47 x 24, $950 Some may be familiar with the sea and the terms, “Red sky at morning, Sailor take warning, Red sky at night, Sailors’ delight”. This Artist did not heed the red morning sky and proceeded to go sailing in the Bahamas. Soon after putting out , a storm from out of nowhere, began to toss the sailboat from top to bottom of the waves. This Artist attempts to depict his feelings of fear and helplessness through the colors of orange ,Red sky, and the turbulent blue-black waves. Fortunately for the Sailor, there were shoals and the boat ran aground, thus preventing capsize. To this day this Artist will always heed “Sailor take Warning” Waiting for a Wind, Carlos Anduze Acrylic, 24 x 36, $725 While visiting in Albuquerque, New Mexico I was fortunate to experience the popular Hot Air Balloon & Kite Festival. The Festival encompasses hot air balloons and kites in all shapes and colors. All expectations are dependent upon, of course, the wind which has a mind of its own. At times everyone, as well as the balloons and the kites are all ‘waiting for a wind’.