First Friday Artist Jane Yelliot

In-Town Gallery is pleased to present Jane Yelliott as the Featured Artist for the month of August. Her whimsical watercolors portray beloved family members and their animal pets in a collection of new paintings that she calls “Family Zoo”. Visitors to the gallery may meet the artist at an opening reception on the First
Friday, August 1, 2008, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A member of In-Town Gallery for 24 years, this versatile artist has displayed her expertise in many mediums over the years. She is equally ‘at home’ with watercolors or oils, and has more recently discovered the joys of direct expression with pastels. “Several years ago I fell in love with pastels when I took my first workshop with Margaret Dyer, and a whole new world opened up. I had no idea what depth could be obtained with pastels until then, and how much fun they could be!”

Jane is an accomplished portrait painter, so that this new series is very much in her ‘comfort zone’. Family members are often her subjects, including an assortment of beloved pets, from her own cats to her children’s dogs and farm animals. Especially appealing are young children, caught in their natural activities. She explains her preferences, “Trees, flowers, mountains and lakes are all beautiful things to paint, but animals, and children in particular, are just incredible creatures to paint. A sunlit flower or tree can be a vibrant subject, but the expression of a child … or an animal, is beyond compare.”

Best Buddies

Painting seriously for 30 years, Jane concentrated primarily on watercolors. Early instruction began with still lifes which she did not enjoy, as she preferred real life subjects. In the 90s Jane was introduced to glazing on tiles, and received several commercial commissions for large installations. In Chattanooga, the floor of the Aquarium is covered with her turtle tiles – brightly colored figures on black porcelain tiles of various dimensions. Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC , best known for its Culinary program, commissioned Jane to do a series of large tile murals depicting the evolution of food throughout history, from a caveman roasting a haunch of beef over a fire  to a French pastry shop. She created a series of “Cookapelli” tiles, changing traditional Southwest Indian kokopelli figures into chefs.

“I go from one medium to another when the mood strikes me, or if I seem to have a mental block with what I am trying to achieve. Each medium requires its own particular techniques which produce totally different results in the end.” Never at a loss for trying something new, Jane continues to produce an appealing variety of original artwork.

First Friday at In-Town Gallery: Eleanor Goodson

Eleanor presented her newest creations at the opening reception on Friday evening, July 11, as the featured artist for this month.

Called “Intricate Connections”, Ms. Goodson’s collection includes Etruscan-style chain necklaces and bracelets made with hand-formed wire of pure silver and gold. She introduced “granulated” details on several pieces, and added unique pendants to a number of her semi-precious bead and pearl necklaces.

Eleanor with Susan Batten, daughter of In-Town artist Jane Yelliot

A native of Chattanooga, Ms. Goodson is a self-espoused “rock hound” who began working with semi-precious stones when she was given lapidary equipment in fourth grade. Learning the qualities of the different gems led to her interest in jewelry design.

Eleanor with In-Town artist Amanda Farris

“I was fascinated by Greek jewelry and started taking Ancient Jewelry Design classes about 20 years ago, when I became a member of In-Town. I attend a class every year. I make a 22K alloy that is close to alluvial gold in composition, and I use that or fine (pure) silver for my chains. I enjoy making my own wire. There is something about going from a lump of metal to a finished chain or ring that’s exciting.”

Bob Jackson and Eleanor enjoy a good laugh!

Ms. Goodson’s original creations include rings, pendants, pins and even an occasional belt buckle. Necklace designs are distinctive combinations of semi-precious stones, pearls, gold or silver beads, with cast pieces and special clasps.

Eleanor shows a granulated necklace to Beverly Conner and Dr. David Conner

Eleanor Goodson’s Friday, July 11th Front Wall Exhibit

For July, In-Town will be having our First Friday extended hour opening for Eleanor Goodson on Friday, July 11th. The First Friday for July falls on July 4th and the gallery will be closed that day for the holiday.

I got a chance to see some of the gold and silver chains that Eleanor has been working on and they are exquisite.

So, remember, July 11th, from 5pm to 8 pm come by the gallery for light refreshments and enjoy Eleanor’s new work…it is stunning!

New Member News

New member Coyee Langston will be participating in Pinnacle Condominiums Open House on Thursday. Click here for the Press Release in The Chattanoogan.

Maggie Vandewalle @ 4 Bridges Art Festival

In-Town artist Maggie Vandewalle will be participating in the 4 Bridges Art Festival in Chattanooga this weekend.  This is a nationally recognized art festival sponsored by the Association of Visual Artists (AVA) and the Downtown Partnership.

Mary Whittle at Arrowcraft Shop in Gatlinburg…

In-Town artist Mary Whittle will be demonstrating her copperplate etching techniques at Arrowcraft Shop in Gatlinburg (across from the aquarium) on May 2-3. Arrowcraft is run by the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.

A Day in the Gallery…

I thought I would post some pictures of the new work that was recently hung in the gallery. Twice a year, In-Town turns over the gallery with all new work. We are getting ready for our Spring opening on Friday, May 2. The new work is exciting to see, as our artists are constantly evolving and stretching out their creative wings in an effort to grow.

As a newish member, I am still learning a lot about how the gallery functions, and the important contributions all of our members make to make sure the gallery operates in a smooth manner. But the one thing that I am coming to love is the opportunity to share our knowledge of our chosen medium with the general public. Working at the gallery offers each of our artists a great opportunity to connect with others in a way that is deeper than connections made at hectic art shows.

Tom Church, a master woodworker who chooses to utilize local Tennessee wood in his work, is shown here talking to another aspiring woodworker. I enjoyed hearing about the different woods and tools used to make wood furniture, bowls and other vessels; but more importantly, I enjoyed the obvious passion they both shared about turning wood into objects of beauty.

After spending a day working with Tom, I have come to appreciate more the attention to detail and obvious talent he has for woodwork, and the next time I have the opportunity to answer a prospective buyer’s questions about his work, I have much more confidence about how to answer. It is a win-win situation for the artists, prospective buyers and the gallery. This is one of the perks about belonging to an artists’ co-op.

In between conversations with the public, Tom and I worked on some new marketing ideas, and hung tags next to some of the members new work on the walls. Janis Wilkey, a painter, came in with some new work to hang and we got a chance to catch up with her.

I had the pleasure to have a long, satisfying conversation about photography and how to market your work with a delightful couple from Louisville, KY. They were visiting Chattanooga in celebration of their anniversary, and the exchange of ideas from one regional artist to another, again, was wonderful. Here they are in front of a piece by Bradley Wilson…

Mark and Claudette Rego have a photography business in Louisville, KY. He likes to take photographs of local, Louisville buildings and sights specific to Old Town Louisville. They enjoyed the work of our photographers too.

Now, I thought I would share with you some photos from the gallery, as we are preparing for our Spring opening. Again, all new work is coming in, so please come by In-Town to see the latest from our very talented artists.

Segmented woodwork by Jeff Hewitt…(he has an opening coming up in June!)

Exquisite detail of a Bearded Iris in watercolor by Helen Burton…

New jewelry by In-Town artists Eleanor Goodson, Mary Helen Robert, Mary Beth Mcclure and Stacie Florer. (Clay leaf display by In-Town artist Mary Lynch)

These pictures give just a taste of the superb new work….make sure you mark your calendar for May 2 from 5-8 pm!

First Friday March…The Passion Flower in Pics

First Friday’s Passion Flower exhibit was a huge success…many people came and enjoyed Virginia Webb’s moving photography of Ann Law’s Tattoo Installation.

The opening was supposed to be over by 7:00 pm, but many people stayed longer to enjoy the gallery.

Here are some pictures from the event:

The front wall…

The Silent Auction bid table…

The beautiful refreshment table…

Call for Artists

In-Town Gallery, a juried fine art co-operative in Chattanooga’s thriving North Shore neighborhood, is inviting visual artists to apply for membership. For jury guidelines and membership benefits visit In-Town at 26 Frazier Avenue or call 267-9214. To request an email application write to intowngallery@bellsouth.net or download an application from our web site at www.intowngallery.com.

Member News!

I (Stacie Florer) was out and about on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and was taking pictures of the events on Frazier Avenue….thought you might want to see what two of our gallery members are up to!

Virginia Webb was in the gallery as I walked in to see the new front wall showcasing her “Passion Flower” photography exhibit…I persuaded her to let me take a shot of her.

There are plenty of prints too….

When I first saw the print of Ann Law and her husband holding hands…I started crying. The photo is very emotional and shows wordlessly the power of love. Great job Virginia!

As I walked down the street, another In-Town artist was participating in Frazier Street’s Art Til Dark festival. Mary Beth McClure is a glass artist whose work you can find in the gallery. She just added some amazing fused glass earrings to the gallery that are wonderful…please come by and check them out in the front window and the glass case in the middle of the gallery. Mary Beth’s glass creations are exciting to purchase since they are utilitarian as well as beautiful…

Mary Beth at her outdoor booth…

I couldn’t resist taking this photo with the different shades of blue…

Who can resist a rainbow? Especially when a fish is involved!