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espite the heat and the sudden spike in gas prices, the 2nd Annual Celebration of Fine Arts drew a steady crowd of visitors to the harbor area of Oriental Saturday. Marlene Miller, who with Judy Wayland organized the event, says the several dozen artists who were showing their work on the grounds of the Oriental Marina and one block of Hodges Street near the waterfront, were happy with the turnout and sales.

One of the youngest artists on hand. Meherrin Stansell prepares to paint the rainbarrel that will go to the Heartworks Center for kids in Bayboro.

In addition to the displays by artists, the show gave children a chance to make some art of their own, while several musicians played on the marina’s deck through the day.

There was no official estimate of how many had attended, but Miller says that in addition to attracting many people from town and from Pamlico County, she also heard comments from a number of people who said they had never before visited Oriental. She said she thought that as events and festivals go, the art show was “not invasive or overwhelming” to the town. A Third Annual Celebration of Fine Arts festival should be in the offing next year, Miller says.

Morays, alligators and fish visited, too. TraSea Art up close.

While it was hot, the weather cooperated in one very significant way for an event in mid-September. “I’m very happy,” Miller said, “that for two years in a row, we’ve had no hurricanes.”

A recurring them for a lot of the art in the show was Water — its surface, the boats on it, the creatures in it, even the barrels that contain it. You can see for yourself in the five pages of photos that follow. Enjoy!

Traci Carr of Pine Knoll Shores says she has been making these sea creatures for years but the art show in Oriental was the first time that she brought them out for all to see. Visitors seemed to like what they saw. You could see them being carried away to new homes. (By the way, Traci’s creations had not gobbled her left foot. It’s just hiding behind her right leg.)

There was one painting at the show that tempted you to touch it to verify that yes, indeed, it is painted on flocked wallpaper. The artist, Alyce Santoro lives in West Texas. Her mother, Jeannette Santoro of Whortonsville noted that the design on the wallpaper resembles the jellyfish shape.

The whole jellyfish on flocked wallpaper.

Missy Lupton of Bayboro’s “Pigments of Imagination” pins up some of the artwork created on the spot Saturday.

Fish fry, small fry. The “Pigments of Imagination” booth had dozens of children stopping by to press fish on to paper.

Marlene Miller, who organized the Celebration of the Art show, tapped a familiar subject for one of her own paintings. Bob Miller strikes the pose again at the show.

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NY urban comes to Oriental’s urban center. Before moving back to Oriental this spring, Jenny Boudreault spent a year in New York finishing her studies. Her NY water towers were on display along with her Pamlico County scenes.

Jason Boudreault’s cutting boards made from reclaimed wood, some from a Brazilian railroad trestle, some from an Amish bakery. Behind the cutting boards are Jenny Boudreault’s self-portraits, in which the sleeper seems to be napping on the grass next to the Bean.

A familiar anchorage by Charlotte Garrett.

Martin Henry’s mirrors showing Martin Henry’s fish.

Across the harbor from where netted fish are brought in, a different netting and different fish.

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Fish made from gourds and recycled guitar strings by Laura Barnett of Raleigh. Her cousin, Anne Parker of Oriental, says that music stores save the instrument strings for Laura.

Another artist wove music in to her work, literally. These pennants by Alyce Santoro are made of the tape from audio recordings.

Jeannette Santoro of Whortonsville, whose daughter Alyce makes the flags, says one performer, in the band Phish, has worn clothes made of Alyce’s material and then run something like a cassette player head over it to make a sound. The flags didn’t play back Saturday but they did rustle in the slight breeze.

Live or Memorex? Live. Kathleen and Frank Murphy were among the performers who played on the deck at the Oriental Marina throughout the art show.

Michelle Deneke of Chapel Hill showed off her “Got Wired” serving spoons, which showed off Michelle if you look closely enough.

Candace Young whose Bay River Pottery often features Japanese-inspired horse-hair burnings had a new line for sale: whistles. Don’t be deceived: it may look like a ceramic frog but as Candace demonstrates here.. it can be made to whistle.

Poke weed is a plant many rip out of the ground, but Candace Young grows it for its electric pink stalk. The floral arrangements are part of the art of her pottery display.

More art this-a-way.

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A sand fence at the beach, painted by Joan Russell of Arapahoe had some of Oriental’s river light coming thru from behind.

Joan Russell’s painting of Cape Lookout Light.

The afternoon sun put some shadows across the Neuse River in Janet Adkins’ ferry painting.

Adkins Diet? Still life by Janet Adkins.

Judy Wayland, one of the organizers of the art show, with her jewelry.

Julie Gaines with her treatment of Van Gogh’s “Bedroom at Arles,” done with cut paper instead of oils.

Painting with words. Local authors Tom H. Forbes and S.I. Horvath. Tom Forbes’ book, “Irene’s Night” draws from a two-year journal he kept as his wife and potter Irene Glover suffered from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Stephan Horvath’s novel, “Picara” involves the CIA and drug running.

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John Hanley’s oil paintings were on display near Oriental’s harbor, where the red trawler on the water — at left — was a bookend for the red trawler in the painting at right.

Manfred Rott turns a lathe and takes the wood and the imagination for a spin. One piece had what looked like a boat deck’s non-skid on it but Manfred said it was paint that ran, which he then varnished over. (If he called it non-skid, however, it’d qualify as ‘marine’ and a 20% markup.)

Bob Pittman, who was among the earliest waves of artists in Oriental, had a collection of his work on display. Another of his creations was house multi-angled next to the Town Beach, which grew many new additions over the decades. It was torn down earlier this year and a new house is being built, in which Bob will have his studio.

Lou Powell’s birdhouse and other carvings.

Gourds with bling.

It was warm. Cliff HIll’s Galileo Thermometer indicated the temp being somewhere in the 90’s.

Down at the other end of Hodges Street, Laura Turgeon and Gil Fontes opened their doors for a preview of their new Hodges Street Studios. Laura and Gil are sitting on one of Gil’s works, below a collection of Laura’s.

Posted Monday September 15, 2008 by Melinda Penkava