Through Our Eyes

Sterling silver and gemstone jewelry by Arianna Bara, nature and figurative watercolor paintings by Ryann Carey, distinctive fine furniture and wall panels by Ian Herdell. In the gallery May 23rd through June 25th. Opening reception during Hillsborough’s Last Friday Art Walk, May 26th, 6-9pm. The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts is owned by 21 local artists featuring painting, sculpture, photography, glass, jewelry, handcrafted furniture, pottery, and mixed media. 121 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough NC. Hours: Monday through Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12 – 4. For more information about the show visit www.HillsboroughGallery.com

When a new piece begins to take shape in jeweler Arianna Bara’s mind, sometimes the idea arrives before the stones, 0ther times not. Then she pulls out trays of stones and fossils from around the world. “I lay them out on my design table and begin the process of mixing and matching colors, shapes, textures, sizes. I am invariably drawn towards figurative combinations. As the sunlight falls across them, flashes of color and movement spark my attention as I shift them around. In my mind’s eye heads and bodies come together in combinations that evoke an ancient primal female form. When the right stones find each other it is as satisfying as fitting together pieces of a puzzle.”

Painter Ryann Carey fell in love with the challenge of watercolors as a medium for expression. In the last year she’s been using their transparency to explore her interest in negative space. “I strive to merge the representational world with the emotional response that it elicits. Photography was my first love in art, so I let my love of observation be my inspiration to capture a moment on camera. With my paintings, I then rely heavily on my memory to portray not only what the eye has seen but also the feeling that a space and time evoked. Humans are united by our common experiences and our emotional connection to our environment. My hope is to create work that conjures up this common thread among us.”

Woodworker Ian Herdell is fascinated by the stories that trees can tell. Each piece of wood has a unique history, shaped by the natural world over its lifetime. “Through my art, I strive to forge a connection between nature and human intention, making something new and beautiful to share. Through my eyes, trees tell me of soil, wind and water – of storms, insects and fungus – of passing seasons – of time on a slow scale. My work is inspired by the organic shapes and textures of trees and the stories they hold within. Each piece is handmade and represents a conversation, a back and forth I have with the tree’s tale and our shared human story. Both are old sagas and I feel privileged to add a few lines of my own.”