From staff reports
Seven artists whose works have been featured in exhibits from Pennsylvania to California and north to Canada will be the focus of the Invited Artists Exhibit and Sale on December 4 in Tyrone.
As part of the Tyrone Victorian Christmas Celebration, the Tyrone Arts Council arranged for this select group of artists to showcase their talents in a unique exhibit at the Tyrone Public Library on Pennsylvania Avenue and Tenth Street. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to view the work on display as well as talk with each artist.
The exhibit will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free of charge.
The artists showcased in the exhibit include: Yong Sook Kim-Lambert, Peter Frantz, Teresa Futrick, Mary Lou Calderwood, John McCahan, Jill Fitzgerald and Eric and Tracy Feather.
Yong Sook Kim was reared in Korea and studied art at Hong Ik University in Seoul and the Yun Mook Oriental Center of Korea. In 1991 she immigrated to Canada with her husband and moved to this area in 1999, settling in Birmingham. Her unique and vibrant watercolors have earned Yong Sook Kim top honors from Watercolor International Society exhibits in California, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky to name a few as well as in Canada and New York.
A graduate of the University of Notre dame and Goddard College in Vermont, Peter Frantz developed his skills in the creation of sculpture. His postgraduate work has taken Peter from Princeton to Hartford to Philadelphia. His work has been featured in exhibits throughout the country, especially in the Washington, D.C. and New York areas. A combination of metal and hand-blown glass are trade marks of Peter’s work. Mr. Frantz resides in Sinking Valley.
The art of icon painting is centuries old, but alive in the works created by Tyrone resident, Teresa Futrick. Each icon is hand-painted by Futrick on flat, birch panels that have been prepared in a meticulous procedure. Gold leaf is employed extensively as backgrounds, halos and ornamentation on garments. The icon is accompanied by the story pertaining to that particular religious figure. St. Nicholas will be a feature of the exhibit. Mrs. Futrick’s icons have been displayed throughout the east coast and are sold in galleries throughout New York.
The enchanting fairies and elves sculpted by Mary Lou Calderwood are a trip into the imagination of every child. Based on a childhood story of the fairies that resided in Tyrone’s Reservoir Park, Mary Lou began creating these one of a kind sculptures for her grandchildren. Her fairies now grace homes as far away as Hawaii and are sold exclusively through art shows or internet contacts.
The term “natural talent” truly represents this Tipton resident’s approach to painting. Painting never really was a priority until John McCahan retired, but time allowed him to fine tune his skills creating inviting landscapes and enchanting scenes of every day life. Mr. McCahan is a regular exhibitor in area shows and has had many of his paintings recreated as prints.
Turning the tiny canvas of a tree ball into an individualized work of art is the amazing talent of this Tyrone artist. Jill Fitzgerald uses a large amount of patience to complete each painting which completely surrounds the tree ball. Jill’s paintings include area historical buildings, holiday scenes and wildlife. The most unique aspect of Mrs. Fitzgerald’s work is that she will also personalize each painting by including people, homes, and even pets that are part of a buyer’s family history.
This husband and wife team of Eric and Tracy Feather offers an exhibit of sensational watercolors and hand-thrown pottery. Eric, an art teacher in the Tyrone School District, brings a dynamic approach to his watercolors using vibrant colors and a blend or photo like realism and contemporary style.
This area’s abundance of natural beauty is often the inspiration for many of Mr. feather’s paintings. Tracy Feather works with an earth-toned base clay and uses firing techniques to create distinctive pieces in natural colors.
