Cool
Landscapes and Warm Seashores Headed to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
March 16, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arts, Entertainment, Travel Editors
Images available
Contact: Emelia
Cowans at (919) 733-7450, ext. 305
RALEIGH -- The work of two North Carolina artists will be on display in the Museum's Nature Art Gallery from April 1 to May 30. The exhibit features several paintings by two award-winning artists, Tim Treadwell of Garner and Pat Holscher of Washington, NC.
Holscher started drawing animals at an early
age and has enjoyed a professional art career full time since 1993.
Holscher paints using watercolor, something
she says happened by accident. "I decided to start taking classes
at the Sertoma Art Center in Raleigh after learning I couldn't have children.
I would have taken a drawing class first, but it got canceled so I ended
up in a watercolor class instead. Contrary to popular belief, watercolor
really is the hardest medium… much harder than oils and acrylic.
It's the unpredictability of it. You don't have the option of going over
it and over it until you get it right," she says.
Most watercolors are very soft and pretty, but Holscher's are bold and vibrant, oftentimes taking on a personality of their own. Holscher says she uses a lot of color. "Mine are stronger than your average watercolors. I like to paint living things with character and play with textures and unusual colors. I like the drips, runs and surprises." Of all the animals she likes to paint, Holscher says birds are the most fun. "Birds have so much personality, they're so much like little people."
She's currently a member of the Beaufort County Arts Council and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina. Over the years, she's won numerous awards -- most recently, 'Best North Carolina Scene' at the State Fair Juried Art Exhibition.
Tim Treadwell paints in acrylic, capturing the
beauty and diversity of nature spanning from the mountains to the coast.
The result: breathtaking
prints that look so real, you think you're looking at a photograph. "The
artistic representation of nature is a tool that I use to understand
the natural environment more completely," said Treadwell.
Treadwell's works take on a 3-D effect because the mix of colors is so vibrant. He also uses species that occur naturally together. In doing so, Treadwell says he learns more about the actual landscape and can appreciate the world around him. "I enjoy the variety that life offers and feel that all of these experiences have made me a better artist. To me, art is the intention to bring something special, personal, and hopefully beautiful to whatever I'm doing."
Heather Heath, manager of the Museum Store, is excited about the upcoming art exhibit. "Seeing this show is like taking a trip across North Carolina with Tim Treadwell and Pat Holscher as your guides. Experiencing the varied landscapes of our state and its exquisite native plants through Tim's eyes will amaze and inspire any viewer. When I look at Pat Holscher's bird paintings I can feel the breeze that's ruffling their feathers and smell the salt in that breeze. She has a spontaneity and immediacy that enables the viewer to experience her paintings with more than their eyes."
An opening reception for the new exhibit, "Cool Landscapes and Warm Seashores," will take place Friday, April 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Nature Art Gallery. The Museum Store will offer after-hours shopping until 9 p.m. For more information, contact Heath at Heather.Heath@ncmail.net, 919-733-7450, ext. 360.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
| Home | What's New? | Visitor Info | Calendar | Exhibits |
| Education | Research | Museum Store | Join Us! | |
| Search | Fun Stuff | Site Map | Staff Directory | Links |