Gyotaku by David J. Denick

Welcome to a our new artist David Denick!

Using rice paper, watercolors, colored pencils and a real fish, David creates beautiful, one of a kind works of art.

Gyotaku - (魚拓, from gyo "fish" + taku "rubbing") is a traditional form of Japanese fish printing, dating from the mid 1800s, a form of nature printing used by fishermen to record their catches.

In order to make a gyotaku print, one paints the subject (e.g. fish, crab, scallop shell) with sumi ink, places  the rice paper over it and rub.

The fresher the fish is the more detail can be achieved.

David is an avid fisherman and travels regularly to Alaska, Florida Keys and the Caribbean where he finds subjects for his work.

Occasionally he'll open his door in the morning only to fin an unusual fish on his doorstep in a cooler with a note!

To see more of Davids art visit our website by clicking here.

Hectic 2 Weeks & Why I love New Bern

My sister Betsey just reminded me that I hadn't posted anything in 10 days, "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

No everything is right! We've had one event after another and company to boot.

Without going into too much detail, a week ago Friday we had our May ArtWalk opening, we were packed all day long. clay sculptor Justine and her friend Cindy were here for the reception. Their work depicts the work of Klimt and the show is called "The Viennese Waltz". The pieces are fabulous. Here is just one piece from the show.

About 5 pm that evening my brother and sister in laws from Indianapolis arrived for the car show. On Saturday there were over 500 award winning cars on our downtown streets. To get into the show the car had to have won at the national level, cars came from as far away as Washington State and Alaska. I didn't get to go to the show but got one of my own.

As the show broke up I stepped outside my studio and saw about half of the cars driving by!

At the same time we had day 2 of our clay workshop with Justine in our studio. The pieces all turned out great.

That evening at 5 pm there was a block party at the Farmers Market with 3000 Harley Davidson motorcycles!

Sunday while Donna and Lori held down the fort we took our company on the circle tour, Fort Macon, Beach, Beaufort, Ferry ride, Oriental and home.

Monday morning was the first day of a 3 day Plein Air painting workshop, led by Mike Rooney, at our studio.

It was a great workshop and I learned a lot. I am a watercolorist but want to paint in oils too. While I've done some oil paintings that were successful I really struggle with it. With my background in architectural illustration I really get caught up in the details so it takes me forever to do a painting.

In this workshop I learned how to paint faster, put more color in my painting giving it a fresher look. At workshops the goal is not to do a finished painting but to learn. That being said I did finish (almost, I just need to clean up a few lines) this little painting. I really like it. Its fresh with lots of color and contrast.

The fast part is really going to be good because I've got a show coming up in July with my friend Carol Tokarski. Yikes!!

On top of all that there were a couple conventions in town and after we closed tonight I came home and laid in the hammock on our porch and listened to the steel drum music from the "Music in the Park' Series at Union Point Park 1/2 a block from my house.

Hectic but a great time to live in New Bern.

Day 1 at our clay sculpture workshop with Justine Ferreri

We had a great day Saturday at our clay workshop with Justine!

The neat thing was that most participants were not experiences at all working with clay, yet turned out a great piece. Next week we'll add the color and assemble them. 

Plein Air Painting workshop with Mike Rooney

Plein Air Painting Workshop with Mike Rooney - May 17-19, 2010

Join us for a 3 day, outdoor painting workshop with North Carolina Artist Mike Rooney.

We will paint outside everyday.

Indoor space available if we have bad weather.

When you sign up we'll send you the supply list and brochure. Want to see the brochure first? email us at info@carolinacreations.com.

Take the mystery out of painting en plein aire! Learn how to capture the feel of the outdoor scene, by learning "how to's" on composition, color, value and applying paint. We'll send you a suggested materials list.

We'll paint from 9-4 with a break for lunch. We'll meet at Carolina Creations, 317A Pollock St, Downtown New Bern, the first day between 8:30 and 9 am, coffee and snacks will be provided that morning.


$300

Mike will be painting in oils but acrylics are also acceptable.
Signup online by clicking here.

Photo Art by Lou Plummer

New Bern photographer Lou Ellen Plummer has been exploring New Bern's railroad yards near the train depot.

These photographic images were created using a method called emulsion transfer or lift, where the emulsion is actually lifted from a peel apart print. The emulsion is a very thin slice of gelatin and once removed can be manipulated creating interesting effects.

Lou talks about these pieces "I like the designs created by the random placement of the discarded track. The weathered, rusted look adds yet another element to these designs."

Lou attended Randolph Community College, receiving an associate degree in Photo Technology, concentrating in Photojournalism. She also received a bachelor of arts degree in Marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

You can meet Lou at Carolina Creations Monday-Friday 10-6 pm!

A little history of Railroads in New Bern - The New Bern Union Station, one of the largest surviving stations in North Carolina, is owned by the North Carolina Railroad. An effort is underway to restore it. . The station is fairly unique nationally because the tracks serving the station run down the middle of a street and passengers boarded and detrained in the street.

The Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad came to New Bern in 1858.  From the end of Hancock Street to James City was a covered bridge, which was burned by Union troops during the siege of New Bern in March 1862.  The trestle was rebuilt and has remained at the same site for 152 years, with the last major renovation about 15 years ago.

Another railroad trestle was constructed and came into operation about 1903 on the Neuse River at the Riverside community, connecting to the north side of Bridgeton. It was historically important because it gave New Bern a north-south connection that included Wilmington.

Both trestles remain in operation by Norfolk-Southern.

The state is currently exploring light rail between Raleigh and Wilmington via Goldsboro. It would be great if it came to New Bern and Morehead City too!

Carolina Creations Gets Mentioned as Favorite Shop in Washington Post article

During the Governors Conference on Tourism in February we had a great evening of entertainment, at Carolina Creations we had two violinists and a steady stream of people who were attending the Conference. We knew we had visitors from the Smithsonian, the New York Times and a few other publications.

Many of the attendees had never been to New Bern before and were enthralled with our little town.

I was really pleased to see that an article was written for the Washington Post which ran in Sunday's edition. I was REALLY pleased to read the line by writer Diane Daniel "I popped into several sizable antiques shops, the stylish home-design shop Confluence, and my favorite, Carolina Creations, featuring national and North Carolina artisans.

To read the article click here.

Thanks Diane!!