“Bianca” by Vicki Sawyer

I love to visit art galleries…to me they are like book stores.  Full of possibilities!  And very dangerous for my pocketbook since I tend to snap up pieces that grab me.

Lark & Key Gallery in Charlotte has been around since 2008 and I’ve had them on my “visit” list forever.

What a joy!  Jewelry designer Sandy Snead and artist Duy Huynh represent a diverse group of artists and have an interesting mix of paintings, pottery, jewelry and mixed media.

I fell in love with Vicki Sawyer’s whimsical bird paintings…I bought these two:

“Someone arrived uninformed that it was mask night”

“John”

I don’t know about you but I’m pretty sure that birds DO have parties.  I’m convinced that  animals have all sorts of fun when we aren’t looking.  And….the titmouse seems like she is a total rule breaker (wearing a flower crown to a mask party).

The Carolina Wren with the milk pod hat (John) was also a must have for me.  For those of you not familiar with these little guys, they are tiny songstresses who trill brilliantly to each other every morning in my yard.  It’s hard to believe they pack so much wallop in such small bodies.    They are known for making nests anywhere they fancy, including a bag of trim samples I left in my garage!  Excellent taste Mrs. Wren…bravo.

“They told him Sally was shy”

Oh yeah.  Squirrels on a date.  Makes me smile.  Might have to come home with me soon.

Mary Alayne Thomas works in a mixture of watercolor and encaustic.  Encaustic is a solid  form of beeswax and paint that hardens rather than dries.

More favorites:  Honora Jacob

And Angie Renfro:

Check out Lark & Key here

Another wonderful place for artwork is Hodges Taylor in Charlotte.  Christie Taylor has transformed the gallery into an art consultancy firm and offers services to help businesses and private collectors choose art.

I recently acquired this piece from Hodges Taylor:  ”Pansies & Buttons” by David Halliday, 2008

It’s super hard to photograph a photograph!

Here are some better examples of David Halliday’s work.  He uses archival pigment for his still lifes.  Halliday is a New Orleans artist who must like buttons as much as I do.

My Mom had a huge box of buttons in her sewing basket when I was growing up.  They were beautiful.  She told me that Marshall Fields (in Chicago) used to have a button counter.  What?  Yes, a lady specifically sold different buttons from a BUTTON COUNTER at Field’s.  I guess folks had fewer clothes that were better made than today and they replaced their specialized buttons when they lost one instead of pitching the whole garment.

Anywho…since David Halliday’s mom must have had a button box too, I felt we were meant to be.

Thank you to Christie Taylor for this lovely piece.  It is in my Dining Room and I love it!

Even if you can’t purchase a piece, it’s great to visit art galleries, they truly are mini museums and the owners appreciate people who appreciate art.

Go by Lark & Key or call Christie Taylor at Hodges Taylor!

Enjoy,

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