HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. - s4story -- Sir John Lubbock writes in his book, The Pleasures of Life, that "Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind.  As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life."

Chris Graebner often paints from photos taken while traveling and often taken from a moving vehicle, through streaky windows. However they return her to a time and place where something struck her that she wanted to remember – perhaps the way a plant really looks up close, maybe the way ripples from a cat's tongue make their way across a pool of water, or maybe the angles and colors of rooftops – something in particular that she wanted to remember. Though an oil painter, Graebner likes to add other mediums such as cold wax, graphite or oil-based inks; often using acrylics to provide the base color of her paintings.

Lynn Wartski also drew inspiration from John Lubbock's quote, saying that life can color art as well. Her felt sculptures usually evoke a sense of whimsy or humor.  "Love Is Nurtured" is a joyful piece depicting a mother and baby giraffe. The two figures stand with foreheads touching and eyes closed. The mother's long neck is bent down touching the young one. The giraffe's distinctive pattern morphs from back to front into a stylized floral pattern that appears to pass from mother to baby. Wartski's sculptures are created by needle felting wool fiber over a wire and batting armature.

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Painter Marcy Lansman is excited by color in her landscapes. Using areas of bright color on the canvas to create a base, and using a palette knife to create an overpainting on top, she lets bits of the underpainting peak through. For this show she's used a wider color palette. For example, her painting "Behind the Dunes" depicts the dramatically curving trees that grow just inland of the dunes on our North Carolina islands. In the painting the leaves vary from deep blue to a very pale white/yellow, and Lansman finds that the wider the variety of colors, the more vibrant the painting.

About the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts:

The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts is owned and operated by 20 local artists and represents these established artists exhibiting contemporary fine art and fine craft. The Gallery's offerings include oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, glass, scratchboard, fiber art, and handcrafted furniture. 121 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Phone: (919) 732-5001. The gallery is open 10am-6pm Monday - Saturday, and 12pm-4pm on Sunday. More information can be found on the HGA website: http://www.HillsboroughGallery.com