Featured Artists of the Month, Community Artists Gallery, New Bern

Featured Artists of the Month

March 2019

Joyce Alexander, Paintings

Joyce's oil painting style revolves around a strong sense of color and movement. She enjoys painting landscapes and abstracts. "I have always been a visual person and color is a big part of my world. I see color everywhere," Joyce says. "I have the most fun painting abstracts because my brush and palette knife seem to connect with my thoughts. I never begin an abstract--they just seem to happen. I often rework a piece which adds layers of texture and color." Her landscapes are from photographs, although she has ventured into plein air painting. "I discovered painting outdoors directly increases my ability to get oil paint on myself and the car," Joyce quips. As a former teacher, she painted weekly with a group of friends, growing and experimenting with her art. Since retiring and relocating to New Bern in 2015, Joyce paints at her home studio and is active with Twin Rivers Artists Association.

Sue Callahan, Paintings

By profession, Sue Callahan is a nurse/office manager, working in a doctor’s office setting for most of her career. She moved to New Bern in 1981 with her husband, Ray, and their two children. By vocation, Sue is an artist. Sue was always interested in anything crafty or artistic, and in 1993, she attended Stained Glass classes through Craven Community College. She operated a custom stained glass business from 1997 until 2014. Sue designed and created the windows in First Presbyterian Church Ministry Center Chapel, in Unity Christian Church Sanctuary, and in various homes in and around the New Bern area. She has had stained glass pieces displayed all around the world including Germany, Spain, Australia, Africa, and Russia.
Around 2013, Sue’s interests turned to acrylic painting. Along with High School art classes, she has studied through online classes with Will Kemp Art School, ArtTutor.com and many drawing and painting books. Her work has yet to settle on a specific style and she loves to experiment with different subjects and mediums. Recently, Sue has been pouring acrylics, with an emphasis on poured backgrounds with more detailed acrylic paintings on top. Sue joined Community Artists Gallery (CAGS) in January of 2019 and enjoys being a part of this amazing group of talented artists. Visit her at suecallahanart.blogspot.com and on FaceBook at Painted Visions, art by Sue Callahan.

Simone Houle, Stained Glass and Basketry

Simone Houle has been involved with arts and crafts all her life. After she and her husband moved to New Bern in 2006, classes in basketry, art, drawing, and stained glass at Craven and Pamlico Community Colleges took her creativity in new directions. An advanced course at Mystical Reflections Glass and Art Studio in Calabash, NC, taught her even more sophisticated techniques. She now designs her own baskets, and continues to learn, innovate, instruct, and exhibit.