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May Issue 2005
NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC, Offers Works by Tim Treadwell and Pat Holscher
The work of two North Carolina artists will be on display in the Museum's Nature Art Gallery through May 30, 2005. The exhibit, Cool Landscapes and Warm Seashores, features several paintings by two award-winning artists, Tim Treadwell of Garner, NC, 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."
Holscher is 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 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'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."
The NC Museum of Natural Sciences documents and interprets the natural history of the state through exhibits, research, collections, publications and educational programming.
For more info check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the museum store at 919/733-7450, ext. 361 or on the web at (www.naturalsciences.org/store/nature_gallery.html).
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