Julie Dyer Holmes, Raleigh, NC

https://www.juliedyerholmes.com | @juliedyerholmes2

Since 2021, Julie Dyer Holmes has camped, kayaked, hiked and painted along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Her inspiration includes the beaches of North Carolina, rugged coasts of New England and the boreal forests of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, Canada.

She seeks to capture the sights and sounds of nature in gouache paintings while on the road. As she paints outdoors, she navigates all the elements nature offers: ever changing light, atmosphere, sun, clouds, salty sea air, birds calling, wind, and more. Then, when she then returns to her studio in Raleigh, NC, she paints oil paintings inspired by these places. Her approach includes using the road trip paintings, photos, intuition, imagination and memory as her guide.

As the seasons change and summer moves to fall and winter, her painting practice changes too. She loves painting from imagination and in real life. What does that mean? When you visit her studio you will see paintings of clouds, woods, the ocean, leaves and more. You will also see still life paintings packed with references to her northern roots and deep grounding here in the south.

Her hope? To paint and show you the fleeting joy she feels as well as our connection to nature and each other.

Sydney McBride, Raleigh, NC

https://www.sydneymcbride.com | @sydneymcbrideart

Sydney McBride is a printmaking artist primarily working in linocut relief prints using the reduction technique where the image is carved and printed from a single block in multiple layers. Printmaking as a medium is integral to her artistic practice as it mimics the repetitive nature of memory collection and transformation that is the central theme of her art. Places and objects from everyday life that may otherwise be taken for granted are given center stage in order to examine the meaning and feelings that they evoke. Her work encourages quiet contemplation on these objects and experiences found in everyday life and how they may gain meaning over time as we seek to understand our inner lives and the world around us. While the imagery used in her work is varied, it is always centered around personal memories and with an emphasis on intricate detail.

Wiley Johnson, Raleigh, NC

https://www.wileysart.com | @wileysabstractart

Most of my abstract paintings are filled with bright colors that make me happy. My favorite techniques are using rubber bands and feathers. My paintings are unplanned. I never know how they will end until the colors” pop.”

I am inspired and motivated to paint because it makes me happy and gives me something to do when I am alone. My only sibling and best friend, Zach, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2011. The isolation of my studio gave me freedom to create. My paint and canvas do not judge me because I have autism. Painting helped me get through a really challenging time just like it helps me deal with everyday problems. Painting is my profession and a big part of my therapy. I have always been isolated due to my disability, but it makes me happy to hear people say that they like my art. Art connects me to my community and to the larger art world. I am grateful for the opportunities that art gives me.

Helen Seebold, Cary, NC

www.LittleFlowerArt.com | @helen_seebold_littleflowerart

Helen Seebold’s body of work, which employs a variety of media including clay, paint and found/repurposed materials, has been featured in gallery exhibits throughout the East Coast, and private collections worldwide. Her love of Nature and interest in ancient global traditions fuels her creativity.

Her community-driven, site-specific installations have activated underutilized spaces throughout North Carolina, with vibrant and interactive art encouraging the viewer to reflect on how these spaces can positively impact their communities. She has been awarded several Public Art projects throughout the Triangle including: a Bus Stop Mural in Chapel Hill, a Sidewalk Mural in Raleigh, and a commemorative life size tiger sculpture, named Blaze, for the Fuquay Varina Fire Department.

When she is not working on public art and installation projects, she pursues private studio practice in pottery and clay sculpture in Cary. She holds a Certificate in Public Art Pedagogy, a 500hr Yoga Teacher Training certificate and a 200hr Meditation certificate with Meditation Alliance International and is an avid gardener. You can view more of her work at www.LittleFlowerArt.com or follow her on FB and Instagram.

Pam Van Dyk, Raleigh, NC

https://inklingprintmaker.com/ | @inklingprintmaker

My printmaking practice is rooted in discovery. Each impression I pull from carved linoleum, etched or incised copper, and wood is an act of revelation that captures both intention and chance. Most of my subject matter explores the natural world around the spaces I inhabit. I love the conversation between what I plan and what the medium insists upon and the physicality of the process: the resistance of the carving tool against the matrix, the careful selection of ink, the calculated pressure of the press, and that final moment when I lift the paper to see what has emerged. Every print carries the evidence of the process--the grain of the wood, the bite of acid, or the pooling of ink in unexpected places, which are not marks of imperfections but are instead collaborations with materials that have their own voice. In embracing printmaking's inherent unpredictability, I've found a practice that keeps teaching me to balance vision with openness, technique with trust. This is what keeps me returning to the studio. As cofounder of Triangle Printmakers Collective, I've found that printmaking's magic multiplies when shared. The studio is a space where artists at all levels can experience that same thrill of discovery.