Joerling’s playful ceramic animals always bring a smile to the gallery’s visitors. Eliciting joy and evoking laughter are key components of Joerling’s sculptural practice. “We need humor in our lives, and I want my animals to fill a space with happiness,” Joerling comments. Her work draws upon her imagination, her years of living in Florida, and her love of animals. New work for the exhibition in June will include chickens and a variety of other birds. “I have made sculptures of chickens in a morning coffee klatch and fowls at play to give you an idea of what is to come!” Lisa laughs. Recently Lisa and her husband Nick Joerling built new studios that will be open for the Toe River Arts Studio Tour. They designed their workspaces to meet the needs of their varied personalities and ways of working. Lisa Joerling’s space has a brightly painted turquoise floor and is filled with objects that delight the eye. “It is my happy place,” adds Joerling.
McLaughlin will be showing monotypes and woodcuts. Her fascination with the many ways water manifests itself in our lives will be prominent in the works on view. “Throughout my life, I have studied clouds, watched the rain fall, and delighted in the way water dances as I swim,” McLaughlin reflects. “The fact that gardens thrive with water links my imagery to flowers and flowers to my family who passes plants down from generation to generation. I want to capture this love of gardening and the landscape in my work.” “Lately,” McLaughlin noted, “the war in Ukraine has surfaced in my work, and some of the prints have gotten a bit stormy.” A native to North Carolina, McLaughlin studied at UNC Chapel Hill, the California College of the Arts, and NC State University.
Mica is located at 37 Mitchell Avenue, Bakersville, NC. Mica is open daily, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. The gallery continues to follow guidance from the CDC and state of North Carolina with regards to controlling the spread of Covid-19. For more information call 828.688.6422 or visit micagallerync.com. Follow the gallery on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC or on Instagram at micagallerync.
