On-site painting by Derfla

ArtWalk has a special event planned for Memorial Day weekend. Saturday, May 28, stop by to witness the painting techniques of Derfla, one of Boone's most popular local artists. Derfla will begin the creative process around 1:30 p.m.

Derfla, a resident of Deep Gap, just outside of Boone, is originally from Hickory. This self-taught artist has been well exposed through solo exhibitions at many notable locations, including the Jones House in downtown Boone, the Hickory Museum of Art, and Lees-McRae College, to name a few.

Derfla's paintings include a wide range of subject matter, including local landscapes and wildlife, close-up views of flowers, dazzling portraits, engrossing abstracts and much more, offering a diverse array certain to appeal many viewers.

The artist's unique painting style is what brings the pieces together. He uses uninhibited, energetic strokes in thick, luminous oil paints, while masterfully avoiding muddying the colors, leaving them pure and lush. While the subjects he paints are beautiful from the start, the paint itself becomes the alluring focus of his work. This successfully demonstrates his objective as an artist: To reveal the beauty of the medium free from the constraints of a hand too controlled by apprehension and subject matter unhampered by the weight of emotion.

The paintings are much like visual desert with icing-like application of paint by way of palate knives and wide brushes, not only in their dynamic texture but also in the cheerfulness of their color and the crystalline patterning of their strokes, making them appropriate for a serious collection or for display in the home. And by being comfortable in scale, from miniatures (6 inches square) to moderately sized pieces (24 inches by 36 inches), they can easily fit into any space.

Derfla's finished work is also on display at ArtWalk. With three and a half floors and more than 300 local, regional and national artists, ArtWalk is located at 611 W. King St. (across from Mast General Store) in downtown Boone. Hours are Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, or to inquire about individual gallery booths for rent, call (828) 264-9998, e-mail (artwalkboone@yahoo.com) or visit http://www.artwalkboone.com.


Gallery Times

Gallery Times is a weekly news feature of The Mountain Times, featuring short news items submitted by local galleries.

For more information or to make a submission, contact editor Frank Ruggiero at (frank@mountaintimes.com) or (828) 264-6397.