Gallery to feature mixed media by Jill Hope July 8 – August 1; Meet & Greet set for July 11, 12 – 4 p.m.

Sunset River Marketplace art gallery in Calabash, NC will host works by Jill Hope in an exhibition titled Fusion from July 8 through August 1. A Meet & Greet for the artist is set for Saturday, July 11 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. The public is invited. Reservations are not required and there is no charge.

Fusion is a collection of all that came before – in this case, watercolor, jewelry design, acrylic painting and spiritual journeying. Hope has used semi-precious stones, rice paper, metals, foils, pumice mediums and other unconventional materials to create her striking new works, each a separate assemblage of different textures. The exhibition includes 22 assemblages plus several works in acrylics and wearable art necklaces.

Hope says, “My art comes from what I call the intuitive side of thought; it’s a form of meditation. I pick up a brush and follow the journey inward. For this collection I’m looking to my past for inspiration: my days as a jewelry designer, my experiences painting in watercolor and later acrylics, and more recently working with metal and other materials.”

Turn of the Wheel is a distinctive triptych (three pieces considered a single artwork) consisting of three textured panels painted with softly glowing metallic copper acrylic juxtaposed with turquoise stone. Other materials include hammered copper, torn rice paper, metal wire and tacks.

Another titled Town Crier features bright oranges, blues, greens and red oxide with corrugated paper, embossed and painted foil, the artist?s own torn watercolor painting pieces and patching compound. In keeping with the rest of the collection the piece is presented in a hand crafted illusion frame.

Born in Rochester, NY, Jill Hope lived in England, Denmark and Australia before moving to the Carolinas. In 1991 she relocated from Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Calabash, NC where she and her husband work together in real estate.

Hope attended North East Essex Technical College and School of Art in Essex, England. She has studied with a range of nationally and regionally known artists including Joe DiGiulio, Mary Alice Braukman, Sterling Edwards and others. She is a past president of Waterway Art Association in Brunswick County, NC. She founded Studio 12, a group of 12 artists who meet on a weekly basis at Sunset River Marketplace where they paint, support one another, share ideas and critique each other’s work.

Her peers have honored her with numerous awards and she has been juried into the Associated Artists of Southport July National Exhibition.

About Sunset River Marketplace
Since opening in 2002, Sunset River Marketplace has been an active supporter of performing, literary and visual arts in the area. The 10,000 square-foot gallery features work by over 200 North and South Carolina artists. Its on-site pottery studio has two kilns and three wheels for use by students. Ongoing oil, pastel and watercolor classes are also provided, in addition to workshops by nationally known artists. The gallery’s complimentary Coffee With the Authors programs feature presentations by local and regional authors. A Paint & Party series provides a fun after-work experience for those with no previous art background. The gallery?s framing department offers full-service, on-site custom frame design for artwork, family heirlooms and other memorabilia.

Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive (Hwy. 179) in the historic fishing village of Calabash, N.C. just north of the S.C. state line. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information about the exhibition, art classes, onsite framing or any other gallery events, call 910-575-5999 or visit the website: www.staging.careful-crib.flywheelsites.com. The gallery’s Facebook page, which is updated daily (www.facebook.com/sunsetrivermarketplace), also lists special events, new artists and other happenings.

Sunset River Gallery