Meadow Song. Frame made of North Carolina spalded poplar. Marshall Albritton, artist
When it comes to pigments for his paintings, Marshall “Gene” Albritton sources some of the oldest material around, of which there is certainly a plentiful supply. “My family was in the clay/dirt business, so I grew up playing with dirt,” Albritton says. “I started out in the ‘80s doing leather work and then tried my hand at painting with acrylics. I took art history in college and was interested in the early paintings using pigment. In the summer of 2009, on a whim, I decided to try and paint with pigment.” After all, he adds, we haven’t always been able to “squeeze things out of tubes.”
Studio Earth, his home studio in Whittier, is a well-organized wealth of soil and mineral samples from all over the country and the world. “I always carry baggies and a scoop with me,” he says. “I travel all over the US, and friends that are aware of what I do get dirt from their travels, too.” He has samples in a wide range of hues, including ones from southern France, Israel, Macchu Picchu and from beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. He uses a lot of samples from the western US and some from right here in western North Carolina. “Cherokee has the reddest red of anywhere,” he says. He particularly delights in acquiring bits of soil from historical places: Appomattox, VA; Plymouth Rock, MA; Kitty Hawk, NC; Selma, AL. “You don’t have any limitations on colors,” he says.
Marshall Albritton, artist
Painting with “God’s creation,” as Albritton calls it, is not without some challenges and processes that are likely not standard procedure for most artists. “I sift the dirt to get out unwanted particles,” Albritton says. “I then put it in the oven to get rid of any bacteria. I mix the dirt, or pigment, with an adhesive sealer. I do the background with my hands and the finer details with an artist paintbrush.” He uses a concrete sealer when a work is finished.
Albritton’s first painting using earth was titled Open Cross. “I started out with the idea of the standard cross as we all know it,” he says, “but God told me to leave it open because the way to Him is through the cross.” Paintings of crosses are popular with buyers he meets on the art show circuit, and he also likes to paint landscapes from photographs he has taken during his travels.
To set off his paintings, Albritton creates one-of-a-kind frames. “I make the frames from old cow pens, barns and rough-cut lumber that I have collected,” he says.
Brenda Anders, a long-time artist member of Dogwood Crafters, became aware of Albritton’s work many years prior to his recently joining the Dillsboro co-op. “At Dogwood, it is always a blessing when we find talents such as Mr. Albritton’s,” Anders says. “I purchased a painting at least 10 years ago. His talent can’t be matched.”
Dogwood Crafters is located at 90 Webster Street, in Dillsboro. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at DogwoodCrafters.com.
