At her exhibition Woodlands at the Asheville Gallery of Art this month, Waynesville-based mixed media artist Carol Fetty invites viewers into a quiet, contemplative landscape where nature becomes both subject and metaphor. “These paintings are not literal depictions of the forest but emotional impressions,” she says.
Golden Bloom. Carol Fetty, artist
The gallery in downtown Asheville is hosting an opening reception for Woodlands with an opportunity to meet Fetty from 5–7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 10. The exhibition runs through April 30.
In the collection of 11 paintings in the exhibition, Fetty uses inks, spray paint and oils to explore stillness as an expression of strength. Light is introduced gently, emerging through muted fields of color and textured surfaces, allowing the subject to hold space without urgency. Collectively, Fetty’s works in Woodlands form a contemplative dialogue about presence, tenderness and the beauty of remaining open to the experience.
The exhibition includes Fetty’s works Golden Bloom, a painting showing courage in remaining open, and The Keeper of Small Secrets which represents the concept that even the watchful need a place to hide. Fetty says the woodland has long been a place of reflection for her.
“In these works, soft layers of color and atmosphere evoke the shifting light of a forest floor where forms emerge and dissolve,” she says. “Branches stretch across the canvas like gestures of time while small wildflowers glow briefly against the muted tones of moss, bark and fading sunlight.”
The works center on a singular presence, often floral and solitary, set within layered atmospheric spaces and evoking an emotional response and sense of remembrance. Running throughout the exhibition is a meditation on the delicate balance of life. “Some flowers bloom brightly, while others bend, age or fade,” Fetty says. “The sunflowers—sometimes vibrant, sometimes weathered—reflect the quiet dignity of life’s changing seasons. For me, these moments in nature mirror the human experience—growth, aging, resilience, strength and the beauty that can be found in every stage.”
The Keeper of Small Secrets. Carol Fetty, artist
Owls appear throughout her paintings as quiet observers. Partially hidden in branches or nestled inside tree trunks, Fetty says they symbolize perspective and wisdom, reminding us to slow down and look more carefully at the world around us.
“Ultimately, Woodlands is an invitation to pause in the quiet space of the forest, to reflect on the fragile balance between growth and decay, youth and age, stillness and movement,” she says.
Through these paintings, Fetty encourages viewers to notice the small moments that often go unseen, like the glow of light through leaves, the quiet strength of a fading flower or the steady gaze of an owl watching from the shadows. “In the end, Woodlands reminds us that beauty is not only found in what is new and blooming,” she says, “but also in what has endured, aged and quietly gathered wisdom with time.”
The Asheville Gallery of Art is located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. To learn more, call 828.251.5796, visit AshevilleGalleryofArt.com or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.
