An exhibition highlighting the work of three sisters—Dian Magie (clay), Lorraine Cathey (fiber art) and Cathy Langdon(weaving)—opens at The Gallery at Flat Rock on Thursday, April 4, with a reception from 5–7 p.m. Twisted Sisters: A Journey in Fiber & Clay runs through Sunday, April 21, and is free and open to the public. The artists will demonstrate at the gallery on Saturday, April 13, from 1–5 p.m.
The “Twisted Sisters,” as they call themselves, will display their work as a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic.” Magie will create plates, cups and bowls for children to claim as their own. Table runners and place mats in spring colors woven by Langdon will decorate the table, and Cathey’s mohair bears, each with its own name and personality, will be guests of honor.
“My pottery is both detailed sgrafitto on porcelain, based on native plants and birds, and stoneware sculpture and functional pottery that showcases the action of the flame in wood fire,” says Magie. Sgraffito involves covering the greenware with a layer of slip before firing and then carving through afterwards to reveal the contrasting clay body beneath. “To achieve the flashing of flame requires placement in the kiln relative to the fire rushing from the firebox through the pots to the chimney,” Magie says.
A member of the Heritage Weavers and the Western North Carolina Fiber/Handweavers Guild, Langdon sells her handwoven placemats, hand towels and rugs at the Transylvania Farmers Market throughout spring and summer months. She moved to WNC in 2012 “to take advantage of an area rich in crafts,” she says, “and to be closer to an aging, young-at-heart mother who was herself an accomplished artist (Ruth Goldsborough) and to sister Dian.”
Cathey moved to Hendersonville in 2013 from Florida. “The area provides an endless array of landscapes for my fiber landscape paintings,” she says. Her needle felted and wet felted landscape paintings have earned her acceptance into the Southern Highland Craft Guild. The teddy bears she will provide for the show are made of quality mohair from Germany, hand stitched and five-way-jointed, with glass eyes.
The Gallery at Flat Rock is at Flat Rock Square, 2702-A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; or by appointment. To learn more, visit GalleryFlatRock.com or call 828.698.7000. The sisters are our Feature Artists this month.
