Julie Wiggins, artist
Many artists at Mica Gallery are inspired in their work by the colors, shapes and lines of wildflowers found in the Southern Appalachian mountains in this season of growing. Three member artists so inspired are ceramic artists Teresa Pietsch and Julie Wiggins, and Tom Spleth, who works in various media, including digital drawings of flowers translated into prints on aluminum.
Tom Spleth, artist
Pietsch has been an artist with Mica since 2016. She lives near Penland School of Craft and moved to the area from Washington State to be an artist in residence at the EnergyXchange in Burnsville. “My work is all about color and subtle texture and the red earthenware as the lifeblood underneath,” she says. “I decorate each piece using a mono-print slip transfer method.” In creating work that is both functional and decorative, she finds joy in the ever-changing life all around us. “I often feature pollinator flowers and plants on my pots and in my gardens,” she says, “trying to help, in a small way, the natural world spread and grow.”
Spleth uses photography to capture details for the work he creates in Little Switzerland. “I am interested in verisimilitude,” he says. “I want my drawings to be authentic and recognizable.” The wildflowers blooming in our Appalachian region offer a perpetual parade of inspiration.
Teresa Pietsch, artist
The pottery that Wiggins produces reflects a love of nature, connections with others, memories of growing up on NC’s coast and her world travels. In addition to her BFA in Ceramics from East Carolina University, she received an honorary degree from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China. She and Pietsch live near one another and often walk their dogs together, noting wildflowers along the way that inspire each of them in their respective creations. “Each season brings a new burst of color and flowers that inform how I will decorate the pots,” Wiggins says. “I hope using wildflowers creates a conversation about how we see things and discard the most beautiful, meaningful objects. These wildflowers help feed the bees and butterflies we so desperately need for survival. Perhaps by seeing their beauty in this unique way, people will stop killing them and cutting them back, and will enjoy their vibrancy and resilience.”
Mica is an artist-run gallery of fine art and contemporary craft located at 37 North Mitchell Avenue, Bakersville. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays–Saturdays and 12–5 p.m. on Sundays. Learn more at MicaGalleryNC.com, on Facebook at Mica Gallery NC or on Instagram at micagallerync.
