In the Gallery

Pastels, pastoral landscapes, decorative furnishings and custom-designed jewelry – all by Chatham County artists – will be featured throughout April at ChathamArts Gallery in historic downtown Pittsboro.

You can meet the artists at a gallery reception on Sunday April 1 from 12 noon to 5 as part of Pittsboro's First Sunday activities, when shops, galleries and eateries are open all afternoon. FEATURED ARTISTS in April are:

Laurel Parker, president of the Pastel Society of North Carolina, who has been drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and says. "My style is perhaps best described as realism washed in impressionism." Her painting, "Sophie at the Window," took Best Portrait award at a 2005 juried show in Carrboro.

Louise Pagano, who took her first drawing class in 1990, has experimented with mosaic and stained glass and is particularly drawn to pastel, the primary focus of her current work. She has participated in local exhibits and usually donates 50 percent of her sales to local charitable organizations.

Kathryn Ladd, owner of the Blue Heron Studio in Pittsboro, who specializes in custom-designed, hand-painted floor cloths up to 8 x 10 feet. She also hand paints original designs on furniture, paints faux stone and marble finishes on mantels, furniture and walls, and creates murals, decorative borders and original paintings. She has been on the Chatham County Studio Tour for 12 years.

Dierdre Brown, who specializes in original jewelry design, works with silver, semi-precious stones, Swavorski crystal and pearls. Each piece is an individually fabricated, miniature work of art that is both precious and enjoyable to wear. "I try to express the uniqueness of each individual stone and pass on the joy of owning something truly original to the wearer," she says.

ChathamArts Gallery exhibits and sells a range of original works by local artists, Tuesdays-Saturdays 11 to 5 and every First Sunday 12 noon to 5, 121 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro, 919-542-4144.