An opening reception in honor of artist, Carol ONeal, and her exhibit, titled “Fire & Ice: Encaustic Works,” will be held on Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Submitted photos
WILMINGTON, Ohio — Carol ONeal describes herself as a self-taught artist informed by “equal parts ignorance, enthusiasm and fearlessness.” Wilmington College’s Harcum Art Gallery will feature an exhibit of her work from Oct. 23 through Dec. 7.
An opening reception in honor of the artist and her exhibit, titled “Fire & Ice: Encaustic Works,” will be held on Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. Normal gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by special appointment coordinated through Curator Hal Shunk, emeritus professor of art. Refreshments will be served.
ONeal said her works are “eclectic, without agenda, boundaries or brand. It explores two sides of the same coin, intuitively melds together colors, shapes, mixed media.” She places her artistic focus on “stretching and embracing the unknown, questioning how far I can go and where it will lead, walking through the opened doors.”
ONeal is an emerging, self-taught, encaustic and cold wax artist. Her professional life was spent in the business world after earning her management and environmental studies degree. She developed an interest in photography early in life (age 7) and participated in many photography classes and workshops on a hobby and professional level. However, a gallery visit led to an observation of a piece combining photography and encaustic medium. This piqued her interest in utilizing her photography in this way and resulted in her attending a workshop.
However, the pandemic had other plans, thus, the self-taught part of her story. In the next five years, ONeal’s work evolved in many different directions including encaustic collage, mixed media, and cold wax and oil. She participated in the Boonshoft Museum collaborative effort to benefit their fundraising gala and is currently participating in the We Care Arts fundraising collaboration.
Her work has appeared in the following galleries: Momentum Gallery, Rosewood Gallery, Dana Wiley Gallery, Speak … Easy Gallery, Front Street ARTery, Centerville Community Gallery (participated and curated), Springfield Art Museum, Orphanage Gallery, Springboro Performing Arts Center, Dayton Society of Artists and the Miamisburg Art Gallery.
ONeal’s studio and gallery, Just Hangin’, is in Dayton’s Front Street Arts District.
