No Boundaries: Artists Descend on Bald Head Island

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Posted: December 3, 2009

Story by Jason Frye

Bald Head Island played host to the 2009 No Boundaries Artist Colony from November 2-20. No Boundaries was founded in 1998 by Wilmington, NC artists Dick Roberts, Pam Toll and Gayle Tustin. The founders view No Boundaries as a step toward peace – the commonality of being artists dissolving all boundaries of war, nationality, language and culture.

This year more than a dozen artists, including three international artists, stayed in the cottages known as Captain Charlie’s Station and used the island as muse and workshop. They spread out in the dunes, on the beach, on porches and patios and storage buildings and set up their studios. I visited them to see what they were working on and find out if Bald Head Island was a kind and giving muse.

When I walked into Captain Charlie’s I to speak with co-founder Pam Toll, the first thing I noticed was the forest of driftwood growing in the corner. The second thing was Pam, busy at work on a collage.

“The great thing about being out here is the time we have to meditate on art,” she said as she cut strips of paper. “We can talk artist-to-artist and delve into what we’re working on. We can talk process or technique or inspiration. Most importantly we can take our time. Creativity demands time and that’s one of the greatest things we get from No Boundaries-time.”

She led me through the house, showing me the clay paintings of Vicky Smith and the impressive driftwood collection of Leon Patchett. She said Vicky mines her own clay and Leon forages for driftwood on Loch Ness. I could hear Leon outside as he worked on a sculpture and I stepped out to meet him.

Driftwood from Loch Ness

Leon was visiting from Cromarty, Scotland, where he works on primal wood sculptures made from wood he forages from the lochs, rivers and beaches near his studio.

“I’m interested in pattern, texture and shape,” he said after we’d introduced ourselves. “The wind really shapes the trees and builds the dunes. That’s inspiring. How does the environment shape the environment? I suppose I’m exploring that with the two things I’m working on right now.”

He shows me a cypress tree he’s sculpted by joining two pieces that “just felt right together.” As he’s showing me the screen he’s building, a voice calls from the next porch over.

“Hey, Leon, could you hold still for two or three hours,” the voice says.

“That’s Stefan, he’s trying to paint me,” Leon says.

Stefan painting on the porch of Captain Charlie's II

With the view from Stefan’s easel, it’s easy to see why he wants Leon to stand still. He’s painting the cottage with Leon and his sculpture-in-progress on the porch.

Stefan paints Leon

“It is beautiful here,” he says, his voice lightly accented with an Austrian lilt. “We’ve had such intense weather. Sun, then rain. Grey skies and blue. It’s a painter’s dream.”

“Without the weather, it all gets sedate,” says Wilmington painter Wayne McDowell, knifing colors together on his palate. He swipes the knife against the canvas, defining a low cloud. “I like to let time work in the painting. The cloud I just painted wasn’t there a minute ago.”

Wayne painting

Wayne comes to Bald Head Island frequently to paint. “This is my favorite escape,” he said. “The light plays differently all over the island. Sometimes I float the marsh in my boat and paint. Sometimes I set up in the dunes like Vicky and see what happens.”

Vicky, at work in the dunes

In the next cottage I find Gayle Tustin, one of the co-founders of No Boundaries, and Bonnie England. They’re both abstract artists and like to use their hands as much as their brushes, so we don’t shake when I go in to see them.

“I think we’re all here for the love of art,” Gayle says. “Every night we have supper together and talk about art: making it, what we like, how we work. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s exciting,” says Bonnie, turning from the figure she’s painting. “We’re very abstract, so to talk to a painter like Stefan and discover his process helps informs ours.”

“And hopefully we inform his,” Gayle adds.

Gayle shows me one of her paintings. She’s working on landscapes. A patch of green and a bit of string represents the dunes, yellows and browns are the sand. From the looks of things, she’s been busy this week. Several paintings lean against the walls. Her hands are paint splotched and the tray she uses for a palette is a riot of color.

Gayle's Palette

“I’m glad we’re able to do this,” she says. “Pam, Dick Roberts and I try to find great artists to come, we’re fortunate that Kent Mitchell (Developer of Bald Head Island) can let us use Captain Charlie’s for a couple of weeks so everyone can come here and take their time to paint and sculpt and get inspired by the island.”

Tags: Art | Bald Head Island | Community | No Boundaries | Woods Gallery

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