The Gallery at Macon Creek presents:
Ceramics by Caitlyn Shirley O’Neal
Paintings by Elizabeth Rose Wilson
By appointment: gallery@maconcreek.org
Elizabeth Rose Wilson
Botanical Other-Worldly Gardens series
Ginkgo leaves and pagolas. The fiddle-leaf fig and shells from the Atlantic. Evolutionary seed pods and biomimetic architecture. Hybrid parts. These botanical other-worldly gardens are etchings on my mind, and from a life spent in the gardens of Brazil, China, England, and my birthplace of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
IG: @elizabethrosewilson
In my work, I create hybrid, fractured structures that merge human and animal parts. My most recent series of Memento Mori portraits pays tribute to the animals I encounter that have been struck down by humans. These portraits are an attempt to honor their existence and bring attention to the often-overlooked consequences of human actions.
My paintings strive to balance the complexity of beauty with the grotesque, the sinister with the benevolent. Through this dichotomy, I seek to interpret and convey life’s resiliency, beauty, pain, and fragility. Each piece serves as a reflection on the delicate and often tumultuous relationship between humanity and the natural world.
Caitlyn Shirley O’Neal
Born and raised in Indiana, Caitlyn Shirley O’Neal graduated from Goshen College in 2018 with a degree in K-12 Arts Education and Fine Arts, focusing on ceramics and painting. Working in mostly clay, she draws inspiration from bright colors and simple designs that bring her joy.
She has been a resident artist at Access Arts in Columbia, MO, ANG Pottery in Baltimore, MD, and has taught art to people of all ages in the public school setting and beyond. Currently, she resides in Ann Arbor, MI teaching high school ceramics at Greenhills School.
This work is an exploration of form, color, and texture, inspired by the subtle yet vibrant beauty of everyday surroundings. Each piece is individually hand-crafted, embodying the uniqueness and imperfections that come with the creative process.
The choice of colors reflects a joyful, playful palette—soft pastels and bold earth tones—that invites the viewer to engage with the work on a sensory level. The dotted patterns that adorn the mugs are reminiscent of organic textures found in nature, like the delicate markings on stones or the pores found on the leaves of plants.
In this work, I hope to evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia, transforming the act of drinking from a cup or eating from a bowl into a moment of reflection and appreciation for the crafted object. Each piece is inspired by life’s delights-the little moments that help shape our human experience.
IG: @cso_art