‘Counterpoints’ Now on Display at Four Corners
BY ANITA STEPHENS
Contributor, The Bluffton Sun
Linda Warner Constantino and Martha Worthy, two professional Lowcountry artists have come together to exhibit their artwork in their show entitled “Counterpoints,” at Four Corners Gallery in Bluffton. Friends for over 30 years and compatriots in the arts, both women share similar passions for translating the beauty of nature and the natural world around them via their multiple artistic talents. Featuring painting, mixed media, sculpture, watercolor and the art of quilting, the month-long show is sure to captivate the visual senses and stir imagination.
Both artists are long time Hilton Head Island residents who have been creating, teaching and displaying their art in various venues over the years and boast a solid base of collectors. The artists have chosen to name their exhibition, “Counterpoints,” as a description of the broad variation in their collaborative efforts. Both are masterful in a variety of artistic media and the exhibition’s title is the perfect illustration of their varied talents. The term counterpoint, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is used to describe “the relationship between two or more musical lines or voices, harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour.” A counterpoint in music perfectly describes the expansive collection and varietal pieces brought together by artists Constantino and Worthy, aligned yet different – all at the same time.
Constantino’s pieces will feature bold colors and strong repetitive patterns in her display of quilts. “I initially got involved with quilting as a result of making masks during Covid lockdowns,” she said. “I am inspired by and have learned much from my research of Amish quilting.” The fabric used in her quilts is made in India and sourced from a company in England. “This fabric is truly special and emits a luminosity created by thread patterns used in its weaving. The specialized fabric appears to shimmer and move depending on how the light falls on it.” As a certified botanical illustrator and teacher, Constantino’s submission will also incorporate botanical watercolors. “I spend a lot of time in the gorgeous Camelia Garden at the Coastal Discovery Museum. I become mesmerized by the beautiful intricacies of the flower. My painting method is to deconstruct the shape into splashes of interconnecting color, small abstract shapes, that when looked upon as a whole, read as a stunning blossom.” In fond remembrance of her mother’s life-long love of collecting and cataloging seashells, several of Linda’s paintings will be illustrative of her favorites from the collection.
Worthy’s work will feature mixed media paintings and sculpture. As an avid birder and naturalist most of her subject matter focuses upon animals and birds. Her paintings typically depict a pair of animals. “With each paining, I have included a description of the folklore, legends and myths that surround each animal. There is an ancient belief system that I have found fascinating and I invite the viewer to discover the spirit of these timeless and enduring stories,” she explained. “For example, in parts of Appalachia, it is believed that a low flying group of crows signifies that illness is coming, but when a single crow flies over a house and calls three times, that predicts an impending death. It is also well known throughout folklore, that the fox is considered clever and cunning, and its intelligence is never called into question. Seeing a single fox is regarded by some as a good omen.”
Martha’s sculptures also depict a variety of animals. Her clever use of found and salvaged objects produces whimsical pieces that exude a sense of serendipity. What are considered utilitarian, tools, spare parts and scrap in everyday life, find perfect placement in depicting a foot, a beak or a wing within Martha’s intriguing pieces.
“Counterpoints” will be on display until March 28 at the Four Corners Gallery, located at 1263-B May River Road, Bluffton.