Seven local artists have been busy creating art for the September feature exhibit at the Campbell House Galleries in Southern Pines.

Derry Booher, Cathy Bason, Jeanne Casey, Karen Fox, Bonnie Hanly, Laurie Lutz, and Sandy Williams have been painting together and exhibiting their work as a group for many years. The show at the Campbell House will be their first large-scale exhibit and will feature a wide variety of subject matter and style.

In 2006, the group created "The Cat Fish" for the "Dog Days of Summer/It's the Cat's Meow" fundraiser benefiting local charities. Many may remember Bubba (the Cat Fish) who wore an Acme camouflage fish suit and had a bamboo fishing pole, a can of worried-looking worms, and a pond inhabited by some very befuddled fish. Their creation won the People's Choice Award.

The "Derry and Friends" exhibit at the Campbell House Galleries opens Friday, Sept. 4, with a reception to meet the artists from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, and from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19. The galleries will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day.

About the Artists

Award-winning artist Derry Booher is originally from England. She has been painting for many years and is essentially self-taught. In the discipline of fine art, she excels in pastels, acrylics, oils, and watercolors. She is currently focusing on landscapes in acrylics and is fascinated by the interplay of light and dark values in her compositions.

Booher has been commissioned to create murals as well as painting her designs on signs, furniture, and other home accessories. In the 1970s, Booher designed needlework canvases that were featured by such national corporations as Elsa Williams, Bernat, and Brunswick.

"I'm not one to keep a good thing to myself," says Booher. "I enjoy sharing my passion for art and I open my studio on a weekly basis to a small group of fellow artists. It is from this group of painters that 'Derry & Friends' was formed."

Booher has been a popular instructor at the Artists League of the Sandhills, as well as a judge for a local photography show. Her work has been showcased at Central Security Systems in Southern Pines.

The work of the "Derry and Friends" group has been featured at the Village Design Group in Southern Pines and is currently represented by Cathy Bason Art and Antiques in Pinehurst.

Cathy Bason first joined the "Derry and Friends" group as a sponsor of the group's cat sculpture project. When Bason found out about the group's commitment to the creation of fine art, she became a regular member. Bason prefers painting monochromatic portraits that are very effective in capturing expression as well as likeness.

Bason has taught art to all age levels and was instrumental in instituting an art program for the elementary schools in Moore County. Before moving to the Sandhills, Bason was chairman of the fine arts department and art teacher for Saint Mary's School in Raleigh. Today, Bason is a Realtor and the owner of Cathy Bason Art and Antiques in Pinehurst.

Jeanne Casey, originally from the Washington, D.C., area, moved to Pinehurst in 2004. An avid crafter, Casey has been involved in stained glass and quilting. These disciplines honed her eye for design and color. When she began studying acrylic painting with Booher, she developed a loose, dynamic style of painting, specializing in seascapes and landscapes. Although Casey has studied oil painting, she favors the vibrancy and immediacy of acrylics.

Karen Fox retired to Pinehurst from Connecticut in 2002. During her corporate career, Fox promised herself that she would try her hand at painting when she retired. So she took some classes at the Artists League and having tried different media, she has decided that oil is now her medium of choice. Fox has also transitioned from her earlier efforts in still life realism to a looser style. She is currently focusing on landscapes.

Bonnie Hanly paints in oil and her subjects range from portraiture to still life and landscapes. Her interest is in creating more impressionistic art focusing on the contrasts of light and harmonies of color. She has studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago and taken many classes at the Artists League.

Laurie Lutz, Derry Booher's daughter, took an unusual path to becoming an artist. For a time, Lutz worked as a radio disc jockey and married one of her listeners. She then went on to other jobs in the corporate world but after early retirement, returned to her first love of painting and drawing.

Obviously, Lutz has been influenced by her mother's love of creating art. After taking her first watercolor workshop, she was immediately smitten with the spontaneity, fluidity and transparency of the medium. Lutz also finds enormous enjoyment in working with oil pastels and acrylics. Her favorite subjects are animals, botanicals, still life and landscapes. Her colorful style captures mood and detail and ranges from realistic to whimsical. Currently, Lutz is working on illustrating children's books.

Sandy Williams moved to Pinehurst from Michigan in 2002. She first discovered her artistic talents when she began tole painting in 1997. This art form taught her the importance of brush control and helped her develop a keen color sense.

She enjoys painting landscapes, seascapes, still life and animals, and her style ranges from whimsical and realistic to loose and painterly, depending on the mood inspired by the subject matter. Williams continues her work in decorative arts by painting rabbit-themed designs on commissioned pieces of furniture and house wares for The Wild Hare in Southern Pines.

The Campbell House Galleries are located at 482 East Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines.

For more information about the September exhibit, contact the Arts Council of Moore County at 692-4356 or visit the website at www.mooreart.org.