Down Creek will be showcasing local photographer Melinda Fodrie Sutton, and also featuring musical guests Raygun Ruby.
Melinda Fodrie Sutton will be showcasing her latest photographic series of structures and beautiful island scenery. She and her husband, Allen Sutton, also own Tradewinds Tackle here on Ocracoke, and Melinda began exploring her passion with photography several years ago. She has now been featured at Down Creek Gallery, several other Ocracoke business and restaurants, and in galleries in Charleston South Carolina and Chicago, Illinois. Her beautiful images of Ocracoke Island and natural landscapes are her main photographic inspirations. Her work is extremely vivid in color and rich in oceanic subject matter.
Four winters ago, her daily photographs of Ocracoke’s visiting arctic snowy owls were shared widely. She and her sister, Diane Fodrie Stankiewicz, a graphic artist living in Charleston, roamed the island winter beach for two months just to capture this uncharacteristic visitor, creating an impressive portfolio of the photogenic owls. This also sparked a desire between the two sisters to continue with their collaboration and led them to share summertime urban photographic opportunities in Chicago and Charleston.
“I love walking and taking pictures, I see the world differently,” Melinda said. So began her therapeutic “walk-about” period: 10,000 steps a day with her iPhone camera in her pocket. Soon she had two more cameras ready for action.
Photo sharing on Facebook led to lots of support and enthusiastic feedback from friends “liking” this new direction. Encouraged to pursue photography more seriously, she enrolled in a four-week class in landscape photography at the University of South Carolina in Charleston. With the emergence of social networking and digital photography, picture taking became much different from the world of film she knew.
“I did a series of beach photos recently and had over 400 shots when I was done.” During the film era, “I would use one roll of film, maybe 24 shots, and have only one worth keeping,” she said. The instant gratification, ease of production, and editing tools have changed the world of photography and in this case, Melinda’s life.
Melinda mentions that “there are many things I want to do creatively, and I want to travel and see other countries and cultures.”
This year, Sutton embarks upon new subject matter, exploring various photographic mediums, and printing processes.
Island visitors and residents are encouraged to attend our last opening for the season at Down Creek Gallery. Light hors d’ oeuvres and complementary adult beverages will be available, feel free to join us and EXPOSE YOURSELF TO ART!!!