Featured Artist:
David Eichenberger (fine art)

Join us this Friday to see the new work of visual artist, David Eichenberger. David will have a handful of selected drawings up for the month of May here at Epona & Oak. We will be serving Saison de Aviator from Aviator Brewing company as well as some delicious snacks.

Featured Artist:
Deneé Black (mixed media)

Deneé Black is from Charlotte, NC and is currently residing in Raleigh, NC. She graduated from North Carolina State University, School of Design with a degree in Graphic Design. Denee's work features contrasting, bold blocks of shapes and saturated colors.

Deneé says of her work "I sometimes envision entire live spaces and moments as complete works of art. At other times, a single object or form, removed from its surroundings, may be the subject of my work. These visual 'snapshots', whether based on my daily surroundings, moments captured, or single objects, are then translated into mixed media pieces. Having a background in graphic design, I create paintings that celebrate both art and design."

Featured Artist:
Kelly Smith-Tilly (Tiny Peepers)

Kelly Smith-Tilly is a screen printer from Raleigh, North Carolina who likes to create beautiful and functional accessories and home goods. Kelly adorns kitchen towels, napkins, and scarves with her clean and distinctive designs. All of her goods are printed with non-toxic, water-based inks and heat set so each one can be washed again and again.

We will be serving some scrumptious treats as well as beer and wine so come by and see us for First Friday.

Workshop by Christina Laughton

An intense six week interactive workshop that can help you change your approach to stress, illness and difficulty in your life. Together we will explore several ways to find and use our intuition to uncover the root cause of stress that can create problems in our lives and eventually our bodies. Want a different approach to life? Discover the old patterns that hold you back, then learn how to release them, allowing space for healthy patterns to grow. These new discoveries will become grounded as a new way of life to help you remain joyful and healthy everyday.

Christina Laughton is a Nurse, Yoga Teacher and Intuitive Healer. Her mission is to help others discover how to utilize the many tools they already possess for creating health in their lives. Over the past 15 years she has studied, cultivated and evolved the abilities to intuit information. She uses this information to help heal stress and pain, to maintain health and recognize future imbalances in the body and mind..

Cost: $120.00 paid by 3/6/11
$150.00 after 3/6/11
for more info or to register, contact Christina at 860.501.3562 or in2ithealth@yahoo.com or
Cheryl Hynes at 919.828.7500 or Cheryl@eponaandoak.com

Featured Artist:
Lucky Accessories (jewelry)

Kiona van Rhee-Wilson has been working in the fashion industry since the age of 15. Originally from Holland, this Dutch native worked as a fashion model for almost a decade walking the runways in Paris, Tokyo and New York. Kiona now works behind the scenes creating her unique jewelry line that she markets under the name Lucky Accessories.

We will be serving special Valentine's Day treats as well as some tasty refreshments. Michelle Lyon was generous enough to donate one of her awesome super sized Peculiar Pets for our First Friday raffle. From 6 pm to 10 pm, you get to fill out a raffle ticket for every ten dollars that you spend in the shop.

Featured Artist:
Becky Wofford (jewelry)

Becky Wofford makes jewelry that reminds you of moments like a flower in full bloom or of the rich colors of autumn leaves. She strives to create her pieces with recycled materials and sources gemstones from the United States when possible. We will be featuring her new creations in shop just in time for holiday shopping.

Posh Nosh catering will be here for the event serving some of their delicious dishes and we'll have a keg from Aviator Brewery to add to the merriment.

Featured Artist:
Daphne Livne Sapir (fine art)

Daphne Livne Sapir has been a fan of the arts since she first discovered crayons and paper. She began her art education at the prestigious Shenkar College in Israel where she studied interior design and textiles. Many of Daphne's pieces feature a background of abundant patterns, designs, and colors that surround a beautiful central image. We will be featuring several of her new works in the shop for the entire month of November.

Old Bulldog ESB from Aviator Brewery will be the beer on tap for the evening and we will also have an assortment of snacks and wines out for the occasion. We hope to see you there.

Featured Artist:
The Handmaidens (Jewelry)

The Handmaidens are back for another Trunk Show at Epona & Oak. This group of seven jewelry designers will be showcasing their new designs for Fall as well as some of your old favorites.

We will be serving North Carolina wines as well as a brand new Pilsner from Aviator Brewery. City Market is also hosting the Great Pumpkin Sale to raise money for the Salvation Army's Christmas Cheer Program. It's a great night to do a little jewelry shopping, have a drink, and pick out your Halloween pumpkin.

Featured Artist:
Kathleen Dautel of Spark Metal Studio (Jewelry)

This is shaping up to be a stupendous First Friday at Epona & Oak. Kathleen Dautel of Spark Metal Studio is our featured artist this month. Kathleen creates completely original stainless steel and colored resin jewelry. She will be here showcasing some of her new pieces as well as some of her top sellers. We will also be serving wines from different North Carolina vineyards as well as a keg of HotRod Red from Aviator Brewing Company.

Growing up in Oregon in a creative family, particularly with a father who was a printmaker, painter and art professor, I have always had artistic influences in my life. While studying Art History and Fine Arts at the University of Oregon, I took my first metalsmithing class in 1990 and loved it. After graduating in 1991, I returned to the U of O to receive a BFA in Metalsmithing in 1993. I moved to Portland in 1994 and the city, its buildings and environment inspired me to pursue architecture. I moved to Raleigh, NC to attend North Carolina State University's Master of Architecture Program and graduated in 1999. Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to work as a project designer for a couple of great architecture firms in the area, winning several design awards for many of the projects, but my love for metalsmithing has always been in the back of my mind.

In the fall of 2009 I launched my own jewelry and metalsmithing line, Spark Metal Studio. Each design is original, laser cut stainless steel that is hand finished and hand colored with epoxy resin. The forms are both architecturally based and drawn from nature with a linear graphic quality. I currently live in Raleigh, NC with my husband Brian and son Ben, both of whom offer great support and a critical eye.

The Love Bug

The Love Bug is a combination live on-street art competition and gallery opening hosted by Toxic Free NC at Epona & Oak in downtown Raleigh’s City Market. LoveBug 2009 boasted more than 400 people, and was such a huge success that the organization decided to make it an annual event. Love Bug has garnered support from many local sponsors, including Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation, Whole Foods, Empire Eats, Locopops, Visual Arts Exchange and many others, and the 2010 artist line-up includes local notables David Eichenberger, Amy Sawyer, Sean Kernick, Casey Porn and Bart Cusick.

About Toxic Free North Carolina

Toxic pesticides are over-used in North Carolina and around the world, polluting our food, water and our bodies. Toxic Free NC fights pesticide pollution in North Carolina by dvocating for common-sense alternatives that protect our health and environment. We are an independent non-profit organization -- North Carolina’s only organization working to put people before pesticides.

Featured Artist: Melissa Lowery of SSD Jewelry(Jewelry)

Melissa Lowery is going to be here for First Friday! Her designs have been flying off of our shelves since she first brought them into the shop. Come by and check out her new and unique designs because they won't stay in Epona & Oak for very long. We will serving all sorts of snacks and beverages for the event so swing by and meet this very talented artist.

“I am the creator, owner and designer of ssd jewelry. I'm mostly a self-taught metals artist who loves to read, and experiment on my own! My approach to metal-smithing is very organic and in my opinion, it's the end result that matters, not how you get there!

I strive to make high-quality and original designs. I love incorporating vintage finds (old spoons, weathered leather bracelets, old charms, etc.), recycled and upcycled metals, and positive quotes in my jewelry. Jewelry can be very personal and adding a special message to it makes it even that much more smashing!”

Featured Artist: Jody Cedzidlo of Flytrap Studios (Apparel and Home Decor)

This is going to be a really fun First Friday here at Epona & Oak. Jody Cedzidlo is the designer behind those adorable jersey dresses and the famous "Raleigh Bike" tee. She will be bringing tons of new designs with her as well as her close out tees that she will be selling for just $15 a pop!
We will have a keg from Aviator Brewing Company and fresh baked cookies from The Cookie People.

“I am extremely fortunate that Flytrap is my full-time job. After a long and difficult road of six million lattes, 16 months living in a very large tent, three drop-out-of-college-crises, finally a Bachelor of Fine Arts, three murals, three states, eleven apartments, and a whole bunch of questionable fashion decisions, I finally have what I want. I am making a living with things I create. And I have finally given up on overalls--I'm just not tall enough.

One day I will live in a small house where I will collect eggs from my own chickens--they, in turn, will live in a handmade, highly ornamented coop decorated with my mother's bizarre, ceramic yard art. I will bake steamy, golden pies from homegrown blueberries. Sadie will run wild. And I will buy this house with the money I made selling lovely t-shirts I printed with my own two hands.”

Little Monsters
Featured Artist: David Eichenberger (Fine Art)

David Eichenberger creates some of the most endearing and captivating artwork that I have ever seen. I always want to know more about his central figures and find out what kind of adventure they are on.

David Eichenberger earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. He has had several exhibitions in Raleigh and was recently an artist-in-residence at Artspace.

David's new work will be up at Epona & Oak for the entire month of May so please stop by and check it out.

If you would like to know more about David Eichenberger, please visit http://david-eichenberger.carbonmade.com

Featured Artist: Elizabeth Galecke Photography

There will be raffle prizes donated by local artisans to benefit these charities including photo sessions, massage certificates, jewelry, and more.
If you would like more information, please visit: www.elizabethgalecke.com.

Left:Jodie Matthews, 1999
Make-A-Wish^® Foundation of Eastern North Carolina

Featured Artist: Alena Hennessy
(Jewelry, Apparel, Art, and Home Decor)

To find out more about Alena, please visit www.alenahennessy.com

Featured Artist: Leigh Salmon of Rivet Jewelry
(Sterling Silver and 14K Jewelry)

To see more of Leigh's pieces, please visit visit www.rivetingjewelry.com

Featured Artist: Captive Collective (Hand Printed Apparel and Accessories)

Captive Collective is the combination of two Raleigh, NC designers, Strenf and Odcity.

Strenf was brought to life in 2008 by Jared Lambert. In case you were wondering, the name comes from an urban spin on the word strength. Strenf is the product of a designer who has always had an appreciation of screen printing and it's abilities. The designs are deliberately simple and usually involve elements of nature, strange happenings or objects

Odcity was created by Margaret McNealy in 2008. Drawing inspiration from the odd natured experiences and surroundings of life, Odcity is sure to appeal to anyone that can appreciate a mixture of styles. Playing with urban quirky and eclectic styles Margaret alienates the odd nature of every design to convey an experience that everyone can relate to.

If you would like to know more about Captive Collective, please visit http://www.captivecollective.com

Featured Artist: The Handmaidens (Jewelry, Apparel, Home Accessories, and Paper Goods)

The Handmaidens are a North Carolina collective of artists, designers and crafters who create handcrafted jewelry, apparel, accessories, paper goods, art goods, housewares and more!
In 2004, we joined together to begin collaborating in collaborative trunk shows and local shopping events to promote our individual businesses and each other's work.
We are the founders and producers of Raleigh, NC's The Handmade Market, a semiannual shopping event that features the best and brightest artists, designers and crafters from NC and beyond.

If you would like to know more about The Handmaidens or The Handmade Market, please visit http://www.thehandmaidens.com and http://www.thehandmademarket.com. To learn more about North Carolina Wineries, please visit http://www.visitncwine.com/.

Featured Artist: Kristin Matwiczyk (Fine Art)

I love to paint. It is therapeutic, messy, colorful and sexy. It is an extension of what my words fail to express. As a bashful exhibitionist, I cannot hide behind what my brush strokes reveal. It is an action of coy emotions, whimsical imagination, imperfect beauty, and where undesirable outcomes create conscious results. It makes the complicated simple and the simple divine. It makes my life make sense.

In 2001 I graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelors of Art. I now live in Raleigh, NC. I tend to switch my painting style and subject matter around often and usually each show is different in its diaristic nature. Oil is my main paint of choice but I also use acrylic, watercolor, markers, paint pens, glue guns, Mod Podge, house paint, etc.

If you would like to know more about Kristin Matwiczyk, please visit http://www.kmatw.com
To learn more about Aviator Brewing Company, please visit http://www.aviatorbrew.com

Featured Artist: Mary Ellen Kim, Twist Style (Jewelry)

I live here in Virginia with my little family. We have a happy home just south of the city with a big garden, lots of flowers and two cats. My husband, Dave, and I think we are just about the luckiest people ever.
Every morning, after Dave leaves for work and the kids are off to school, I head off to my studio. Once I get past the overwhelming mess (I'm a very sloppy artist), I find inspiration everywhere! Tubes of paint, piles of fabric, bowls of beads and buttons - I am a bit of a supply junkie.
On the days that I'm just not "feelin' it," I head downtown for a coffee and to hit some of my favorite junk stores, antique shops, and flea markets. It never fails that I find something to inspire me among all those forgotten artifacts - and sometimes a pair of shoes follows me home - it's weird!
I hope you enjoy the vintage finds and I especially hope you feel my designs: they are truly a reflection of the joys in my life; my family and the creative process!

If you would like to know more about Twist Style, please visit http://www.twiststyle.com
To learn more about Shelton Vineyards, please visit http://www.visitncwine.com/.

Featured Artist: Monica Myers Shelton of Ablutions Spa (Bath & Body)

My name is Monica and I am the creator of Ablutions Spa, a culturally and spiritually inspired line of skin care and bathing rituals created from certified organic and naturally sourced ingredients. Ablutions Spa is the result of many years of work as an esthetician and spa owner, my passion for handmade, wholesome skin care products combined with a longtime interest in other cultures and spiritual practices and my total obsession with all things related to spas and bathing. The word 'ablutions' literally means the act of washing or cleansing the body and is often used when describing ritualistic bodily purifications before prayer or meditation.

Ablutions Spa is a complete line of facial and body care products, formulated for use in treatment rooms of spas and skin care salons, and for home use. I created this line to offer my clients products that are effective, luxurious and affordable, a combination I was unable to find in the marketplace.

All Ablutions Spa products are vegetarian, most are vegan and we don't perform or support animal testing. While striving to use the most natural ingredients around, we do use some safe synthetics to enhance the feel and performance of certain products and in many cases, to extend the shelf life and stability as well. This combination of nature and technology ensures safe, consistent products that smell, feel and work beautifully.

Find out more about Ablutions Spa at http://www.ablutions-spa.com.
To discover more about North Carolina wineries, please visit http://www.visitncwine.com/.
To order awesome organic cupcakes, please contact Tammy at http://sweettcakes.weebly.com

Featured Artist: Tasha McKelvy (Pottery)

My clay work is intended to be useful - this is art that is meant to be touched. In the past, everything we used in the home was made by hand. Today our homes are filled with stuff stamped out by machines. When we seek out handmade art we make our surroundings a little more human.

I throw on the potter's wheel or use slabs of clay to hand-build my clay forms - then I add that little something extra.

To see more of Tasha’s work, please visit her website at http://www.tashamck.com.
To discover more about North Carolina wineries, please visit http://www.visitncwine.com/