June Adams - January Artist Of The Month

The Bertie County Arts Council held an Open House to honor January Artist of the Month, June Adams this afternoon. The get together was, as usual, well attended.

The Entrance Was Crowded As People Started To Arrive

June Adams of Colerain is a native of Kansas who spent a good part of her life in Arizona. Life in the mid-west is reflected in many of her paintings. Most people who see her work find it hard to believe Ms. Adams didn't begin painting until she was 40 years old. After her five children were grown, she went to Garden City Commu­nity College in Kansas to study art. She also had classes at Scottsdale School of Art in Scottsdale, AZ, as well as in Texas and Colorado.

Everyone Seemed Impressed With June's Pictures

"I had some really good instructors," Ms. Adams says.

The belief that her instructors were good must be true since she learned well enough to later teach classes at the community college. Ms. Adams paints in watercolors, oils and also paints on silk. She had some of all her mediums for the open house today. The artist has done a lot of still-life, but said if she had to choose one subject as a favorite to paint, it would be landscapes.

The Large Crowd Overflowed Into The Refreshment Area

Her work has been sold in the mid-west and on both the east and west coast. She has had com­missions across the country and had shows in Phoenix and Mesa, AZ, Kansas and Texas. Her favorite painting is one of an aspen forest in Colorado. People here say the painting looks like birch trees found in this area, but since she hasn't seen local birch trees with a full coat of leaves, she isn't sure. She paints every day for two or three hours in a studio with northern light, which is important to her.

Ms. Adams' Favorite Painting

She is married to George Truett Ad­ams from Bertie County. He is brother to siblings that include Ben, Frank and Jack Adams and is son of the late Solomon and Fannie Adams. Truett was a B-24 pilot in World War II, and was stationed near a little town where she lived in the mid-west. The first time he saw the young woman, he knew it was the person he wanted to marry. She was younger and not really interested in marriage at that time, but they dated just four times before she was convinced. Now a few months shy of 60 years later, friends say this is a couple who really love each other and built a good marriage.

Truett brought his still young bride back to Bertie County to live just a few months ago. Now she is trying to understand the local fascination with knowing everyone's family and ancestors.

To show Ms. Adams talent, here are a selection of some of her paintings displayed at the open house.

I think you will have to agree, June Adams is very talented!

If you would like to discuss her art with her June can be contacted at (252) 345-2001, or you can contact the Bertie County Arts Council at (252) 794 - 9402. You can also email the council at bertiearts@earthlink.net