THE QUIET VOICE OF THE OUTER BANKS
The Quiet Voice of the Outer Banks A Visual Journal by Christaphora Robeers
This is a preview of o The Quiet Voice of the
It will be available in N Capital City Books an
For more information, visit capitalcitybooks.com
our upcoming book: e Outer Banks
November 2010 at nd in select bookstores. Thanks for your interest!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
Introduction
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Sea, Sand and Sky
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Dwellings and Vessels Part One
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The Outer Bankers Year-Round Residents
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Local Inhabitants Animals, Birds and Other Sea Life
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Dwellings and Vessels Part Two
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Dunes, Marshes and Lighthouses
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Heritage of the Artist
Introduction
My first experience with the Outer Banks of North Carolina was in the early seventies. This hidden sanctuary was like candy for my eyes. As an artist, the striations of clouds, sea, beach and dunes in contrast with quaint cottages, lighthouses and boats inspired me. I was also reminded of the seacoast of the Netherlands, where I was born and spent my childhood years. About five years ago, I began visiting the Outer Banks more often and staying for extended periods of time. These visits became the inspiration for drawings, watercolors and oil paintings. This is when I started a threeway dialogue between the sea, my art and myself. Because of my Dutch heritage, I especially like the late fall, winter and early spring. The Outer Banks takes on a serene atmosphere once the madding crowd of the summer disappears. Sea life changes during this season — some creatures hide while others emerge — and the local residents resume their marvelous lifestyle. My explorations took me from the North Carolina–Virginia border all the way down to the island of Ocracoke. The coast has many moods, so the weather was always challenging. During my stays I experienced the fury of storms, rain, unusually warm weather and even the occasional snow shower. In a matter of minutes the light and colors can change dramatically. The elements make gathering images difficult. Gloves with cut off fingertips help keep the hands moving. A camera has to be hidden in the coat to protect it from freezing wind and sand. Sketch books and painting panels quickly become airborne during windy days on the beach. In spite of the challenges, it is a great way to encounter both life and art. My journey is by no means complete. I look forward to staying engaged with the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a very long time.
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Sea, Sky and Sand
The vista of the Outer Banks rivals any painted mural. Being the only person on a deserted beach in a vast space is a primitive experience. Add to that a full gale, dark clouds and active waves, and I am inspired beyond words. The sea lets me get in touch with the roots of my past. It whispers to me of the present and lets me dream of the future. The Outer Banks keeps my creative process alive.
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Full Gale 12 x 36 inches
Sand Tracks 11 x 14 inches
Sky and Sand 10 x 8 inches
The Sandbar at Low Tide Oregon Inlet 11 x 14 inches
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November Light Corolla 8 x 10 inches
Dwellings and Vessels Part One
The power of the ocean mutes everything next to it. The vastness of Nature — and the sense of vulnerability and wonder it evokes — gives me not only respect for its sheer force, but also a greater appreciation of shelter.
Green Shutters Close-Up —Study of a Beach Cottage 6 x 9 inches Unpainted Southern Ladies Beach Cottage — Nags Head 4 x 6 inches
The cottages of the Outer Banks are the keepers of family histories, the guardians of coastal memory. They have a distinctly human spirit. Spending time on the coast helps us feel a kinship with those who have come before us. Standing at the edge of the shore, gathering around a table to share a meal, listening to the sound of children laughing — these are collective experiences.
The Many Colors of Beach Cottages 4 x 6 inches
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Behind the Seagrasses Beach Cottages on the Way to Hatteras 4 x 6 inches
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Guarding the Shore Beach Cottages on the Way to Hatteras 4 x 6 inches
Fishing Boat in Wanchese 11 x 14 inches
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Variation on Fishing Boats, Dock and Water in Wanchese 4 x 6 inches
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The Outer Bankers Year-Round Residents
The Outer Bankers make wonderful subject matter for paintings and drawings. Like the Impressionists, I am inspired by the day-to-day activities of people going about the business of living. Painting scenes from daily life is a matter of respect. It is an act that honors a specific cultural moment. It is also a way of keeping my visual communications honest.
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My visits have allowed me to experience life as an Outer Banker. I understand the simple joy of catching puppy drum and finding a special seashell or a piece of sea glass. These small pleasures are steeped in tradition. When I understand that tradition, I can go beyond the rendering and paint what I see, what I love, what I have experienced and what I know.
Searching for Sea Glass After the Storm 24 x 24 inches 47
The Co¤ee Maker — Allen 8 x 10 inches
Co造ee Makers and Books 3 x 7 inches
Inside the Bookstore and Co造ee Shop 6 x 8 inches
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Getting Ready to Surf Fish 5 x 4 inches
The Passion for Surf Fishing 4 x 6 inches
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Local Inhabitants Animals, Birds and Other Sea Life
The animal life of the Outer Banks is numerous and varied. Gulls glide on wind drafts and create marvelous white and black designs against the ever-changing skies. In search of food, the little sanderlings play tag with the waves. The brown pelicans are like old sea dogs and seem to be in no hurry at all. Their large bills distinguish them from other birds even at great distance. They serve as entertaining and enjoyable subject matter for photographers and painters. The animals here only add to the beauty and wonder of this amazing place. Being surrounded by these various creatures enriches one’s soul.
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One day I was lucky to encounter a seal resting on the beach. While we were watching, the seal closed its eyes and turned towards the sun, enjoying his winter nap. Keeping my distance, I was able to observe this rare and wonderful sight for some time.
Fish Dinner 6 x 8 inches
Seal Resting on the Beach 9 x 11 inches 72
Nautical Still Life 4 x 6 inches
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Welks 4 x 6 inches
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On Watch A Free Meal Can Always Turn Up 4 x 6 inches
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Not Invited to Dinner 4 x 6 inches
Facing into the Wind Keeps the Feathers Smooth 4 x 6 inches
Dwellings and Vessels Part Two
Dwellings and vessels define the culture of a coastal area. The ones found in the Outer Banks are unique and rich in history, and they will always remain an inspiration for me.
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I often walk the beaches after strong winter storms. Even after a storm recedes, the ocean is still turbulent, and it doesn’t hesitate to reveal its secrets. Planks of wood and bits of metal — debris from old shipwrecks — emerge from the sea. But what the sea reveals, it also reclaims. Within minutes, the strength of the tides pulls the wreckage back out to sea.
Winter at Duck 5 x 7 inches
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North of Rodanthe, a tall beach cottage stood in solitude close to the water. Although there are other cottages that resemble it, this particular one has a stark and strong presence.
The House in Northern Rodanthe 18 x 24 inches The House in Rodanthe Looking North 4 x 6 inches
While traveling to Colington, Oregon Inlet, Manteo and Wanchese I soon discovered that boats are like second homes. They provide proof that the sea, in all its wildness, is inhabited by humans. A vessel moving through the water on a misty morning is like a journey of faith. Looking out into the ocean and seeing a single boat is like viewing a nautical still life in a vast blue background. A boat becomes one continuous, fluid line, and the work it performs becomes one with that line.
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Kayaks Resting Manteo 4 x 6 inches
Dunes, Marshes and Lighthouses
Hidden areas with beautiful vistas from the sand dunes are everywhere along the Outer Banks. They go on forever and are a delight to explore. Here colors change from pure white to gold and pink depending upon the weather conditions and time of the year. The evergreens and shrubs create a stark contrast against the light dunes, and in winter they become dark green to almost black in color. On rare occasions when it snows, the sea oats look orange and the shadowy areas in the sand can look lighter than the snow. The relationship between colors and textures is something that I like to observe and have reflected in my work. The fall brings rich colors to the salt marshes. Foliage that was not noticeable during the summer months takes on a strong presence in the fall. The skies are clear of humidity, giving the Outer Banks a crisp look with vivid color. As an artist who embraces color, this is a magical time. Even the mosquitoes cannot keep me from experiencing this special season. Lighthouses have served as artists’ subject matter for ages. I love visiting these tall structures when the weather is cold and the skies are becoming grey. This is when the lighthouses appear to be in harmony with their surroundings. Each lighthouse is distinctive in shape, color and size; however, it is the individual artist’s experience with them that make their images unique.
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Looking Out from Colington A Cloudy Day in September 8 x 10 inches Late Fall in the Salt Marshes Near Wanchese 10 x 8 inches
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Two of the Outer Banks lighthouses are thought to be similar at first glance, but the Bodie lighthouse has horizontal stripes and the Hatteras lighthouse has diagonal stripes. These twin graphic sisters are old icons with strong contemporary designs.
Detail Study of Bodie Lighthouse 4 x 6 inches 129
Detail Study of Bodie Lighthouse 6 x 4 inches
Study of Two Pines Marshes at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge 4 x 5 inches
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Study of a Water Oak 7 x 10 inches
Heritage of the Artist
I was born in the Netherlands right after World War II. The sea comprises a major part of my childhood memories as I grew up near Scheveningen, a small town on the coast of the North Sea. This very old fishing village was the subject of a panorama created by the artist, Hendrik Willem Mesdag. As a child I viewed this painting and to this day, it serves as inspiration for my work. Even in my earliest memories, art and costal life have always been connected. After World War II the dunes were still littered with land mines that had been planted by the Nazis. Cleaning up the dunes and making them safe again took many years. Because of the mines, wandering into the dunes was forbidden. Roped off areas stretched the beaches, warning of danger. As a child, it was especially difficult to be in such a beautiful place and yet feel so scared to step into the sand. I distinctly remember walking along a safe access trail that led directly to the water, and there I encountered images of frozen sea foam creating strange sculptures that sparkled like diamonds in the sun. After the big flood of 1953 I experienced first-hand what the fury of the sea can unleash. The water came in fast, rushing into houses and stores, and it was so deep that I remember wearing tall galoshes everywhere we went. Everyone helped clean up the mess created by the great flood. The people of the Dutch coast are used to fighting the sea. But the sea was merciless that year.
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Sea and Waterways 4 x 6 inches
Coastal life can be as beautiful as it is difficult, so I have many fond memories. I remember the hard-working fishermen’s wives particularly well. They were a resilient group whose culture is rich in tradition. The women’s black and navy skirts were topped by long aprons. Simple white caps held back their hair as they worked to mend the fishing nets on the beaches. Along with the old traditions of the sea came new ones. While I was growing up, the Kur Huis (Kurhaus), a seaside resort, was being built. This was the beginning of a new Scheveningen and it became a symbol of progress and tradition living side by side.
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Opa — Grandfather A Very Good Fisherman 6 x 4 inches
About the Artist “My painting dialogue has always concentrated on color. Color is light, and light represents and supports life. They are a spiritual memory of the past and of the future.” The scope and versatility of Christaphora Robeers’s artistic vision has been recognized at dozens of national and international exhibitions, including the European Fine Art Fair, the International Pastel Show and as an Artist Signature Member of the Virginia Watercolor Society. Robeers’s work is on display in museums, schools, government buildings, corporate offices, galleries and people’s homes in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and throughout Europe. Dedicated to arts education, Robeers has inspired and instructed others through artistin-resident positions with a number of Virginia organizations. For over twenty years, she has participated in the Artist-in-Education program with the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and she has served as coordinator and curator for an international children’s exhibit between schools in Venlo, Netherlands and Richmond, Virginia. Robeers has also led international workshops in Italy, France, Scotland, Norway and England, and she continues an active teaching practice at the Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, Virginia.
The Quiet Voice of the Outer Banks is a profound and graceful meditation on the relationship between Nature and Art. It celebrates the paradox of the coast — a place always new, always changing and yet forever the same. Christaphora Robeers offers a unique perspective on the artistry found in coastal life. Mysterious sea creatures, elegant horses and playful birds flit among the pages. Lighthouses, the stalwart guardians of the shore, beam forth from new angles. Ocean foam and clouds shift shapes and colors. A dappled light shines on cottages, dunes and marshes. Outer Bankers immerse themselves in the everyday — keeping shop, walking the shore, tending to fishing lines — while at the same time fostering the ties that bind all coastal communities. Through this body of work, Christaphora Robeers bears witness to the pull of history and the power of tradition. Honoring and acknowledging the past sets us free to fully embrace the present, and the coast is the perfect nexus of these ideas. It challenges us to engage, connect with and experience the creative possibilities inherent in all aspects of life — past, present and future.