Touch of Class coming to Havelock

Jane Needham is capturing history on canvas.

Needham, the featured artist at the 2009 Touch of Class Art Show, recently painted a New Bern barbershop and found last month that the structure had been torn down, erased from the landscape of the city.

"I have a feeling about those old structures," Needham said from her River Bend home Monday. "I see so much beauty in them and color."

A recent subject for Needham was the Primitive Baptist Church in the Croatan National Forest. The plain steeple-less building is juxtaposed in front of tall moss-draped trees. Blue sky is reflected off the windows framed by weathered walls.

The circa-1840 church may not stand forever, but has been captured in one of Needham's many studies of area architecture.

One of her next projects is to paint Havelock's Trader Store on Miller Boulevard. Her husband has already made photographs of the store for Needham to reference.

Like many artists, Needham uses photographs she and others have taken as the basis for her works.

A photograph of sea oats by Havelock photographer Sandy Hammer inspired Needham to do an "after" that will be in the show.

"I saw her picture and I said ‘Sandy. I'd love to paint this.' I was just tremendously drawn to it," Needham said.

Inspiration is a key to crafting a fine work of art, she said.

"Sometimes they paint themselves and sometimes I slave over them, spending weeks on them," Needham said.

Visitors to the free show will get a chance to see the full range of Needham's talents, from fabulous florals to luscious landscapes.

The Massachusetts native grew up in the rolling Berkshire Hills.

"I grew up where Norman Rockwell grew up," Needham.

But it was another native artist, Neil Blake, that gave Needham art classes through her teenage years.

"Neil Blake did covers for the Saturday Evening Post before Rockwell," Needham said.

"And now I'm taking from an equally fine artist, Jeff Jakub, of Washington, N.C. He does great portraits. He does everything."

Needham's varied works will be on display along with more than 50 other artists, photographers, sculptors and fiber artisans at the annual art extravaganza. Some of the work will also be available for purchase.

The show is presented by the Havelock Cultural Arts Committee and the Havelock Recreation Department.

A Touch of Class Art Show will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center.