On a recent chilly Saturday morning, I wandered into one of my favorite weekend spots, Foster's Market, in Chapel Hill. Knowing how busy this place can be on a Saturday, my plan was to dash in, grab a quick cup of coffee and a scone, and dash out. But, to my surprise and delight, within steps through the front door, my plans were completely derailed. Quietly perched on a long high top table, was the most wonderful, whimsical, charming, collection of small works of art I have seen in a very long time. And there, amidst these tiny colorful jewels, stood the tiny, colorful, jewel of a woman who created them, local artist, Eleatta Diver. The collection she refers to as "Redemption" is a collage and acrylic medium constructed from used, paint saturated paper towels which the artist collected over a period of time from her painting classes. She would instruct her students to blot their brushes on paper towels when they were wanting to change colors. It wasn't long before she realized, the paper towels themselves were the beginnings of small works of art. Each one, telling a little story.
