Lynne's Scratchboard Art
Meeting Places Through the Decades: Cary, North Carolina in Scratchboard
This upcoming scratchboard exhibition explores the meeting places of Cary, North Carolina—spaces where everyday life unfolds and community quietly takes shape. From soda fountains to train depots, churches, cafés, breweries, homes and historic landmarks, these locations have served as gathering points across generations. Each piece reflects not just architecture, but the shared memory embedded in corners, windows, and sidewalks. I am drawn to the familiar structures that people pass daily, yet hold decades of conversation, connection, and belonging beneath their surfaces. Through this collection, I aim to honor the understated importance of these places as anchors of community and continuity.
Scratchboard is a subtractive process: clayboard layered with black India ink, then etched to reveal light through line. This technique allows me to focus on the lines and masses that are often overlooked in person. By removing darkness rather than adding marks, I uncover mood, texture, and atmosphere hidden within ordinary scenes. My work embraces a quiet contrast—moody yet welcoming—revealing the warmth beneath everyday spaces. Through etched light these places emerge as both timeless and intimate, inviting viewers to recognize and create their own stories within the familiar.