Showcasing Librarian Art

Jessica Weaver & Julia Grace May

My name is Jessica Weaver, and I am a local artist I have been drawing since I was little, the first sketch book that I completed was in the 4^th grade. It was a composition book filled with drawings of horses, every girl’s dream. My love for drawing grew over the years, and my mom took me to see Stephen Shoemaker, a well know artist in the community. I was 13 years old and excited to meet a real artist, so I gathered up my drawings and away we went. My visit with Stephen Shoemaker was very inspirational. He talked to me about my art, gave me tips and keepsakes, and he also gave me great advice. He told me that I had great talent, and if I wanted my talent to improve then I would need to practice. So, I drew and painted every chance that I got. I won numerous awards for competitions that I entered, and later I took some classes in college that helped me. I had some shows in different galleries over the years, and painted several murals.  After college I didn’t have as much time to paint, but I still find the time to do several paintings per year. My paintings are usually landscape scenery including barns, houses, the occasional animals, and flower paintings.

Jessica on the left ... Julia on the right

My name is Julia Grace May and as a child and young adult, I showed no talent for art. However, after visiting the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C., I began to take an interest in painting, at least looking at it. I was born in Jefferson, North Carolina but have worked in many different jobs and lived in many different places including Alaska, Maryland, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Wherever I lived, I taken art classes. When I moved to Wadesboro, North Carolina in 1996, I met several artists and began painting with them. Today I continue with my art studies in a studio course.  I enjoy using oil on canvas and creating brightly colored paintings. Here’s hoping you enjoy my creations as much as I do.