November 2025 Monthly Exhibit
“THE ART OF RUST”
featuring
Al Bryan and Pat Andrews
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7th, 5:30PM - 7:30PM
Explore the beauty found in decay and transformation in The Art of Rust, a dual exhibition showcasing pastel works by Al Bryan and sculptural pieces by Pat Andrews. Through different mediums, both artists capture the textures, tones, and timeless character of rust—celebrating how nature reclaims, redefines, and reimagines the manmade.
Bryan’s photo realistic pastels evoke the warmth and subtle hues of oxidation, transforming corrosion into color and composition. Andrews’ sculptures, by contrast, embrace the tactile strength of metal, revealing resilience and renewal through form. Together, their works invite viewers to see rust not as ruin, but as art—an enduring testament to time, texture, and transformation.
The opening of this show will take place on Friday, November 7th from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Arts on Main. Live music will be performed by Farren Winter. Light bites will be provided, and beer + alcohol will be available for purchase. The show will be on display at Arts on Main until Saturday, November 29th. The gallery is open Wednesday - Saturday from 12-5pm.
Many thanks to Arts on Main’s November Exhibit Sponsor, Gail and Rick Griffin!
Live music will be performed by Farren Winter during the opening reception! Thank you to Arts on Main’s First Friday Music Sponsor, Yolanda’s!
Farren Winter is a musician who performs live music in the Gloucester, VA area, with past performances documented at local venues like Gloucester Brewing Company and Short Lane Ice Cream. This will be Farren’s second time performing at Arts on Main, and we are delighted to have her back!
Find her on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/farren_winter
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
PAT ANDREWS
“I have been interested in art in almost every form since middle school. I still remember going to my grandparents’ house and my grandmother teaching me oil painting and my grandfather teaching me woodworking skills. This interest has allowed me to explore different media such as ceramics, wood working, drawing and metal working. As I became a parent, my goal was to encourage my children to develop the same appreciation for art in all its forms. I have watched my daughter learn how to play the piano as a child and taught her how to forge a piece of metal into a Roman Legion spear for her college history class. I have also passed on my love for metal working to my son as he completed a sculpture inspired by Alexander Calder and made a rose out of a cookie tin. Teaching my children these skills allowed me to renew my love for art and inspired me to branch out artistically. My goal is to have re-used or re-purposed 80% or more of all the materials in my pieces. I have learned to look at a piece of material and in addition to seeing it for what it was, seeing what it could become. I believe that is a primary goal of art. To teach us to look past the surface of not just a piece of art, but also another person, and see not just what they are, but what they can become.”
AL BRYAN
While currently living in Bon Air, Virginia, Al grew up in rural North Carolina surrounded by forest and farmland, spending his childhood outdoors and with family vacations to the mountains and coastal N.C. and VA, camping, fishing, and exploring all that nature had to offer. This has greatly influenced his genre of artwork.
Al is a graduate of the North Carolina State University School of Design. While that included plenty of drawing assignments, his formal art training was limited to simple form, color and light, and the history of art and architecture. While a student of Landscape Architecture, Al’s interest in fine art continued through his college years, inherited perhaps from his mother, formally trained, and other Sr. family members on both sides who were artists. His great Uncle Henry, an artist in St. Ives, England, was foremost in his encouragement, sending Al pen and ink sketches of coastal and maritime scenery when he was a child. Al would copy these and mail back the results!
During his career as a Professional Landscape Architect, Al was tasked with creating photo-realistic depictions of “Before” and “After” scenarios, which has carried over into his style which trends toward Hyper-realism.
With regard to his “creative process,” Al has to make a connection with the subject, usually stemming from his life experience.