TWO FOR THE SHOW: COUPLE TO DISPLAY ART AT GALLERY 100

Carol Burnett and her husband F. Mark will provide Cape Girardeau's Gallery 100 Friday with some of their best material.

But don't expect laughter to fill the room when they unveil their respective artistic talents.

In fact, the kind of art the Burnetts are involved with has much to do with the serious nature of ceramics, landscapes and sculpture with just a touch or two of lighthearted fun mixed in for balance.

"I thought about adding my middle name on the show's title to keep people from asking me to tell jokes," quipped Carol Burnett, whose watercolor paintings will be on display at Gallery 100, located at 1707 Mt. Auburn Rd., on Friday, July 8, (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) of July until the end of the month.

This will mark the first joint exhibit for F. Mark and Carol Burnett. "We've had exhibits at different times at the university but this will be the first time together," said F. Mark, who has taught ceramics at Southeast Missouri State for over 20 years.

His work, whether pottery or sculpture, is born out of an understanding of art as well as science. "There are at least three distinctive types of ceramics," said F. Mark. "I will have earthenware, some porcelain that have crystal glazes and raku pottery that can be seen in a lot of Japanese work."

He added,"In some of the porceline pottery, minerals expand in shape during the firing, which is done in a kiln. Then you try to regulate the length of the firing and temperature to promote growth and shape. It's kind of tricky because you have to know just how long to let it stay hot and when to let it cool."

In the raku process, pieces are put into a red-hot kiln with tongs. They melt rapidly, often within 15 minutes, and are extracted and placed on sawdust or straw.

"I've been quite interested in ceramics since the time I was teaching art in a public school in Colorado," he said.

F. Mark says his sculpture is mostly for enjoyment and often brings out his sense of humor. Carol's watercolor paintings contain lush colors and reveal discipline as well as spontaneity.

"Mark and I are from the West and that has influenced our work to a certain extent," said Carol, who produced much of the work that will be on display to earn her master's degree in art. "My landscapes and mountainscapes have a little bit of the southwest theme, and the florals are regional," she said. "The columbine, roses and petunia are both wild and domestic."

The Burnetts actually have more art than Gallery 100 can accommodate. "It should be interesting to see what we finally put up and how it all works together," said Carol. "I know there is too much to fit into that building."

Some of the frames on Carol's paintings were made by F. Mark. "Some of the western landscapes have oak frames to give them more of a natural accent," said F. Mark. "We often work on our own, but we give each other advise every now and then. That usually helps as we're going along with each project."

An opening reception will be held at Gallery 100 July 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with refreshments and an opportunity for art enthusiasts to meet the Burnetts. The exhibit will remain on display until July 29.

The event is sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.