Artist Neverne Covington turns the usual into the unusual

By Lennie Bennett, Times Art Critic
Published March 6, 2008

---

Neverne Covington has a gift for making the mysteries of everyday life. I, for one, will never look at my static shrubbery in the same way after seeing her interpretations of native plants as mystical objects alive with some sort of inner life that goes beyond botany. See new work by the artist at C. Emerson Fine Arts, 909 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, that includes prints, paintings and drawings and really new "books" she has made using rusted tin ceiling tiles. She presses paper into them, and exposes the paper to rain so that the paper becomes imprinted with their patterns. She adds to the images with drawings, intaglios and lithographic images printed over them. They're bound with the tiles as covers.

A free opening reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday; there's a free gallery talk by the artist at 7 p.m. Saturday. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday,10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. (727) 898-6068 or www.c-emersonfinearts.com.