THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606270205
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 33 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mary Ellen Riddle
LENGTH: 72 lines
It's too arty for a five and dime, but Something Fishy has that comfy, browse-around feel that an old Woolworth's or McCrory's offered in an era past.
Tucked away in baskets, cases, shelves and dangling from the ceiling of the old Nags Head cottage is an array of handcrafted, painted, sewn, molded, soldered, carved, blown, thrown and even grown fish art, crafts and mementos to tempt every sense.
Located just across the street from the ocean, Something Fishy is the perfect setting to showcase the artist's fascination with the sea.
Ocean breezes sweep you up the porch steps from the sandy street, and as you walk under a wood relief of dolphin tucked in the eaves, you enter the three-room shop lined with tongue and groove walls. At the heart of the business you'll find Sherrie and Charles Lemmios.
This is their first year inhabiting what used to be the old Nags Head Hammock Shop. While Sherrie, a former clinical social worker, said she ``never had a burning desire to do something with fish or art,'' she came from a family of artists.
``She's using her innate talents because her mother's an artist and she's always been interested in art,'' Charles said. But the journey into fish printing began quite unexpectedly.
``A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to try it,'' she said. ``It sounded like fun.''
After that first encounter with fish printing, another friend asked Sherrie to demonstrate the art. ``The second time I got really nice prints, some of my best,'' she said. ``One thing led to another.''
A profitable business grew making original fish print T-shirts and fish screen print T-shirts - sold both wholesale and retail. Sherrie did craft shows up and down the East Coast before settling down at the new shop at MP 10 1/2 with her husband. The Lemmioses are content selling their wares that are created by artists hailing from the West across to the Eastern Seaboard.
They find some interesting items to showcase at the shop while doing shows themselves. Once you dive into Something Fishy, you'll never have to dream again about laying your head down on a silk, hand-painted pillow complete with brilliantly colored whales, turtles and fish. Die no more for a bath followed by a dry off on your own personal fish mat or pine away for the sound of a tinkling sea-life wind chime.
Barren lobes will come to life with hand-blown glass dolphin earrings, and bodies will leave happily draped in one of Sherrie's original fish print T-shirts. The shop is swimming with carefully chosen hand-painted sea creatures, salt-of-the-earth driftwood carvings, ceramic dinner sets, light switch plate covers, herbs to season your freshly caught fish and on the more crafty side, a humorous ``trout spout'' that will jazz up any rain drain. The third room to the rear of the shop operates as a studio and work space. Large windows and a massive wall fan allow the sea air to penetrate the room equipped with a long work table.
Here Sherrie has plenty of room to produce her original fish prints that adorn cards, tote bags and shirts in sizes ranging from children's to extra large. ``It's very satisfying,'' Sherrie said. ``It's peaceful. It's sort of like therapy for me to just do that and forget about other things for a while.'' MEMO: Mary Ellen Riddle covers Outer Banks arts for The Carolina Coast.
Send comments and questions to her at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C.
27959. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
Sherrie and Charles Lemmios, owners of Something Fishy, sell wares
about fish and marine life that are created by artists. The shop is
swimming with carefully chosen hand-painted sea creatures,
salt-of-the-earth driftwood carvings, ceramic dinner sets, light
switch plate covers, herbs to season your freshly caught fish and on
the more crafty side, a humorous ``trout spout'' that will jazz up
any rain drain. by CNB