Chattanooga Artists Reserve

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Sarah Hiles of Artizen Metal

Artists Statement by Sarah Hiles of Artizen Metal

I am an artist who's favorite material is metal.

All metals.

I love hammers and files and FIRE.

I switched my major from painting to metal at Memphis College of Art in 1995.

Then I hid out at a crafting haven ~ The Appalachian Center for Craft, in rural Tennessee for 3 years. I happily honed small metal skills. There I fell in love with blacksmithing. I made some really neat damascus steel knives ;). Eventually I decided to rejoin society.

In 2000 I returned to Memphis College of Art to graduate with a BFA in Metal(2002).

Since then I have been employed as:

Welder for Local Steel Sculptor
Welder for Steel furniture company
Blacksmith for Architectural Iron Studio
Fine Goldsmith for jewelry designer, NY showroom
Muralist @ St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital
Fine Art Painter for Designer Furniture company

In 2005 I began my own Metalsmithing Company. I have had independent websites, trunkshows, and do craft festivals.

My work changes a lot. Right now I am enjoying the etchings. I like to draw on the metal.
Hope you like them too.

Steve Swayne

Artist Statement by Steve Swayne

Steve Swayne, acrylic paintings and stained glass

Steve credits his wife for launching his career as an artist ten years ago. The couple shared an appreciation for the arts and Steve had commented many times of his own interest in the stained glass medium. So to celebrate their first Valentine’s Day, Beth helped Steve get started by giving him the gift of lessons in a stained glass course.

The course marked the beginning of an artistic journey that is one of Steve’s great joys in life. He spends his days and his skills as a chef working in the research labs with Whirlpool Corporation – but spends much of his free time in his home studio creating stained glass works and most recently, paintings.

Born in Idaho in 1963, Steve grew up in a family of artists. His grandmother was a classically trained oil painter, and his grandfather a folk artist. Steve spent summers with his grandparents and learned different artistic techniques through both observation and practice.

Steve moved on from Idaho to live in diverse locations including Buffalo, Seattle and Boca Raton, and settled in Chattanooga in 1997. He enjoys exploring the tradition of folk art in the South and his pieces reflect that spirit. Steve’s acrylic paintings depict religious and nature themes, as well as his love for a family that includes three dogs.

Steve signs his paintings “S. Evets” in recognition of the dyslexia he was diagnosed with as a young man, a condition which caused him to frequently sign his name in that manner. His dyslexia has influenced his work by motivating him to show that artistic expression is possible in spite of such challenges.

Steve often works on multiple paintings and glass works at one time and explores the incorporation of different textures and three-dimensional views into his works.

Steve Swayne has exhibited his work at the House of Blues at Myrtle Beach, Whofest in Atlanta and Normalpalooa in Chattanooga. He has received the Laverne Ownby Memorial Award for his glass works from the Nillie Bipper Art Show in Cleveland, TN. His glass designs have been used as themes in marketing efforts by the Chattanooga Symphony. Steve’s work can also be found in galleries in Chattanooga and Atlanta.

Lisa Norris

Artists Statement by Lisa Norris

In 1992 I graduated from Parsons School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and sculpture. Painting, bookbinding, sculpture,
photography and teaching consume my life, and I enjoy every minute of it. My vast collection of vintage objects not only inspires my work, but also becomes an important part of the finished pieces. Bringing decorative papers and found objects together keeps my hands busy, my creativity flowing, and my life festive. Instructing workshops, exhibiting my collages and participating in outdoor art festivals allows me many opportunities to express myself through my art. Collecting, creating, and sharing make it possible for me to have a creative life.

Ivey Handcrafted

Artists Statement by Tobi Weldon of Ivey Handcrafted
Creativity has been a central part of my life since my early childhood. My first memories are of crafting with my mother Dolores, who taught me that the greatest artistic expression comes from true enjoyment of the creative process.

My mother and my Daddy Bob have made the arts their life’s work. Watching and learning from my parents as they collaborated to create beautiful works in a variety of mediums has led me to where I am today – proud owner of Ivey Handcrafted.

Ivey Handcrafted is about unique creations that make people feel special. I specialize in creating whimsical accessories, greeting cards, art and goods for the home made from a variety of materials.

Through the twists and turns of life, my art has always been there for me. Now I want to share that feeling of fulfillment with those who purchase one-of-a-kind items from Ivey Handcrafted.

Beth Gumnick

Artists Statement by Beth Gumnick
About 10 years ago, after being a long time collector of outsider, folk, visionary, and southern art and developing a real love for two dimensional art, I decided I wanted to explore something new, another way to express my creativity besides on the stage (I am a drama teacher by day), so I started painting. It was something I had never really tried, a new challenge and a solitary kind of art that was different from what I did in the theater and that I found quite soothing.

Eventually I had a bunch of paintings piled up, not doing anybody any good or making anybody smile just leaned up against my wall, so I got my “start” selling my art (approximately 100 of my earliest paintings) on ebay in 1999, but soon branched out to other venues. Since that time my work has been on display in a several galleries and shops, and in many charity auctions and fundraisers for animal rescue and other non-profit organizations, and at festivals around the Southeastern United States.

I paint mostly on wood that I salvage from my school’s woodshop— the little lost pieces that get thrown away at the end of the semester or projects, and other odds and ends, whatever comes my way. I rarely paint on canvas (unless it is a “recycled” one) and I like no surface better than a nice little scrap of birch plywood.

My subject matter varies, but I tend to gravitate toward stylized images of animals, trees and words, using lots of bright colors of acrylic paint. I love to paint my favorite words or quotations, and I like the graphic shapes of letters themselves painted in intense colors. My love of animals is central to my life and almost always crops up when I feel the urge to paint.

I do A LOT of commissioned pieces, offering patrons a different kind of view of their pets, designing art for their child's room, or just giving their favorite quote vivid color and shape. (Feel free to inquire for more information and to see samples of previous commissions.)

Threadbirds

Threadbirds is a collaborative effort between Beth Gumnick and Tobi Weldon. We work with vintage linens and other fabrics, buttons and trim, and bits of vintage jewelry. We love to make beautiful things from other folks cast-offs and bring new life to what otherwise might go overlooked!