ABINGDON, VA –‘Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Networkannounced the latest juried artisans to be added to the database of over 240 artisans around the 19 county, four city region of Southwest Virginia. Over 17 artisans submitted artwork for the fall jury to sell their work in theSouthwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace. An exhibit highlighting the new juried artisans hits the walls of the Cultural Center in January and tell the story of these talented members.
The artisans chosen, feature a variety of mediums, including jewelry, photography, painting, fiber, wood, metal and fiber.
Those chosen are:
Amanda Griffin (Griffin Entwined) of Galax, Virginia – Jewelry
Amanda Griffin creates wearable art inspired by nature and historical jewelry making techniques. Her work is handcrafted from copper and silver wire and polymer clay. She fell in love with wire in a sculpture class at Hollins University. She has reignited her love of wire sculpture on a much smaller scale with the jewelry she creates. Each necklace, earring, pendant, and ring is handcrafted, so even her favorite designs have inspired variations. Griffin is a native of Carroll County, Virginia, and calls Galax home. She has been a part of Chestnut Creek School of the Arts, in Galax, since 2014 as a student, volunteer, a juried consignment artist, and an instructor.
William Clowerof Woodlawn, Virginia – Wood
Clower is inspired by the natural variations in wood. He lets the grains, knots and colors tell hime what it will become. He takes old pieces of reclaimed barnwood and wormy chestnut and give them a new life.
James Elmore (student member) of Abingdon, Virginia – 2D: Photography
“I am a relatively new photographer; always trying to improve. I want to have a unique, yet varied aesthetic in my shots. My favorite subjects are landscapes and animals. I enjoy playing with motion and making some pictures more realistic than others.”
Charlotte Farrisof Marion, Virginia: Fiber
“I strive for perfection but seldom reach it, thus I try, try, try again. I love fabrics and putting them together to create beauty. The three Bs: Bright, Bold, and Beautiful describe what I like to achieve in a finished product. I also like difficult, complicated, involved patterns.”
Henri T. de Hahn(Hahn Art & Design) of Christiansburg, Virginia: Wood
Born in Montreal, Canada, de Hahn moved with his family to Vienna, Austria at a young age, and at nine to Switzerland. Eventually, he trained as an architect in Lausanne, Switzerland before moving to New York City. When he was invited to join the faculty of architecture at the University of Kentucky, he discovered that region of the country and the vernacular art form called Folk Art. Fast-forward 20 years, and a move to Virginia via California, and an unexpected fall storm that covered his downtown Christiansburg lawn with a variety of tree limbs of different dimensions and sizes. The form demanded attention and he decided to transform this amorphous form into a reptile and give it a new life through color and pattern. His first folk art snake was born. Today his work is found in private collections in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Virginia and Switzerland.
George “David” Hamiltonof Abingdon, Virginia – 2D: Painting
Hamilton is a local naturalist expressing his love of nature through art, Beauty in nature is the inspiration of his art. He replicates the form and color with simplicity and attention to detail.
Isaac Hiltonof Vansant, Virginia – Metal
“I started welding at 10 years old when I would go to work with my dad on Saturdays. Since then, I have been hooked. All of my working career I have had some affiliation with welding. I feel that it is in my blood and is a part of who I am. I draw inspiration for my work from my love of westerns. Using horseshoes allows me to combine my love of the west with my hobby of welding. I can picture a blacksmith of the old west repurposing his material for functional needs.”
Teresa Kathof Bristol, Virginia – 2D: Painting
“My love for art began in high school. I had an art teacher who took me under his wing and helped me get a good start. Art is my life, I love being involved in many mediums. I paint in watercolor, acrylic, alcohol ink and also work in pottery.”
Rejane Pratelliof Blacksburg, Virginia – Jewelry
Pratelli is a jewelry artist living and working in Blacksburg, Virginia. She took her first silversmithing class after life-threatening health issues required a change of pace and career, and she never looked back. What originally began as a way of speeding up physical recovery and helping with pain management developed into a full-time occupation. She works mainly with sterling silver and is fascinated with texture and uneven, organic shapes, which she achieves through reticulation, fusion, hammering, and roll printing. Gold, pearls and gemstones provide color accents and contrast. She draws her inspiration from her extensive travels and the artistic, natural, cultural, architectural and human encounters she experienced along the way. Processing pain is another endless source of inspiration and turning raw human emotions into pieces of beauty is for her the most rewarding part of the journey.
Sarah Rouseof Abingdon, Virginia – Fiber: Macrame
“A true crafter at heart, I grew up with many women around me quilting, crocheting, and embroidering. I have taught myself everything I know from watching my grandmothers and online videos. I have worked in retail galleries with handmade items all around me which have inspired me to create and perfect my craft.”
For more information on ‘Round the Mountain visit https://roundthemountain.org.
For more information on the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace visit https://swvaculturalcenter.com.
