Christine Warren
Christine Warren is a member of the Holston Mountain Artisans and recently began teaching classes for them. Warren’s craft is barn quilt painting.
“About a year ago a friend of mine took a class at a local church to paint a barn quilt. That friend called to tell me how much she enjoyed the class and wanted to know if she could share with me what she learned from this experience. I immediately became excited. I had recently spoken with Andrea Rhoten, director of Holston Mountain Artisans, and she shared with me that the art center was in need of someone who could barn quilt paint. I thought I might as well see if that was something I could do. I have been a co-op member for just over a year. You cannot begin to imagine how excited I was when my art was accepted into their program.
“Painting barn quilts has become one of my favorite things to do because there are so many designs that you can work with from traditional quilts to abstract art. A few years ago, my husband, Darrell and I traveled through the Midwest, and I was inspired by the signs I saw along the way. The brilliant colors made the landscape of old barns and buildings pop, and I hoped that one day I would stop long enough to paint one myself.
“I love the more detailed patterns such as Storm at Sea because you can bring together so many vivid colors. Color can make a piece of art really stand out. I find the more color you can use, the more vibrant a barn quilt can be.
“I am inspired by the colors of the world and the ability to transform those colors into art pieces that can be shared with others. Barn quilts require you to stay between the lines, whereas with collage art, anything goes. It is fun developing a piece from both mediums,” Warren says.
Being a member of the Holston Mountain Artisans allows Warrento have a venue to display and sell her art. It also allows her to share some of her skills and knowledge by teaching classes to children in the community.
She has taught a creative barn quilt class to students ranging in ages from 9 to 14. She hopes to branch out and use local friends and teachers to make more classes available to the youth in the community. Currently she is focusing on a crochet class and a pottery class that she plans to offer. Her educational background is in early childhood education. For the last 25 years, she has been an elementary school secretary.
“Creative art forms are a great avenue for students to learn art forms that have been passed down through the generations. I was taught to crochet by my grandmother and in turn have taught my granddaughter to crochet. So hopefully the tradition will continue.I am a mother, and grandmother and the things I’ve learned in various art forms and crafting bring me joy. My feeling is that joy should be shared with as many folks as possible. My teaching is inspired by my life experiences and the love I have of people.
“The importance of the art center is evident in the fact that it gives artists a place to share their inspiration and creativity. Within the walls of the art center, you will see over 100 artisans displaying their talents and making their art available to the public. If you are in need of a lovely gift,, it’s the perfect place to purchase an original piece of art. Various art forms are available such as crochet, quilting, candles, pottery, woodwork and beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry,” Warren says.
For more information, visit www.holstonmtnarts.org.
