Great-Grandmother Sculptor Brings One-Person Show to Greeneville
Currently, Greeneville has the privilege of experiencing first hand the sculptural works of one of Tennessee’s best known artists. Because sculpture is grouped among the “fine arts” , and has been linked over the centuries to such legendary figures as Phidias in classical Greece, Michelangelo in the Renaissance, and Rodin in more recent times, the medium can seem too lofty for the average person. But sculpture is brought down to earth and in touch with ordinary folks through the hands of Ellen McGowan. This talented and feisty West Tennessean has for years been a favorite of visitors to James-Ben: Art Center, both in Franklin and Greeneville. The gallery has now realized a goal that has been many months in planning, the mounting of a one-person show featuring the sculpture of Ellen McGowan, which will continue through the month of May. Since Greeneville has been introduced to a wider variety of her work, it seemed good to devote this column to introducing her as an artist/neighbor.
A native of Memphis, Ellen McGowan recently returned to her home county after years of living in Middle Tennessee. The daughter of an Englishman who came to this country to study medicine and a mother who was a musician, Ellen had focused on art before even starting school. “My mother had an artist friend, and one day she was painting a picture for me,” she remembers. “I tried to draw a tricycle in the picture. I couldn’t do it, so I kept practicing and was determined to get it right. I was probably 5 years old, but I knew then that I wanted to be an artist.” Growing up in Chicago after her family relocated gave Ellen the chance as a child to study at one of America’s great art centers, the Art Institute. College brought her back to Tennessee, where she would receive both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Fine Art. She married her husband Robert, a botanist, just before his departure for service in World War II. Upon his return, they turned their attention to family and careers. Ellen completed her college work after her children were born. Her studies included the Memphis College of Art. “I taught art and music while my husband taught botany. I thought to myself, I am not going to teach the rest of my life,” she recalls. “I bought a potters wheel and a kiln. I made pots, and I found I liked putting faces and different things on them.” From these elements, a turn in the direction of sculpture seemed natural for Ellen. “I began working sculpturally in the late 1960’s, creating small figures in clay that I dug locally and fired in a salt kiln I built myself.” Further studies included valuable time spent with master sculptor Bruno Lucchesi. Because she was more interested in creating figures of “everyday people doing everyday things”, the pieces created at the beginning of her career in sculpture were what she calls “genre pieces”. Exhibited singly or in groupings, her works won numerous awards and led to commissions from patrons including some prominent names. She created all of the original pieces of the Alex Haley collection, depicting the Pulitzer prize-winning author’s childhood. “He was an extraordinary man,” she says. “He would tell stories of his childhood and I would sculpt the stories into the originals for the collectibles to be cast from.” Lee Trevino and Bette Midler would also commission the creation of sculpture to capture memories. Both former governor Ned Ray McWherter and long-time lieutenant-governor John Wilder have entrusted treasured moments to Ellen’s skillful hands, as has entertainer Tom T. Hall.
In the 1990’s Ellen enlarged her efforts to create larger works in concrete and bronze as public display pieces and for commercial production of garden sculptures. She is still the primary designer for Mid-South Ornamental Concrete Company. Her larger works now grace the facilities of such museums as those of Christian Brothers University in Memphis, the West Tennessee Regional Art Center, and the Alex Haley Museum in Henning, as well as more emotional sites such as the Memorial Garden at the Lewis County Hospital in Hohenwald, Agape Family Services in Memphis, and the Perry County Time Capsule at the Bicentennial Capital Mall in Nashville. Corporate commissions for Ellen have come from such entities as BellSouth, Nashville Metropolitan Airport, and First American Bank. Among the celebrity patrons mentioned earlier, she has not limited herself to her smaller scale works but has also brought forth life-size portrait bronzes, such as that of Lee Trevino’s daughter, Olivia. There is a continuing source of satisfaction for Ellen from her concrete garden sculptures, which reside in locations all over the country. “My great-granddaughter told me the other day she saw one of my ‘little girls’ in a yard on her way to school,” she says. But the smaller, personality-rich clay figures which she started making back in the 1960’s still are highest in her affection. “As I now enter my eighties, I have recently resumed concentration on my more personal work. I am treating myself to all ‘genre pieces’ in my old age since that’s what I love to do.” Unable to resist the charms and foibles of her fellow humans, she carries a sketch pad with her and quite often captures delightful moments of spontaneity. One piece catches an affectionate interlude between an elderly couple and is titled “Never Too Old to Flirt”. “My work is personal,” Ellen says. “All my work has to be personal. I don’t want a piece to look like a computerized image.”
It is Ellen McGowan’s ‘genre pieces’ which Greene Countians can enjoy at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center. “I’ve known Ellen since I first moved my jewelry studio to Franklin, more than twenty-five years ago,” says James-Ben Stockton. “She and I have both been fortunate enough to have careers in art and have shared quite a few laughs about the twists and turns along the way.” It is the family focus of Ellen McGowan’s work that will appeal to Northeast Tennesseans. Her return to the style of sculpture that began her career is mirrored by her return to her native Shelby County and her family, which now consists of four generations. “My great-granddaughter, Jordan, wants to save the earth,” she says. “She is taking after my husband.” Through the month of May, and throughout the year, the work of Ellen McGowan is available at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Neighbor Featured Artist #18: Medha Karandikar
Artist Neighbor Bridges India and Appalachia
Every year, the coming of spring brings with it a new set of clothes for the mountains to wear. Because the Appalachians are part of one of the oldest mountain chains on earth, this process of beautiful renewal has been going on for millions of years. It is only in recent time that human beings have added their part to this cycle. The original inhabitants of Northeast Tennessee, who gave the Great Smokeys their name, left a fairly light footprint on the land. Since their time, all successive generations adding their unique mark to the cycle of beauty have been immigrants. The Scots-Irish and Germans play a large role in the culture of Appalachia. But the future will be shaped in part by those coming to America in the 20th and 21st centuries. Artist Medha Karandikar is a wonderful example of this. A resident of Morristown, she has brought the influences of India into the artistic life of Northeast Tennessee, adding a distinctive spice to the culture of Appalachia.
Medha Karandikar was born in India. “I lived there for a good part of my life and later moved to the U.S. eleven years ago with my husband and two children,” she says. Entirely self-taught, she was attracted to art from her childhood in Mumbai. “It all started when I was given a couple of used canvases to try my hand at,” she recalls. “I had to cover them up with house paint to get a clean surface to paint on. Later I would accompany an artist cousin on sketching trips around Mumbai, which gave me the chance to use her art supplies. Helping her with exhibits and shows gave me inspiration.” While her personal artistic journey took shape during her childhood and early adult life in India, Medha feels strongly that a major aspect of her creativity is American. The more open culture of the United States, she believes, lent energy to her creative drive. “Although I have drawn and painted all the time, this country has given me the most encouragement, opportunity, and inspiration,” she notes. Medha works in a variety of media, harmonizing colored graphite, pen-and-ink, watercolor, paper collage, and acrylics into designs which also include her own style of calligraphy. While art for display is the most visible form of her creativity, it is not the most basic element of Medha’s self image. “Writing, drawing and painting have been my passion, in that order,” she says. “Painting is just an embellishment to what I write and draw. Happenings around me affect my psyche tremendously, and come out in the form of writing. Doodling while talking on the phone often gives me good ideas to work on larger pieces.”
It was Medha’s work in collage that particularly caught the attention of gallery director James-Ben Stockton. “I’ve always adored collage,” he says. “It’s an art form that is open to anyone, regardless of skill level or previous experience.” Since becoming affiliated with James-Ben: Studio & Gallery Art Center, Medha has had the chance to teach collage in a workshop format through the gallery and shares Stockton’s enthusiasm. “Paper collage can be thought of as a basic building block of artistic expression,” she says. “It helps free the mind to view existing colors and forms as raw material from which other images can be assembled.” In the past few years, Medha’s art has gained increasing attention in East Tennessee, in no small part due to her involvement in her adopted community. Stockton credits her with a knack for retaining her style while gaining acceptance in the region. “A few years ago, I challenged my artists with a request for pieces with historic themes and childhood memories,” he recalls. “Medha produced art from her memories of India, including folk dances and visits to the railway station. They made for a delightful connection between Greene County and Bombay.” Recently, Medha’s work was selected for inclusion in Artstravaganza!, Knoxville’s yearly fine arts show. Further recognition came when her “Dragonflies” painting-collage was chosen as the March image for the event’s inaugural “Art of Healing” calendar. Even more recently, Medha was invited to be in residence and teach classes at Tennessee River Arts Village in Perryville. “In addition to being talented as an the artist,” says Stockton, Medha is warm, engaging, and articulate. Students will not only learn from studying with her but can expect to have a wonderful time in the bargain.”
In the future, Medha would like to continue her exploration of collage using printed paper as though it were paint. She continues to work as a writer, allowing her emotional expressions to give rise to symbolic sketches, which later can evolve into detailed drawings of paintings. At the same time, she is continually nurtured by her family and home. “My husband and children are my biggest support system,” she says. “My mother inspires me by her gentle questions about what I’ve been doing - it prompts me to to something creative.” A recent visit to Medha’s home exposed Stockton to another art form, cooking. “The food she prepared for us was so wonderful I’ve asked her to teach the July 19th “Fresh from the Garden” Artisan Cooking School class: an Indian Inspired Vegetarian Meal.”
So take the opportunity to meet your artist/neighbor from Morristown, Medha Karandikar. Her work is available locally and displayed with great delight at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
Every year, the coming of spring brings with it a new set of clothes for the mountains to wear. Because the Appalachians are part of one of the oldest mountain chains on earth, this process of beautiful renewal has been going on for millions of years. It is only in recent time that human beings have added their part to this cycle. The original inhabitants of Northeast Tennessee, who gave the Great Smokeys their name, left a fairly light footprint on the land. Since their time, all successive generations adding their unique mark to the cycle of beauty have been immigrants. The Scots-Irish and Germans play a large role in the culture of Appalachia. But the future will be shaped in part by those coming to America in the 20th and 21st centuries. Artist Medha Karandikar is a wonderful example of this. A resident of Morristown, she has brought the influences of India into the artistic life of Northeast Tennessee, adding a distinctive spice to the culture of Appalachia.
Medha Karandikar was born in India. “I lived there for a good part of my life and later moved to the U.S. eleven years ago with my husband and two children,” she says. Entirely self-taught, she was attracted to art from her childhood in Mumbai. “It all started when I was given a couple of used canvases to try my hand at,” she recalls. “I had to cover them up with house paint to get a clean surface to paint on. Later I would accompany an artist cousin on sketching trips around Mumbai, which gave me the chance to use her art supplies. Helping her with exhibits and shows gave me inspiration.” While her personal artistic journey took shape during her childhood and early adult life in India, Medha feels strongly that a major aspect of her creativity is American. The more open culture of the United States, she believes, lent energy to her creative drive. “Although I have drawn and painted all the time, this country has given me the most encouragement, opportunity, and inspiration,” she notes. Medha works in a variety of media, harmonizing colored graphite, pen-and-ink, watercolor, paper collage, and acrylics into designs which also include her own style of calligraphy. While art for display is the most visible form of her creativity, it is not the most basic element of Medha’s self image. “Writing, drawing and painting have been my passion, in that order,” she says. “Painting is just an embellishment to what I write and draw. Happenings around me affect my psyche tremendously, and come out in the form of writing. Doodling while talking on the phone often gives me good ideas to work on larger pieces.”
It was Medha’s work in collage that particularly caught the attention of gallery director James-Ben Stockton. “I’ve always adored collage,” he says. “It’s an art form that is open to anyone, regardless of skill level or previous experience.” Since becoming affiliated with James-Ben: Studio & Gallery Art Center, Medha has had the chance to teach collage in a workshop format through the gallery and shares Stockton’s enthusiasm. “Paper collage can be thought of as a basic building block of artistic expression,” she says. “It helps free the mind to view existing colors and forms as raw material from which other images can be assembled.” In the past few years, Medha’s art has gained increasing attention in East Tennessee, in no small part due to her involvement in her adopted community. Stockton credits her with a knack for retaining her style while gaining acceptance in the region. “A few years ago, I challenged my artists with a request for pieces with historic themes and childhood memories,” he recalls. “Medha produced art from her memories of India, including folk dances and visits to the railway station. They made for a delightful connection between Greene County and Bombay.” Recently, Medha’s work was selected for inclusion in Artstravaganza!, Knoxville’s yearly fine arts show. Further recognition came when her “Dragonflies” painting-collage was chosen as the March image for the event’s inaugural “Art of Healing” calendar. Even more recently, Medha was invited to be in residence and teach classes at Tennessee River Arts Village in Perryville. “In addition to being talented as an the artist,” says Stockton, Medha is warm, engaging, and articulate. Students will not only learn from studying with her but can expect to have a wonderful time in the bargain.”
In the future, Medha would like to continue her exploration of collage using printed paper as though it were paint. She continues to work as a writer, allowing her emotional expressions to give rise to symbolic sketches, which later can evolve into detailed drawings of paintings. At the same time, she is continually nurtured by her family and home. “My husband and children are my biggest support system,” she says. “My mother inspires me by her gentle questions about what I’ve been doing - it prompts me to to something creative.” A recent visit to Medha’s home exposed Stockton to another art form, cooking. “The food she prepared for us was so wonderful I’ve asked her to teach the July 19th “Fresh from the Garden” Artisan Cooking School class: an Indian Inspired Vegetarian Meal.”
So take the opportunity to meet your artist/neighbor from Morristown, Medha Karandikar. Her work is available locally and displayed with great delight at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
Neighbor Featured Artist #17: The Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection
In His 200th Year, Andrew Johnson Continues to Inspire
With all the word processing tools available these days to the journalist, it is reassuring that the 5 “W’s” are as useful as they ever were. Very little of interest to the reader can be conveyed without the categories of who, what, when, where, and why. Much of the previous Neighbor Artist column space has focused on the “who, what, and when” that describe the talented folks of this region. The “where” that traces the source of their inspiration and the “why” that attempts to explain it can be more elusive, and tend to vary from artist to artist. But sometimes a broad theme can unite creative individuals across the whole spectrum of artistic media. The Andrew Johnson Bicentennial has done just that for the artists of James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
“Greeneville is remarkable not only in the intensity of its history but in the way the community values its own heritage,” says James-Ben Stockton. The director of a regionally celebrated art center, Stockton (and your faithful writer of this column) relocated to Greeneville in 2002. “In finding our niche and relating to our new home in Northeast Tennessee, it seemed natural to present art with historic themes. We did a similar process in 2003 for Greeneville’s 220th anniversary. But the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial celebration has really struck a chord with our artists.” With barely three months of the year-long birthday party for the 17th president having passed, 24 different artists, artisans, and organizations have joined their creative efforts, under Stockton’s direction, into the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection.
The Bicentennial Collection is amazing both for the range of talents taking part and for the variety of creations available to the public. “There are pieces that can be touched, used, viewed, watched, listened to, smelled, tasted, and played with,” says Stockton. The visual artists in the painting media have applied their brushes to Andrew Johnson themes. Greene County natives Barbara Miller and Barbara Bible “Jake” Carter have recreated moments from the Johnson story in acrylics and watercolors. “Jake” in particular has focused on paintings featuring the women of the Civil War era, making poignant use of the women who participate in the annual reenactment of the Battle of Blue Springs. Lynne Olka, with her gift for portraiture, has realized a unique Andrew Johnson story-portrait. Featured in it is not only an amazing likeness of the 17th president but scenes and objects from his life, including the gold watch presented to him by the former slaves of Nashville freed by his proclamation. Other striking images associated with Johnson, including his tailor shop and monument atop the hill in the National Cemetery, have been created from the talents of Greeneville native son Gary Sams, whose drawings of historic sites are local favorites. Another unique approach to the Johnson images springs from the gifted eye of Chris MacAdoo, who has captured Greeneville’s hometown president in evocative wood-block prints. Marilyn Heilman has added to the collection her two pen & ink drawings, “Old Jail Gates” and “The Old Jail Restoration” executed for the Greene County Historic Trust’s Restoration Project. All three artists have these images available in limited editions. Historian Robert Orr, local expert on Johnson’s life and career, who appeared on C-Span’s series featuring the presidents, is known in Greeneville as a man of many talents. He has used that talent to demonstrate his intimate knowledge of Johnson in an excellent biography, “President Andrew Johnson of Greeneville, Tennessee”, as well as in a wonderful video production, “His Faith Never Wavered”, written by Orr and superbly directed by Louise Orr in cooperation with the Greene County Heritage Trust. Middle Tennessee art photographer Barry Stein was so taken with the Andrew Johnson Homestead that he preserved it in his own uniquely styled giclee, also available in limited edition.
Other gallery artists have approached the Johnson story and images in three dimensions rather than two. Well-known local Dell Hughes has added Andrew Johnson to his series of Civil war busts with a marvelous likeness in cold-cast images available both in bronze finish and hand-painted. Mrs. Hughes, Dell’s spouse Jane, has applied her own artistry and whimsy to create the playful Raggedy Eliza and Andy Johnson dolls. From Main Street: Greeneville, and available exclusively from James-Ben: Studio & Gallery Art Center are ceramic replicas of the Andrew Johnson Homestead in the popular series featuring Greeneville’s historic structures. A combination Christmas tree ornament and year-round table top sculpture depicting President Johnson and family enjoying a colorful carriage ride is another exclusive from the gallery, obtained from the White House Historical Association. “These have been extremely popular, portraying Johnson as they do in one of his rare moments of relaxation and fun,” says Stockton. Another playful and unique piece, in the form of edible art, is coming from Jane Wilson of Blue Ridge Chocolates (which make a wonderful excuse for popping by Stockton’s gallery on Main Street). Wilson is creating a gingerbread/dark chocolate house based on the Johnson tailor shop featuring her “Tennessee Truffles” filled with her special molasses cream. For more serious fun, local artist Willadeen Fort has created a specialty chess board with figures from the Civil War. Bisque-fired and hand-painted Confederate and Union soldiers contest the field in more thoughtful combat. For gentler souls, Sharon Collins – “quite simply one of the best stained glass artists I’ve ever seen,” notes Stockton – has called on the talents of the reclusive Eliza Johnson. Collins has created a window hanging based on a quilt attributed to Eliza Johnson found at the foot of her bed. Functional pottery inspired by pieces in the kitchen of the Johnson Homestead have come from the studios of locally celebrated potters. Phil Homes, of Piney Flats, has produced a series of Johnson inspired crocks in his distinctive iron-red glaze. Greenevillian Tim Frain, known for his Appalachian Impressions pieces, has created the look of older salt glazed pieces from the 19th century with a contemporary and more environmentally friendly glaze of his own creation. The pieces inspired by items in the Johnson Homestead collection, including the gold watch element in Lynne Olka’s Johnson story portrait, were brought into being with the help of Kendra Hinkle, museum technician. Hinkle’s father, noted artist and retired Greeneville police detective C. Kenneth Hinkle, is offering through the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial limited edition prints of his oil on canvas board originals. Of particular interest is his depiction of Johnson at work in his tailor shop across the street from his Early Home, a view no longer visible since the tailor shop’s enclosure within the Memorial Building in the 1920’s. An appealing 13 month daily look at Johnson’s life and times can be found through the Bicentennial Calendar, produced by the Nathanael Greene Museum. Ghostly encounters with the Johnson family are part of the regular and highly sought-after tours offered by Appalachian GhostWalks. From James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center itself come the last but not least items in the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection. The gallery studio is producing, in limited edition, sterling silver collectible jewelry featuring the 17th president. And for an entertaining and memorable experience in living history, there is “Tennessee Tailor”, conceived and directed by James-Ben Stockton, available only by arrangement with the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, and featuring your faithful columnist bringing Johnson’s own words and thoughts to life from the pages of history.
Altogether, an amazing collection of talent has brought together the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection. Its inspiration, Greeneville’s hometown president and the “Defender of the Constitution” is entirely deserving of every expression of respect, admiration, and affection. These offerings and others yet to come can be found at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center in historic Downtown Greeneville.
With all the word processing tools available these days to the journalist, it is reassuring that the 5 “W’s” are as useful as they ever were. Very little of interest to the reader can be conveyed without the categories of who, what, when, where, and why. Much of the previous Neighbor Artist column space has focused on the “who, what, and when” that describe the talented folks of this region. The “where” that traces the source of their inspiration and the “why” that attempts to explain it can be more elusive, and tend to vary from artist to artist. But sometimes a broad theme can unite creative individuals across the whole spectrum of artistic media. The Andrew Johnson Bicentennial has done just that for the artists of James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
“Greeneville is remarkable not only in the intensity of its history but in the way the community values its own heritage,” says James-Ben Stockton. The director of a regionally celebrated art center, Stockton (and your faithful writer of this column) relocated to Greeneville in 2002. “In finding our niche and relating to our new home in Northeast Tennessee, it seemed natural to present art with historic themes. We did a similar process in 2003 for Greeneville’s 220th anniversary. But the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial celebration has really struck a chord with our artists.” With barely three months of the year-long birthday party for the 17th president having passed, 24 different artists, artisans, and organizations have joined their creative efforts, under Stockton’s direction, into the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection.
The Bicentennial Collection is amazing both for the range of talents taking part and for the variety of creations available to the public. “There are pieces that can be touched, used, viewed, watched, listened to, smelled, tasted, and played with,” says Stockton. The visual artists in the painting media have applied their brushes to Andrew Johnson themes. Greene County natives Barbara Miller and Barbara Bible “Jake” Carter have recreated moments from the Johnson story in acrylics and watercolors. “Jake” in particular has focused on paintings featuring the women of the Civil War era, making poignant use of the women who participate in the annual reenactment of the Battle of Blue Springs. Lynne Olka, with her gift for portraiture, has realized a unique Andrew Johnson story-portrait. Featured in it is not only an amazing likeness of the 17th president but scenes and objects from his life, including the gold watch presented to him by the former slaves of Nashville freed by his proclamation. Other striking images associated with Johnson, including his tailor shop and monument atop the hill in the National Cemetery, have been created from the talents of Greeneville native son Gary Sams, whose drawings of historic sites are local favorites. Another unique approach to the Johnson images springs from the gifted eye of Chris MacAdoo, who has captured Greeneville’s hometown president in evocative wood-block prints. Marilyn Heilman has added to the collection her two pen & ink drawings, “Old Jail Gates” and “The Old Jail Restoration” executed for the Greene County Historic Trust’s Restoration Project. All three artists have these images available in limited editions. Historian Robert Orr, local expert on Johnson’s life and career, who appeared on C-Span’s series featuring the presidents, is known in Greeneville as a man of many talents. He has used that talent to demonstrate his intimate knowledge of Johnson in an excellent biography, “President Andrew Johnson of Greeneville, Tennessee”, as well as in a wonderful video production, “His Faith Never Wavered”, written by Orr and superbly directed by Louise Orr in cooperation with the Greene County Heritage Trust. Middle Tennessee art photographer Barry Stein was so taken with the Andrew Johnson Homestead that he preserved it in his own uniquely styled giclee, also available in limited edition.
Other gallery artists have approached the Johnson story and images in three dimensions rather than two. Well-known local Dell Hughes has added Andrew Johnson to his series of Civil war busts with a marvelous likeness in cold-cast images available both in bronze finish and hand-painted. Mrs. Hughes, Dell’s spouse Jane, has applied her own artistry and whimsy to create the playful Raggedy Eliza and Andy Johnson dolls. From Main Street: Greeneville, and available exclusively from James-Ben: Studio & Gallery Art Center are ceramic replicas of the Andrew Johnson Homestead in the popular series featuring Greeneville’s historic structures. A combination Christmas tree ornament and year-round table top sculpture depicting President Johnson and family enjoying a colorful carriage ride is another exclusive from the gallery, obtained from the White House Historical Association. “These have been extremely popular, portraying Johnson as they do in one of his rare moments of relaxation and fun,” says Stockton. Another playful and unique piece, in the form of edible art, is coming from Jane Wilson of Blue Ridge Chocolates (which make a wonderful excuse for popping by Stockton’s gallery on Main Street). Wilson is creating a gingerbread/dark chocolate house based on the Johnson tailor shop featuring her “Tennessee Truffles” filled with her special molasses cream. For more serious fun, local artist Willadeen Fort has created a specialty chess board with figures from the Civil War. Bisque-fired and hand-painted Confederate and Union soldiers contest the field in more thoughtful combat. For gentler souls, Sharon Collins – “quite simply one of the best stained glass artists I’ve ever seen,” notes Stockton – has called on the talents of the reclusive Eliza Johnson. Collins has created a window hanging based on a quilt attributed to Eliza Johnson found at the foot of her bed. Functional pottery inspired by pieces in the kitchen of the Johnson Homestead have come from the studios of locally celebrated potters. Phil Homes, of Piney Flats, has produced a series of Johnson inspired crocks in his distinctive iron-red glaze. Greenevillian Tim Frain, known for his Appalachian Impressions pieces, has created the look of older salt glazed pieces from the 19th century with a contemporary and more environmentally friendly glaze of his own creation. The pieces inspired by items in the Johnson Homestead collection, including the gold watch element in Lynne Olka’s Johnson story portrait, were brought into being with the help of Kendra Hinkle, museum technician. Hinkle’s father, noted artist and retired Greeneville police detective C. Kenneth Hinkle, is offering through the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial limited edition prints of his oil on canvas board originals. Of particular interest is his depiction of Johnson at work in his tailor shop across the street from his Early Home, a view no longer visible since the tailor shop’s enclosure within the Memorial Building in the 1920’s. An appealing 13 month daily look at Johnson’s life and times can be found through the Bicentennial Calendar, produced by the Nathanael Greene Museum. Ghostly encounters with the Johnson family are part of the regular and highly sought-after tours offered by Appalachian GhostWalks. From James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center itself come the last but not least items in the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection. The gallery studio is producing, in limited edition, sterling silver collectible jewelry featuring the 17th president. And for an entertaining and memorable experience in living history, there is “Tennessee Tailor”, conceived and directed by James-Ben Stockton, available only by arrangement with the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, and featuring your faithful columnist bringing Johnson’s own words and thoughts to life from the pages of history.
Altogether, an amazing collection of talent has brought together the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Celebration Collection. Its inspiration, Greeneville’s hometown president and the “Defender of the Constitution” is entirely deserving of every expression of respect, admiration, and affection. These offerings and others yet to come can be found at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center in historic Downtown Greeneville.
Neighbor Featured Artist #16: Dane Hinkle
Musician Finds Ending and Beginning in Greeneville
We’ve had occasion, on previous visits to this page, to talk about the arts most often associated with the mountain South. While furniture making, pottery, and quilting all combine practical need with beauty, the Appalachian art that most directly reveals the soul is music. No color or shade of human emotion is beyond the range of musical expression. Joy and sorrow, love and hate, anger, despair, and exhilaration - all are the feelings carried forth in words and music. The intensity of these feelings is part of the unique signature of music in the mountains. The folks who make such music most often sharpen and polish their talent on countless porches, church gatherings, camp sites, and bonfires throughout Appalachia. But the genuineness and appeal of that music is bound by no feature of geography.
Since coming to Greeneville, it has been my privilege and pleasure to get to know Dane Hinkle, and to be a witness to the emergence of an artist. Dane has roots in Greene County that are both deep and wide reaching. His father, Charles Hinkle, is retired from the Greeneville Police Department, and has been a touchstone for his son in more ways than one. Dane Hinkle was born in San Francisco but raised in Greene County from an early age. Rather than following his father into law enforcement, he became a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, battling the dangerous and unpredictable blazes that plague the American West. Eventually, Dane worked his way into the elite Chena Hot-Shot Crew, a team of international firefighters, and also served with the Alaska Smoke Jumpers, who parachute into remote areas to do their work. At first, the danger was part of the job’s intoxicating appeal. Dane notes that the combination of adrenaline and sleep deprivation produced experiences of heightened sensation and awareness. Colors were more intense, and all senses were sharpened. “It was an interesting feeling,” he says. “During training I learned to call it ‘the black door’.” One close call that occurred while in that state proved to be the one that erased “all the fun” from firefighting. Dane ran out of a flare-up but has no memory of how he ended up where he was found. “I just know the helicopter pilot told me that he circled around when he saw us but that I was a mile away from my first location when he picked me up.”Some of Dane’s fellow firefighters weren’t so lucky. It’s little wonder that he returned to Greeneville in need of healing. One of the places he found it was in music and art.
“There’s a parallel between opening up your creative self and those ‘black door’ moments,” says Dane. “When I realized that, it made it easier to get comfortable with the flashes of inspiration I’d get.” Noting that his father had channelled some of his police career stress into oil painting, Dane took up the brushes and discovered that he had, in fact, inherited some of his father’s talent. from his international experience, he produced miniature stone sculptures reminiscent of Japanese netsuke from the local fossiliferous limestone. He also found himself beginning to write songs. Two different but related traditions influenced Dane’s first efforts, which, along with gallery director James-Ben Stockton, I was fortunate enough to hear. One influence was the combination of music and social change in the 1960’s, especially Bob Dylan and the Beatles. “There was a little something about Bob Dylan. There was electricity in the air during his time,” says Dane. Inspiration also came from the folk music/storytelling tradition of Appalachia. Dane, who worked on the crew invloved in the 2003-2004 renovation of the Andrew Johnson Homestead, found out that Johnson’s often dirt-poor constituents were sometimes called “mudsills”. This touched a chord in his heart. “I’m trying to reinvent some music where the lyrics have deep meaning. My songs are sometimes emotional and sometimes cynical but the music itself is always easy to listen to. It comes from the elements of real life.” This approach has generated songs with titles like “Softly in Time”, “Cotton Candy Sunset”, and “Ashes on Molly’s Grave”. Dane thinks of his style as the offspring of folk music and the blues.
“Dane is a Renaissance man,” says gallery director James-Ben Stockton. “When we first go to know him, we were delighted and impressed with his visual art, his paintings and sculptures. But quite often, he’d drop by in the late afternoon or on the weekend to play and sing for us a song he was working on. For someone who appreciates art enough to work with it professionally, it was a true privilege to observe and participate in art ‘in the making’.” For Dane, the nurturing of his gifts has been a layered process. “I started on the harmonica first,” he says. “When I first sat down with a guitar, I probably knew three chords but I built from that.” His first recordings were mostly vocals and guitar, done on borrowed equipment. Then he bought the elements of a digital recording studio, which enabled him to add in bass and harmonica for a richer sound. “I spent the better part of a year learning how to use the studio - I think I read the manual for three days before I even turned it on.” At the same time, he has expanded his live performances to include regular Thursday night appearances at the General Morgan Inn from 6 to 8:30 in the evenings. “Doing both, making my own recordings and continuing to perform live, has kind of nudged me in the direction I’d like to go, which means putting a band together. My studio lets me layer several tracks together where I play all the instruments. To do that on stage means you need more musicians.” This ongoing creative process continues to provide healing for that bruised and battered man who left a firefighting career to come home. “Now I’m working on combining the music with spending time outdoors, staying active to build up my energy and find new sources of inspiration. It’s like doing and thinking at the same time helps you be better at both. James-Ben explained to me that it was like working an experience out through your body and then expressing it by letting it come out through your hands. A lot has happened since I came home. I guess you could say that Greeneville is both a launching pad and a landing strip at the same time.”
Music is one of the hardest art forms to describe in words. The best way to experience Dane Hinkle’s music is to hear it. For live performances, look for him each Thursday evening at the General Morgan Inn. Be sure to check out his web site, www.mudsilldane.com. Dane’s music is available from over 30 sites and has been downloaded from as far away as Europe. To find both his CD’s and his paintings and sculptures, they are available locally at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center, which is extremely proud, in the case of Dane Hinkle, Artist, to have been present “at the beginning.”
We’ve had occasion, on previous visits to this page, to talk about the arts most often associated with the mountain South. While furniture making, pottery, and quilting all combine practical need with beauty, the Appalachian art that most directly reveals the soul is music. No color or shade of human emotion is beyond the range of musical expression. Joy and sorrow, love and hate, anger, despair, and exhilaration - all are the feelings carried forth in words and music. The intensity of these feelings is part of the unique signature of music in the mountains. The folks who make such music most often sharpen and polish their talent on countless porches, church gatherings, camp sites, and bonfires throughout Appalachia. But the genuineness and appeal of that music is bound by no feature of geography.
Since coming to Greeneville, it has been my privilege and pleasure to get to know Dane Hinkle, and to be a witness to the emergence of an artist. Dane has roots in Greene County that are both deep and wide reaching. His father, Charles Hinkle, is retired from the Greeneville Police Department, and has been a touchstone for his son in more ways than one. Dane Hinkle was born in San Francisco but raised in Greene County from an early age. Rather than following his father into law enforcement, he became a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, battling the dangerous and unpredictable blazes that plague the American West. Eventually, Dane worked his way into the elite Chena Hot-Shot Crew, a team of international firefighters, and also served with the Alaska Smoke Jumpers, who parachute into remote areas to do their work. At first, the danger was part of the job’s intoxicating appeal. Dane notes that the combination of adrenaline and sleep deprivation produced experiences of heightened sensation and awareness. Colors were more intense, and all senses were sharpened. “It was an interesting feeling,” he says. “During training I learned to call it ‘the black door’.” One close call that occurred while in that state proved to be the one that erased “all the fun” from firefighting. Dane ran out of a flare-up but has no memory of how he ended up where he was found. “I just know the helicopter pilot told me that he circled around when he saw us but that I was a mile away from my first location when he picked me up.”Some of Dane’s fellow firefighters weren’t so lucky. It’s little wonder that he returned to Greeneville in need of healing. One of the places he found it was in music and art.
“There’s a parallel between opening up your creative self and those ‘black door’ moments,” says Dane. “When I realized that, it made it easier to get comfortable with the flashes of inspiration I’d get.” Noting that his father had channelled some of his police career stress into oil painting, Dane took up the brushes and discovered that he had, in fact, inherited some of his father’s talent. from his international experience, he produced miniature stone sculptures reminiscent of Japanese netsuke from the local fossiliferous limestone. He also found himself beginning to write songs. Two different but related traditions influenced Dane’s first efforts, which, along with gallery director James-Ben Stockton, I was fortunate enough to hear. One influence was the combination of music and social change in the 1960’s, especially Bob Dylan and the Beatles. “There was a little something about Bob Dylan. There was electricity in the air during his time,” says Dane. Inspiration also came from the folk music/storytelling tradition of Appalachia. Dane, who worked on the crew invloved in the 2003-2004 renovation of the Andrew Johnson Homestead, found out that Johnson’s often dirt-poor constituents were sometimes called “mudsills”. This touched a chord in his heart. “I’m trying to reinvent some music where the lyrics have deep meaning. My songs are sometimes emotional and sometimes cynical but the music itself is always easy to listen to. It comes from the elements of real life.” This approach has generated songs with titles like “Softly in Time”, “Cotton Candy Sunset”, and “Ashes on Molly’s Grave”. Dane thinks of his style as the offspring of folk music and the blues.
“Dane is a Renaissance man,” says gallery director James-Ben Stockton. “When we first go to know him, we were delighted and impressed with his visual art, his paintings and sculptures. But quite often, he’d drop by in the late afternoon or on the weekend to play and sing for us a song he was working on. For someone who appreciates art enough to work with it professionally, it was a true privilege to observe and participate in art ‘in the making’.” For Dane, the nurturing of his gifts has been a layered process. “I started on the harmonica first,” he says. “When I first sat down with a guitar, I probably knew three chords but I built from that.” His first recordings were mostly vocals and guitar, done on borrowed equipment. Then he bought the elements of a digital recording studio, which enabled him to add in bass and harmonica for a richer sound. “I spent the better part of a year learning how to use the studio - I think I read the manual for three days before I even turned it on.” At the same time, he has expanded his live performances to include regular Thursday night appearances at the General Morgan Inn from 6 to 8:30 in the evenings. “Doing both, making my own recordings and continuing to perform live, has kind of nudged me in the direction I’d like to go, which means putting a band together. My studio lets me layer several tracks together where I play all the instruments. To do that on stage means you need more musicians.” This ongoing creative process continues to provide healing for that bruised and battered man who left a firefighting career to come home. “Now I’m working on combining the music with spending time outdoors, staying active to build up my energy and find new sources of inspiration. It’s like doing and thinking at the same time helps you be better at both. James-Ben explained to me that it was like working an experience out through your body and then expressing it by letting it come out through your hands. A lot has happened since I came home. I guess you could say that Greeneville is both a launching pad and a landing strip at the same time.”
Music is one of the hardest art forms to describe in words. The best way to experience Dane Hinkle’s music is to hear it. For live performances, look for him each Thursday evening at the General Morgan Inn. Be sure to check out his web site, www.mudsilldane.com. Dane’s music is available from over 30 sites and has been downloaded from as far away as Europe. To find both his CD’s and his paintings and sculptures, they are available locally at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center, which is extremely proud, in the case of Dane Hinkle, Artist, to have been present “at the beginning.”
Neighbor Featured Artist #15: The Wood Studio
Wood Studio Reflects Tradition of Family Craftmanship
If there is an art as essential to the Appalachian culture, it is furniture making. Born in the mountains out of necessity - from the need to produce practical items for the household. It was part of the character of the mountain settlers to make these functional pieces beautiful as well. To this day, the Appalachian region is known as a mecca for cabinetry, with a tradition of keeping the art in the family and passing it to the next generation. As an example of what I’m talking about, let me introduce you to the creative world of the Cochran boys.
Visitors to James-Ben: Studio & Gallery in downtown Greeneville have seen the work of Randy, Keith, and Dylan Cochran whether they know it or not. The magnificent 8 foot maple front counter in the gallery is a creation of the Wood Studio, and represents the loving, meticulous aesthetic expressed by this team of a father and two sons. Randy Cochran and gallery director James-Ben Stockton had become acquainted as exhibitors in fine craft shows. “I hadn’t seen Randy for a while when he came to a reception for one of my gallery shows,” says Stockton. “He told me he was finally going into custom furniture-making full time. What a good day that was!” When Stockton’s gallery relocated and re-opened in historic Greeneville, a friend offered a gift of a new front counter and asked who Stockton would like to have make it. Without hesitation, he put her in touch with Randy Cochran.
A native of north Alabama, Randy Cochran is a charming fellow whose Southern drawl and wicked sense of humor make a fine counterpoint to the sophistication of his designs in cabinetry. He’s been known to describe his style as “Scandinavian-Shaker”, after two furniture-making traditions he admires. “When I was in school at Auburn, I was lucky enough to study with instructors whose professors were from the Bauhaus School of Design,” he says. After a career that included design and fabrication of wood-working machinery, telephones, industrial machinery, electronics, and museum exhibits, he built his first commissioned piece of furniture in 1973, and opened the Wood Studio in 1986. “I’ve worked every day like a crazy man ever since to build up our small family business.” As a founding member of The Furniture Society, Randy also devotes considerable time and energy to promoting the craft he loves.
Keith Cochran, Randy’s oldest son, cultivates a laid-back, ball cap persona that overlays a deeply artistic soul. He admits that he “filled all my high school electives with art classes.” His dead-pan delivery of jokes is a characteristic he shares with his father. “Keith came by the gallery on the morning of September 11th, 2001, and told us what was happening before we’d even turned on the television,” says Stockton. “We were so used to his sense of humor that at first we didn’t believe him.” Also like his dad, Keith got his degree from the College of Industrial Design at Auburn. While still in high school, he began working in the field of custom car audio systems and continued this work professionally for several years. After graduating from Auburn with several “Best of Studio” awards under his belt, Keith went to work as a custom boat builder for Hugh Saint, Inc., producing classic mahogany runabouts. With the opening of the Wood Studio, he was lured into the perilous world of self-employment.
With an outgoing father and brother, both of whom are inveterate comedians, Dylan Cochran is the “quiet one”. He began working in the Wood Studio while still in high school and was voted “Most Talented” by his classmates. An award-winner in several different art competitions, he staked out his own unique territory within a creative family with his environmental work. While continuing the family connection to Auburn University, Dylan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management and spent a summer as an intern for the Council on Environmental Quality within the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. While still in college, he participated in the Cooperative Education Program and worked as an air quality technician for an environmental consulting firm. Eventually he, too, was sweet-talked into devoting full time to the family business.
All three Cochrans now reside near the Wood Studio’s new location in north Alabama. Randy took up housekeeping in the family’s old home, a 1914 bungalow nestled “in Little Wills Valley within spitting distance of the southern-most collection point for the Trail of Tears.” Keith, with his beautiful wife Allison (and a pack of wild dogs) lives within the Bankhead National Forest. Dylan is in nearby Arley residing at the Wood Studio’s newest shop. With a fine view of Lookout Mountain, and nearby Lewis Smith Lake to satisfy outdoor interests, the Cochran boys seem to have found a contentment that feeds their creative productivity.
I’ve chosen to spend my words in describing the artists in this column because the striking visual images of their work speak more eloquentlly of their skills and love of wood than I could possibly manage. Appreciation of the beautiful design and splendid craftsmanship of the Wood Studio’s commissioned furniture has even been expressed by actor/activist Robert Redford, who has included the Cochrans’ furniture in his exclusive Sundance Catalog. “At the heart of every piece is our ambition to celebrate the natural beauty and character of the material,” says Randy (in one of his more serious moments). The Cochrans produce a full range of furniture and cabinets but a Wood Studio chair is a particular prize for its comfort and back support. “Sometimes it’s hard to get customers to sit in one of the chairs because they’re so beautiful,” says Stockton. “But once we persuade them to sit down it’s hard to get them to get back up agaiin.” Locally, the work of Randy, Keith, and Dylan can be seen, touched, sat-on, ooohed and ahhhed over, and acquired or ordered at James-Ben: Studio & Gallery. “I’ve seen men caress our maple front counter with a tenderness that makes their wives jealous,” says James-Ben Stockton. “We take great pride in affectionately representing these three gentlemen.”
If there is an art as essential to the Appalachian culture, it is furniture making. Born in the mountains out of necessity - from the need to produce practical items for the household. It was part of the character of the mountain settlers to make these functional pieces beautiful as well. To this day, the Appalachian region is known as a mecca for cabinetry, with a tradition of keeping the art in the family and passing it to the next generation. As an example of what I’m talking about, let me introduce you to the creative world of the Cochran boys.
Visitors to James-Ben: Studio & Gallery in downtown Greeneville have seen the work of Randy, Keith, and Dylan Cochran whether they know it or not. The magnificent 8 foot maple front counter in the gallery is a creation of the Wood Studio, and represents the loving, meticulous aesthetic expressed by this team of a father and two sons. Randy Cochran and gallery director James-Ben Stockton had become acquainted as exhibitors in fine craft shows. “I hadn’t seen Randy for a while when he came to a reception for one of my gallery shows,” says Stockton. “He told me he was finally going into custom furniture-making full time. What a good day that was!” When Stockton’s gallery relocated and re-opened in historic Greeneville, a friend offered a gift of a new front counter and asked who Stockton would like to have make it. Without hesitation, he put her in touch with Randy Cochran.
A native of north Alabama, Randy Cochran is a charming fellow whose Southern drawl and wicked sense of humor make a fine counterpoint to the sophistication of his designs in cabinetry. He’s been known to describe his style as “Scandinavian-Shaker”, after two furniture-making traditions he admires. “When I was in school at Auburn, I was lucky enough to study with instructors whose professors were from the Bauhaus School of Design,” he says. After a career that included design and fabrication of wood-working machinery, telephones, industrial machinery, electronics, and museum exhibits, he built his first commissioned piece of furniture in 1973, and opened the Wood Studio in 1986. “I’ve worked every day like a crazy man ever since to build up our small family business.” As a founding member of The Furniture Society, Randy also devotes considerable time and energy to promoting the craft he loves.
Keith Cochran, Randy’s oldest son, cultivates a laid-back, ball cap persona that overlays a deeply artistic soul. He admits that he “filled all my high school electives with art classes.” His dead-pan delivery of jokes is a characteristic he shares with his father. “Keith came by the gallery on the morning of September 11th, 2001, and told us what was happening before we’d even turned on the television,” says Stockton. “We were so used to his sense of humor that at first we didn’t believe him.” Also like his dad, Keith got his degree from the College of Industrial Design at Auburn. While still in high school, he began working in the field of custom car audio systems and continued this work professionally for several years. After graduating from Auburn with several “Best of Studio” awards under his belt, Keith went to work as a custom boat builder for Hugh Saint, Inc., producing classic mahogany runabouts. With the opening of the Wood Studio, he was lured into the perilous world of self-employment.
With an outgoing father and brother, both of whom are inveterate comedians, Dylan Cochran is the “quiet one”. He began working in the Wood Studio while still in high school and was voted “Most Talented” by his classmates. An award-winner in several different art competitions, he staked out his own unique territory within a creative family with his environmental work. While continuing the family connection to Auburn University, Dylan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management and spent a summer as an intern for the Council on Environmental Quality within the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. While still in college, he participated in the Cooperative Education Program and worked as an air quality technician for an environmental consulting firm. Eventually he, too, was sweet-talked into devoting full time to the family business.
All three Cochrans now reside near the Wood Studio’s new location in north Alabama. Randy took up housekeeping in the family’s old home, a 1914 bungalow nestled “in Little Wills Valley within spitting distance of the southern-most collection point for the Trail of Tears.” Keith, with his beautiful wife Allison (and a pack of wild dogs) lives within the Bankhead National Forest. Dylan is in nearby Arley residing at the Wood Studio’s newest shop. With a fine view of Lookout Mountain, and nearby Lewis Smith Lake to satisfy outdoor interests, the Cochran boys seem to have found a contentment that feeds their creative productivity.
I’ve chosen to spend my words in describing the artists in this column because the striking visual images of their work speak more eloquentlly of their skills and love of wood than I could possibly manage. Appreciation of the beautiful design and splendid craftsmanship of the Wood Studio’s commissioned furniture has even been expressed by actor/activist Robert Redford, who has included the Cochrans’ furniture in his exclusive Sundance Catalog. “At the heart of every piece is our ambition to celebrate the natural beauty and character of the material,” says Randy (in one of his more serious moments). The Cochrans produce a full range of furniture and cabinets but a Wood Studio chair is a particular prize for its comfort and back support. “Sometimes it’s hard to get customers to sit in one of the chairs because they’re so beautiful,” says Stockton. “But once we persuade them to sit down it’s hard to get them to get back up agaiin.” Locally, the work of Randy, Keith, and Dylan can be seen, touched, sat-on, ooohed and ahhhed over, and acquired or ordered at James-Ben: Studio & Gallery. “I’ve seen men caress our maple front counter with a tenderness that makes their wives jealous,” says James-Ben Stockton. “We take great pride in affectionately representing these three gentlemen.”
Neighbor Featured Artist #14: Barbarabara "Jake" Bible carter
Watercolors Come Naturally to "Jake"
There is an irresistible quality to modesty. Such charm is radiated by those talented individuals who seem genuinely surprised by the gifts they possess. They seem to count their blessings with every new creation, which adds an element to their creativity that attracts others to it. When Barbara Bible Carter sat down to talk with me, and announced that she didn’t think there was anything about her that readers would find interesting, she was really saying that her paintings told her story better than words could. A small, elegant woman, with a serenity often illuminated with a bright smile, she demonstrates a gentility that is only enhanced by the accent that speaks to her rural Greene County roots. She is an artist/neighbor in the deepest sense of the term.
In declaring herself a person without formal education, Barbara claims the pride of place that is shared by many mountain folk. It obviously surprised her to be the subject of an art column. “I’m just a little snot-nose kid out of the holler in East Tennessee,” she says. Her family had an old grocery in Bible’s Chapel and the house where she was born was without electricity. Her mother, she remembers, always made sure that there were crayons around for drawing, while her father supplied her basic identity. “I sign all my paintings ‘Jake” because that was his nickname for me.” From her earliest memory, she noticed and found beauty in the minute details of nature. She remembers walking up a path to her mother’s garden and being captivated by the tiny flowers she saw along the way. Drawing was part of her growing up, with inspiration coming from such simple sources as the Sunday comics. “I’ve always noticed the differences between light and shadow,” she says. “I’m an intuitive painter - rather than making a statement or telling a story, my paintings are an expression of what looks right to me. I’m not real big on painting by the rules.”
The Bibles moved closer to Greeneville when Barbara was 7, and her artistic ability found an outlet in school. “We didn’t have much in the way of art teachers but I would draw different subjects relating to what we were learning.” That she would one day exhibit her paintings and win awards in competition was unimaginable at the time but she recalls setting personal challenges for herself. “When I was 10, I remember sitting on a rock in the creek and seeing the reflection of the sunset. I told myself I wanted to be able to paint it just like I saw it.” An aunt who worked in oils and copied well-known works for the enjoyment of herself and friends was an ongoing source of inspiration. “She painted well into her nineties. I painted in oils for a while but found myself attracted to watercolors and happier with what I did.” This choice of medium was a challenge in and of itself. Watercolor is generally regarded as the most difficult of the painting arts to master, and Barbara was unsatisfied with her first efforts. “Then I got the chance to do some work with a teacher named Anita Rhoney, who set me on the right track with some basic techniques. With watercolor, you can’t just paint over a mistake.”
As an adult, Barbara continued both to practice her creativity and to gain knowledge and experience wherever possible. While living in both Greenwich, Connecticut, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she took advantage of the urban opportunities to attend art classes. Upon returning to East Tennessee, as often happens, she found that her most valuable instruction was no further away than Johnson City in the person of local legend Urban Bird. “He teaches in a very casual way, and his blunt, honest criticism really makes sense to me,” says Barbara. “He has such a good eye for seeing and correcting design flaws. I remember a piece I was working on where he said ‘well, you sure didn’t get that mill wheel right’. So I turned it into an old tire instead.” Bird has said of Barbara that she has progressed faster than most of his students. She began exhibiting in 2004 and has been both pleased and amazed to do better in competition than some of her fellow students whose work she particularly admires. Gallery director James-Ben Stockton, who has shown Barbara’s work for several years, attributes her success not just to good training but to her innate skill for making it ‘look right’. “Her gift for understanding light and shadow is the key,” he says. “She really loves the contrast between the two. That’s what raises her paintings far above the ordinary.”
With time and dedication, Barbara feels she’s beginning to hit her stride with her paintings. “I like to do everything fast,” she says. “That’s why watercolor and I get along so well.” This same sense of ‘making it look right’ also translates to her other love, interior design. “When I remember growing up in a home without electricity, it amazes me to have a 17 room house to decorate now. My friends all want me to help with interior design at their homes. Now remember, I’m no socialite! But I really enjoyed having a home economics teacher come by with her students to see how I did my house for Christmas.” With a stack of painting projects waiting for her, she has no lack of creativity to express. For now, Barbara works from photographs but looks forward to painting in the open air when the chance comes. “It took me a long time to know who I was. Watercolor was a major step in helping me with the times when I didn’t feel like I could do anything. It’s the joy of my life. I’d paint all the time if I could. I love the light and shadow. That’s the whole thing.”
Barbara Bible “Jake” Carter’s work is available locally and displayed with great satisfaction and regional pride at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
There is an irresistible quality to modesty. Such charm is radiated by those talented individuals who seem genuinely surprised by the gifts they possess. They seem to count their blessings with every new creation, which adds an element to their creativity that attracts others to it. When Barbara Bible Carter sat down to talk with me, and announced that she didn’t think there was anything about her that readers would find interesting, she was really saying that her paintings told her story better than words could. A small, elegant woman, with a serenity often illuminated with a bright smile, she demonstrates a gentility that is only enhanced by the accent that speaks to her rural Greene County roots. She is an artist/neighbor in the deepest sense of the term.
In declaring herself a person without formal education, Barbara claims the pride of place that is shared by many mountain folk. It obviously surprised her to be the subject of an art column. “I’m just a little snot-nose kid out of the holler in East Tennessee,” she says. Her family had an old grocery in Bible’s Chapel and the house where she was born was without electricity. Her mother, she remembers, always made sure that there were crayons around for drawing, while her father supplied her basic identity. “I sign all my paintings ‘Jake” because that was his nickname for me.” From her earliest memory, she noticed and found beauty in the minute details of nature. She remembers walking up a path to her mother’s garden and being captivated by the tiny flowers she saw along the way. Drawing was part of her growing up, with inspiration coming from such simple sources as the Sunday comics. “I’ve always noticed the differences between light and shadow,” she says. “I’m an intuitive painter - rather than making a statement or telling a story, my paintings are an expression of what looks right to me. I’m not real big on painting by the rules.”
The Bibles moved closer to Greeneville when Barbara was 7, and her artistic ability found an outlet in school. “We didn’t have much in the way of art teachers but I would draw different subjects relating to what we were learning.” That she would one day exhibit her paintings and win awards in competition was unimaginable at the time but she recalls setting personal challenges for herself. “When I was 10, I remember sitting on a rock in the creek and seeing the reflection of the sunset. I told myself I wanted to be able to paint it just like I saw it.” An aunt who worked in oils and copied well-known works for the enjoyment of herself and friends was an ongoing source of inspiration. “She painted well into her nineties. I painted in oils for a while but found myself attracted to watercolors and happier with what I did.” This choice of medium was a challenge in and of itself. Watercolor is generally regarded as the most difficult of the painting arts to master, and Barbara was unsatisfied with her first efforts. “Then I got the chance to do some work with a teacher named Anita Rhoney, who set me on the right track with some basic techniques. With watercolor, you can’t just paint over a mistake.”
As an adult, Barbara continued both to practice her creativity and to gain knowledge and experience wherever possible. While living in both Greenwich, Connecticut, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she took advantage of the urban opportunities to attend art classes. Upon returning to East Tennessee, as often happens, she found that her most valuable instruction was no further away than Johnson City in the person of local legend Urban Bird. “He teaches in a very casual way, and his blunt, honest criticism really makes sense to me,” says Barbara. “He has such a good eye for seeing and correcting design flaws. I remember a piece I was working on where he said ‘well, you sure didn’t get that mill wheel right’. So I turned it into an old tire instead.” Bird has said of Barbara that she has progressed faster than most of his students. She began exhibiting in 2004 and has been both pleased and amazed to do better in competition than some of her fellow students whose work she particularly admires. Gallery director James-Ben Stockton, who has shown Barbara’s work for several years, attributes her success not just to good training but to her innate skill for making it ‘look right’. “Her gift for understanding light and shadow is the key,” he says. “She really loves the contrast between the two. That’s what raises her paintings far above the ordinary.”
With time and dedication, Barbara feels she’s beginning to hit her stride with her paintings. “I like to do everything fast,” she says. “That’s why watercolor and I get along so well.” This same sense of ‘making it look right’ also translates to her other love, interior design. “When I remember growing up in a home without electricity, it amazes me to have a 17 room house to decorate now. My friends all want me to help with interior design at their homes. Now remember, I’m no socialite! But I really enjoyed having a home economics teacher come by with her students to see how I did my house for Christmas.” With a stack of painting projects waiting for her, she has no lack of creativity to express. For now, Barbara works from photographs but looks forward to painting in the open air when the chance comes. “It took me a long time to know who I was. Watercolor was a major step in helping me with the times when I didn’t feel like I could do anything. It’s the joy of my life. I’d paint all the time if I could. I love the light and shadow. That’s the whole thing.”
Barbara Bible “Jake” Carter’s work is available locally and displayed with great satisfaction and regional pride at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
Neighbor Featured Artist #13: Phil Homes
Potter Celebrates the “Mark of the Fire”
Without question, pottery is one of the most venerated art forms in the culture of Appalachia. This appreciation for one of mankind’s oldest crafts is also found in other social traditions across the world. There is a great deal of consistency in pottery forms due to their functional expressions and the techniques that produce them, which makes it possible for pottery lovers from one region to appreciate pieces from other cultural areas. Folks in Northeast Tennessee have access to such an opportunity in the work of their neighbor from Piney Flats, Phil Homes.
“I’ve been working with clay for more than 40 years,” says Phil Homes, a well-spoken silver-haired charmer, whose long experience with his craft is evident from his assured conversation on pottery of all kinds. Like many of the previous subjects for this column, he was drawn to and relocated to the mountain South but, given the production level of his pottery studio, “retirement” is hardly an appropriate description for his move to Northeast Tennessee. A Midwesterner by birth, Homes joined the Piney Flats community nearly five years ago, bringing many years of broad experience in art but with a special affinity for pottery. “I studied engineering which eventually led to a degree in architecture from Lawrence University,” he says. “When I decided that I wanted to teach art, I got both a masters in art history and a MFA from the University of Iowa. But I suppose it was luck that dictated that my first teacher and most enduring influence was perhaps the world’s best potter.” This was Toshiko Takaezu, who would inspire Homes’ to identify as a potter. At first, he would combine both fields and teach both art history and pottery at a small Midwestern college. But over time, pottery gained more and more of his attention. “By the ‘80’s, I had more or less stopped teaching art history.”
After shifting his emphasis to the production of his own work, Homes exhibited widely in New England and the upper Midwest. “Over time, my work has changed considerably. At first I really focused on functional pieces with my designs rising from utilitarian forms. Then I explored more expressive sculptural forms with more complex surface decoration. But over time, my pieces have become simpler and subtler, with designs that emphasize the processes from which they’re made - keeping some of the marks of forming, decorating, and firing.” This elegant simplicity is what attracted Greeneville gallery director James-Ben Stockton to Homes’ pottery. “He’s a ‘potter’s potter’,” says Stockton. “Other potters represented in the gallery will often come in and want to see the new pieces Phil has brought in.” Stockton believes that Homes’ pieces are appealing because of his mastery of the Japanese influence of his first teacher, Toshiko Takaezu. “The elements that Phil does so well - the subtle glazes, the conscious retention of firing marks, the basic raised to the level of elegance - these are examples of the Japanese aesthetic. They are attractive to both both experienced and beginning collectors.” Other elements point to the Japanese perspective in Homes’ creativity. He particularly enjoys the production of raku, in which pieces fired to 1800 degrees are brought together with combustible materials, which ignite to bring both beautiful and unpredictable elements in glazing. “This offers almost unlimited, if not always controllable, variation of surface and pattern,” says Homes. “Phil has a wonderful selection of colors, including a gorgeous iron-red,” says gallery director Stockton. “His raku is glorious - it’s subtle and soft, not flashy. The pieces are of genuine museum quality - they generate an immediate sense of significance and quality.”
Another distinctly Eastern aspect of Homes’ production are his wonderful teapots. “I used to make very expensive ones until I realized that they were probably being put on shelves as ornaments. So now I make smaller ones and sell them for less on the premise that somebody might actually use them to make tea.” Although he usually favors simpler thrown forms in pottery, Homes makes a point of continuing to produce the more time-consuming teapots. “You throw the pot, then you throw the spout, then you throw the lid, then you have to fit them all together. So you can’t possibly make any money making teapots. But I like to make teapots.” Here again can be seen Homes’ early emphasis on functional, utilitarian pieces recurring in his more recent creations. “Nothing is ever lost,” says Homes. “Instead it is assimilated as part of a larger concept. The vessal tradition, utilitarian function, and subtle form and surface are not mutually exclusive. Eash expands and enhances the other.”
Even after many years at his craft, Homes still gets a sense of immediate gratification from working with clay. “You do something to it and it reacts instantly. You touch it and you leave your fingerprint. You squeeze it and it changes form. I’ve done some painting and a lot of sculpture and certainly you interact with the material, but never so much as with clay.” Like most artists, Homes has creative ambitions that are as yet unrealized, but plans to keep future experiments within his chosen realm of pottery. “There’s so much else to try,” says Homes. “You have some input with clay, but you don’t have ultimate control.”
Phil Homes pottery, in raku and stoneware, in functional yet sculptural forms, and, yes, including teapots, is locally carried and proudly exhibited by James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
Without question, pottery is one of the most venerated art forms in the culture of Appalachia. This appreciation for one of mankind’s oldest crafts is also found in other social traditions across the world. There is a great deal of consistency in pottery forms due to their functional expressions and the techniques that produce them, which makes it possible for pottery lovers from one region to appreciate pieces from other cultural areas. Folks in Northeast Tennessee have access to such an opportunity in the work of their neighbor from Piney Flats, Phil Homes.
“I’ve been working with clay for more than 40 years,” says Phil Homes, a well-spoken silver-haired charmer, whose long experience with his craft is evident from his assured conversation on pottery of all kinds. Like many of the previous subjects for this column, he was drawn to and relocated to the mountain South but, given the production level of his pottery studio, “retirement” is hardly an appropriate description for his move to Northeast Tennessee. A Midwesterner by birth, Homes joined the Piney Flats community nearly five years ago, bringing many years of broad experience in art but with a special affinity for pottery. “I studied engineering which eventually led to a degree in architecture from Lawrence University,” he says. “When I decided that I wanted to teach art, I got both a masters in art history and a MFA from the University of Iowa. But I suppose it was luck that dictated that my first teacher and most enduring influence was perhaps the world’s best potter.” This was Toshiko Takaezu, who would inspire Homes’ to identify as a potter. At first, he would combine both fields and teach both art history and pottery at a small Midwestern college. But over time, pottery gained more and more of his attention. “By the ‘80’s, I had more or less stopped teaching art history.”
After shifting his emphasis to the production of his own work, Homes exhibited widely in New England and the upper Midwest. “Over time, my work has changed considerably. At first I really focused on functional pieces with my designs rising from utilitarian forms. Then I explored more expressive sculptural forms with more complex surface decoration. But over time, my pieces have become simpler and subtler, with designs that emphasize the processes from which they’re made - keeping some of the marks of forming, decorating, and firing.” This elegant simplicity is what attracted Greeneville gallery director James-Ben Stockton to Homes’ pottery. “He’s a ‘potter’s potter’,” says Stockton. “Other potters represented in the gallery will often come in and want to see the new pieces Phil has brought in.” Stockton believes that Homes’ pieces are appealing because of his mastery of the Japanese influence of his first teacher, Toshiko Takaezu. “The elements that Phil does so well - the subtle glazes, the conscious retention of firing marks, the basic raised to the level of elegance - these are examples of the Japanese aesthetic. They are attractive to both both experienced and beginning collectors.” Other elements point to the Japanese perspective in Homes’ creativity. He particularly enjoys the production of raku, in which pieces fired to 1800 degrees are brought together with combustible materials, which ignite to bring both beautiful and unpredictable elements in glazing. “This offers almost unlimited, if not always controllable, variation of surface and pattern,” says Homes. “Phil has a wonderful selection of colors, including a gorgeous iron-red,” says gallery director Stockton. “His raku is glorious - it’s subtle and soft, not flashy. The pieces are of genuine museum quality - they generate an immediate sense of significance and quality.”
Another distinctly Eastern aspect of Homes’ production are his wonderful teapots. “I used to make very expensive ones until I realized that they were probably being put on shelves as ornaments. So now I make smaller ones and sell them for less on the premise that somebody might actually use them to make tea.” Although he usually favors simpler thrown forms in pottery, Homes makes a point of continuing to produce the more time-consuming teapots. “You throw the pot, then you throw the spout, then you throw the lid, then you have to fit them all together. So you can’t possibly make any money making teapots. But I like to make teapots.” Here again can be seen Homes’ early emphasis on functional, utilitarian pieces recurring in his more recent creations. “Nothing is ever lost,” says Homes. “Instead it is assimilated as part of a larger concept. The vessal tradition, utilitarian function, and subtle form and surface are not mutually exclusive. Eash expands and enhances the other.”
Even after many years at his craft, Homes still gets a sense of immediate gratification from working with clay. “You do something to it and it reacts instantly. You touch it and you leave your fingerprint. You squeeze it and it changes form. I’ve done some painting and a lot of sculpture and certainly you interact with the material, but never so much as with clay.” Like most artists, Homes has creative ambitions that are as yet unrealized, but plans to keep future experiments within his chosen realm of pottery. “There’s so much else to try,” says Homes. “You have some input with clay, but you don’t have ultimate control.”
Phil Homes pottery, in raku and stoneware, in functional yet sculptural forms, and, yes, including teapots, is locally carried and proudly exhibited by James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center.
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