Wolf Song Studio

Sandi Baker is the other half of Wolf Song Studio. Sandi and JW Baker have a long history with the Hickory arts community and their artwork often reflects their love and reverence for nature and spirit. Sandi and JW both serve on the board of the Wolf Sanctum in Bakersville, NC and many of her paintings express her love for the wolves that reside there.

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

I am self-taught, and I work in many mediums. I started airbrushing when I was a teenager. I was interested in vehicle graphics and murals at the time and taught myself to airbrush. I started doing work for friends immediately and by the time I was 19 I opened my own sign business. I always airbrushed and did personal fine art on the side, hoping one day to be able to concentrate solely on fine art.

What effect are you trying to have on people through your art?

Mostly I hope to communicated on a level beyond words, to move the viewer, to inspire.

What drew you to your particular medium?

The airbrush seemed like it was just meant for me - I just knew it would work for me.

Who were your mentors/inspiring artists as you began to discover your art?

Sign painters, usually those featured in trade magazines. I didn't have mentors as such but I always greatly admired the work of other artists. I have found almost every work of art created by other artists to be inspiring in one way or another.

What was your first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

I really don't know the first piece, but I used to sit in the pasture and draw horses for hours on end. Horses were my first love and first serious subject.

What are some of your favorite projects?

Of mine? The Spirit Catchers are fun to create, and I enjoy the wide range of reactions from those who view them. I like working with the wood and painting on leather. Each one is a surprise upon completion.

What are you working on right now?

A series of wildlife paintings that incorporate gold leaf. I am leaning towards a more surreal, illusionary style.


My work is available for sale at our website, www.wolfsongstudio.com, and JW and I show our work at Taste Full Beans throughout the year as well as other locations in Hickory and elsewhere. May 15 is the Wolf Creek Rendezvous up in Banner Elk. Wolf Song Studio and other artists will be there from 10:00 to 5:00 with our work for sale.

Sandi has several pieces donated for the Aroma of Art auction. Please come by Taste Full Beans Coffee House to see her wonderful pieces and the other fantastic pieces of art up for auction through Thursday, March4 - still time to make your bid!

Throwing Pots for Aroma of Art

When Rosalie De Fini Outlaw was the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Catawba County several years ago, she co-founded Aroma of Art with Taste Full Beans owners DW Bentley and Edgar Hernandez, Jennifer Hart of ALFA and Lisa Miller of the Women's Resource Center. Rosalie has donated a piece of art to the fundraiser each year of it's existence.

The first few years she donated photography, and now she donates pottery. Jason ahs donated pottery to Aroma of Art for the past two years. This year we wanted to take it to the next level.

Oulaw Pottery donated several pieces of art, inclduing a lizard chip and dip platter and a pottery birdhouse.

During our Holiday Pottery Show and Sale at Taste Full Beans in December, Jason Outlaw asked the attending potters to throw pieces of pottery on his wheel for demonstration during the show.

Each potter donated those pieces for the Aroma of Art fundraiser. The pieces were glazed and fired by Outlaw Pottery for the event. Those potters include Roger Corn of County Line Jug Shop (Lula, GA), Amanda Dobbins of Rosylou Pottery (Hickory, NC), Jesse Rivera and is 12-year old son, Cesar Rivera (Lincolnton, NC).

The offerings of these fine potters are up for auction for Aroma of Art at Taste Full Beans Coffee House in downtown Hickory to benefit ALFA and The Humane Society of Catawba County. There is still time to get a bid number and be a part of Aroma of Art - drop into Taste Full Beans during the next week to bid on your favorite pieces.

Outlaw Pottery

Jason Outlaw and Rosalie De Fini Outlaw founded Outlaw Pottery in October 2008 and teach pottery classes for children and adults at the Newton-Conover Auditorium's NewArt school. Here is their interview for Aroma of Art...

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

Jason started throwing pots in high school and fell in love with clay art. He wanted to go to college for an arts degree, but his family couldn't afford that type of education. Instead, Jason received a work study opportunity to attend the Disney Culinary Academy and focus his creativity on the culinary arts. He worked in four-star restaurants as a sous chef and executive chef in Florida, including NASCAR and Disney - for 16 years. His ice sculptures for NASCAR and other food sculptures were one way he took his love for sculpture and used it in his culinary career. Ready to change lifestyles from the hustle and bustle of the late nights running restaurants, he moved to North Carolina near his family and embarked on a second arts career as a potter.

Rosalie grew up influenced by painters on her mother's side of the family and photographers on her father's side. She learned to paint from her artist mother who used to own her own painting business creating accessories for the Broyhill Furniture Galleries in the 1980's. Rosalie studied art photography and photojournalism at the University of Florida. After a long career in nonprofit management, Rosalie joined Jason in the pottery business in 2009.

What effect are you tyring to have on people through your art?

Freedom of expression is very important to us, and we run Outlaw Pottery in a way that allows us to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art instead of strictly functional pottery production. We love to commune with other potters and exchange ideas. There are a million and one ways to throw a pot, and everyone has something to share. As teachers at the NewArt School pottery studio, we have an opportunity to share our love of clay arts with the community. Our personal motto is "peace, love and pottery!" We have to that on a tee-shirt right away.

What drew you to your particular medium?

Clay is about feeling. You can't just look at the pot you're throwing. You have to feel it all the way through the process. Sometimes when you throw a ball of clay on the wheel and get started, it tells you what it wants to be and surprises you! Other times you know exactly what you're aiming for and set out on a path to create it. Of course, one of the best things about being a potter is that our daily uniform is muddy jeans and tee-shirts. It's down and dirty.

Who were your mentors/inspiring artists as you began to discover your art?

Jason's first art mentor was his high school pottery teacher, Mrs. Farmer, from whom he took classes for three years. Rosalie's art inspirations come from her great-grandmother and mother who are painters and the mend in the De Fini family who are amateur photographers. We both consider every potter who shares with us a piece of our art. We have learned so much from spending time with local potters like Hamilton Williams, Gary Lee, Varian Swieter, Betty Gardner, Jesse Rivera, Roger Corn, and so many more! Each one of them inspires us.

What was your first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

Neither of us can remember our first piece of art since we have been artists since we were children. However, we have a great story about the first piece of art that inspired our love affair and eventually the logo for Outlaw Pottery. On our second date, Jason asked me if I could refresh him on the tale of the Frog Prince because he had a concept in mind for a piece of pottery on which he could sculpt the frog. As an english major, I told him the tale and then read the original story to him out of my copy of Grimm's Fairytales on our third date. The story of the Frog Prince inspired a piece of pottery that Jason created as a gift fro me that we not call the "The Frogs of Grimm." A year later when Jason started Outlaw Pottery, we worked together with our artistic friends and family to create a logo inspired by that piece of pottery.

What are some of your favorite projects and what are you working on right now?

Right now we are addicted to Raku pottery! We can't get enough of this technique. Raku pottery is created with a specific ceramic firing process that uses both fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs. It is the post fire reduction stage that creates the unique look of raku pottery. The resulting patters are colors are unpredictable, as they are created thought he natural process of oxygen removal. Each piece of raku pottery is therefore one-of-a-kind. We really like the effects we can achieve with the metallic raku glazes. We purchased our raku kiln in November 2009 and have become addicted to raku firing. So look for lots of raku creations from Outlaw Pottery in 2010! Our raku pottery is for sale at our new Etsy.com online store.

Outlaw Pottery's donations to Aroma of Art are up for auction at Taste Full Beans Coffee House through the auction finale on March 4th.

More from Outlaw Pottery tomorrow chronicling the beginnings of Aroma of Art and some of the great potters donating to the auction this year.

Spencer Huffman of Pixelated Perceptions

The 2010 Aroma of Art auction features several wonderful photographers in our area. Spencer Huffman of Pixelated Perceptions is our latest artist to be interviewed for the blog. He will be exhibiting some of his work this summer at the McColl Center of Visual Art in Charlotte.

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

Well, from a very young age I've always loved art and been drawn to it. It all started back in elementary school when I would sit around drawing constantly.

What effect are you trying to have on people through your art?

If my art has any effect on people then at the very least I would hope that it just makes them think, or makes them feel something on some level. Most of my work focuses on things that people may otherwise overlook or deem as unsightly. I find beauty in the unconventional places and often find myself drawn towards old structures that have a real sense of history about them.

What drew you to your particular medium?

I got started with photography just out of a need to created something a little different. Before I picked up the camera I was painting a lot but found myself often times unable to convey my thoughts in a real tangible way. When I picked up the camera it felt much more natural and I feel that I'm able to better bring across my ideas that way.

Who were your mentors/inspiring artists as you began to discover your art?

I think every piece of art, and every person that I have interacted with on a real level has influenced me in some way. Life is like that. Our experiences shape us and make us the people we are. My friend Moye, who is a photographer in Charlotte, was a big influence when I was just finding my niche in this art form. She just exudes a very positive and creative vibe and her talent is just unreal.

What was your first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

To be honest I can't even really remember what my first piece of art was. I have done so much that it's hard to keep track of that. I'm sure it was a drawing that I did, just trying to get thoughts or images from my mind out into the world.

What are some of your favorite projects?

I really like shooting fine are photos and getting out there and finding new locations that entice my eyes. I also enjoy working with models because that brings a whole new set of challenges and possibilities into the mix. If you and the person you are working with are on the same page then you can really create some powerful images.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I'm just creating, enjoying, and learning. I try to get out and shoot as much as I can. I feel like being creative helps bring some sort of balance to my life. I am also going to be exhibiting some work at the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte starting in July and I'm working on getting some pieces together for that.

Spencer Huffman's donation to Aroma of Art can be viewed and bid on now through March 4th at Taste Full Beans Coffee House in Hickory, NC.

Messing Around with Clay

David Bellar is an amazing potter. Here is a wonderful essay from him about his beginnings as a artist. Please take some time to visit his website to read more and view his one of a kind pieces.

"There have been many fun things to cross my path. Too many."

"One day, the opportunity to work casually with clay presented itself. "I can do that", I thought. I remember playing in the muddy muddy creek as a kid. I had also been exposed to a ceramic studio early in my life. There was very little mystery there. It all made such good sense so the approach was one of confidence. So it was a girlfriend who demanded that with my construction expertise, I should put together a space for her to pursue her new found interest in pottery. "Sure darlin', whatever you want." I have to admit, the hobby was a lot of fun. There were plenty of reasons to continue trying, learning, building and reaching until it occurred to me; I need to vent artistic. Who knew?"

"I knew nothing about it, not necessarily a bad thing. I started looking around. I recalled a certain piece my mother owned. A small plate with two lizards cozied up. I thought it was a masterpiece. I was inspired. I also had a vague idea of the work being done locally in clay. These were the forms I new, therefore the forms I would try to emulate. I see now that for all I have accomplished, laziness was truly my strong suit."

"Aside from keeping my inquisitive eyes open, making a probingpest out of myself, attending the odd master workshop and basically wanting to limit my failures, I have struggled to learn the medium all by myself. My "problem solving" attitude is a reliable ally. I figure I can do anything I want to do. Keyword..."want". I am sad for those who have allowed themselves to be defeated. Those who say they "want" yet deny themselves the experience mostly due to a learned version of fear."

"I am currently taking full advantage of the weak economy to take a break from pottery in favor of catching up on some long neglected chores. The building of a new and improved pottery studio with kiln as well as the development of a radical new design for a piece of studio pottery equipment heads the list."

"Life is short. Try it. Take it a day at a time. Keep a positive attitude. Control your fears. What's the worst that could happen?"

"More ramblings here....
www.potterycarolina.com"

David Bellar's work is currently up for auction for Aroma of Art at Taste Full Beans Coffee House in downtown Hickory, NC.

Maria Headrick of Mosaics by Maria

Maria Headrick, another of our delightful artist donors, is giving us a glimpse into the world of her artwork. See below her interview and view some pictures of her engaging mosaic pieces.

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

Ten years ago I found a book on Mosaics in the public library and instantly fell in love. I began making items for my home, then to give as gifts. I was part of an online community of mosaic artists and I began to sell hand cut stained glass tiles for use in mosaic work to other artists. The following year my online retail mosaic supply business was born - Mosaics By Maria .

I continue to create and sell my own art while providing other artists products and advice for their own mosaic work.

What effect are you trying to have on people through your art?

I love how mosaic work refuses to be rushed. Every piece must be carefully chosen and laid. There is a meditative quality to mosaic work, you must get into a rhythm. I also fell in love with the variety of gals, mirror and tiles available to work with.

Who were your mentors/inspiring artists as you began to discover your art?

Early in my career I was lucky enough to be mentored by Sonia King and Laurel Skye, two mosaic teachers who have since become revered in the mosaic world. They are both gifted teachers and have published books on mosaic techniques.

What was your first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

A mosaic mirror with an Egyptian design. I was inspired by a stained glass panel I had seen at an art show.

What are some of your favorite projects?

My favorite project to date is a mosaic guitar. I also love some of the birdbaths I have created. There is something wonderful about taking an ordinary object and making it into a piece of art!

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on a series of 6" X 6" panels that are reminiscent of small tapestries or rugs. I am having fun trying new color and tile combinations and the challenge of working on such a small surface.

I recently opened a studio in the Harris Arcade, suite #103. We have a mosaic gallery, supplies and classes.

Please come and see Maria's work up for auction at Taste Full Beans Coffee House and Gallery.

The Art of Derfla

Another in our interviews with the donating artists to Aroma of Art - Kent Paulette, a.k.a. Derfla.

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

When I was really young I took art lessons here in Hickory with Beth Marvin. She helped ignite my creative spirit early on. Instead of a lemonade stand, my brother and I had an art stand where we sold our drawings. I continued to enjoy art throughout my elementary and high school years.

What effect are you trying to have on people through your art?

I like to bring people's attention to how they feel on their darkest and brightest of days and how to reconcile the two. I paint at the intersection of love and suffering.

What drew you to your particular medium?

Living in Hickory I had the pleasure to see Andrew Thomason's paintings around town. I saw that he used oil paint to create a really thick texture and I decided to give it a try.

Who were your mentors/inspiring artists as you began to discover your art?

I mainly find my inspiration from great thinkers in music and science. Early on, the beat generation turned me on to some wild ideas. I also enjoy reading books about theoretical physics and books on how our brains think and form consciousness. The one painter who has inspired me most is Brion Gysin. He was a friend of William S. Burroughs and together they cut-up words in order to cut-up reality itself.

What was your first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

The first painting on canvas that I did was near the end of high school. It's a cubism-inspired piece called "The Sex of Wrestlers". I was drawn to cubism thought my interest in theoretical physics. The two changed how I viewed space-time and our relation to it and to each other.

What are some of your favorite projects?

I always love to paint people best. I'm drawn to the strong emotions of love and suffering. As far as my technique, I am most pleased when I am able to give complete control over to a process that allows the painting to come to life organically.

What are you working on right now?

I've been experimenting with water-based mediums lately. It's been fun working with thin paints and letting them drip. This process creates a lot of movement and I've taken advantage of that by painting women dancing. Movement has always been a passion of mine so I'm pleased to find a medium that suits it so well.

The two paintings by Derfla pictured here and one other of his are up for auction at Taste Full Beans Coffee House through March 4, 2010.

Vickie Jo Franks

Vickie Jo Franks is a first time donor to Aroma of Art. She is a retired art teacher, having taught in several school districts for over 30 years. Her work is currently on display at the Gaston County Public Library in Gastonia, NC. Her work has been shown at the Hickory Museum of Art, Kathleen's Simply Irresistible Gallery in Tryon, the Sea and Sounds Gallery in Manteo, NC, the Cleveland County Memorial Library and Frame Masters Gallery in Shelby.

Vickie Jo uses recycled materials to create her folk are images. She has a deep reverence for nature and creation and her work is a reflection of her passion. The messages in her work reflect her sincere beliefs in human stewardship of our planet, promoting the spay and neuter of pets, rabies prevention awareness including World Rabies Day and the Alliance for Rabies Control and anti-littering campaigns. An article about her was recently published in the Charlotte Observer.

Below are her responses to our artist interview questions. We are proud to have her participation in Aroma of Art.

What is your background/how did you get started in your medium?

I grew up in a rural place in North Carolina and spent a lot of time outside. Being close to nature taught me an appreciation for animals , trees, rain, the beauty and wonder of small and large creation. My family was very resourceful and creative, making things with out hands and repairing broken things ourselves. We are a family of readers with many books and encyclopedias at our disposal, including the magazine "Popular Science". I participated in every art and craft event offered. The media I use reflects the positive influence of parents, community, especially women's craft and handwork, with an emphasis on the creative use of materials and appreciation of nature.

What effect are you trying to have on people through your art?

The work I create will cause people to appreciate nature, enabling people to make past, present and future connections. When experiencing my work people will know the beauty and wonder of a leaf, a bird, a flower, a purple sky. People will understand that subduing the earth does not man destroying everything and each other.

Who were your mentors, inspiring artists, as you began to discover art?

Family and community members who were creative, resourceful and appreciated art and craft forms inspired me in my work. Native American potters and basket weavers were also an early influence. I am also inspired by cartoons, particularly the work of Charles Schulz and his story of early rejection. I appreciated the work of Jackson Pollack as a child and was disturbed by the attempts to discredit his work by showing that animals could paint like him. Later in the classroom I was inspired by the collage work of Romere Bearden who showed the artistic possibilities, even when conventional art supplies are limited.

What was the first piece of art you created and what inspired it?

Family trips to Washington DC to visit family were filled with visits to historical places. My cousin Mickey was an excellent artist. As a child of five I thought he was a genius. I decided to see if I could draw. I looked out the window, saw a fire truck and drew it.

What are some of your favorite projects?

My work is a reflection of my time spent connecting with nature in the garden. I use my work to encourage the community to participate in rabies reduction advocacy including World Rabies Day and the Alliance for Rabies Control. I also participate in the annual Great Back Yard Bird Count promoted by Cornell University. I also work on advocacy for wild horses in NC.

What are you working on right now?

I am completing some work in progress while continually scouting exhibition opportunities and marketing venues for my work. My husband, Ronnie, and I take road trips to find places around the state that are appreciative of folk art. I work on several pieces at a time. One piece, "God Bless America", a quilt/collage/assemblage piece I plan to have completed by May for the Hickory Museum of Art 9th Art on the Avenue.