Category Archives: Artists I Love

I’m happy to introduce featured artist, and my friend, Karrie Drake.  I met Karrie at church in Florida, and although I knew she was a talented photographer, I had no idea how talented until we had both relocated from Florida.  (Thank goodness for Facebook!)

Karrie now lives in beautiful North Carolina, which gives her plenty of inspiration for her work.  She’s a wonderful mom to two busy boys, and successfully manages her growing business–Karrie Drake Photography.

A few months ago, I noticed via Instagram that Karrie and I were both illustrating our morning devotions.  Even more intriguing was that many mornings we were using the same scripture reference.  I knew I had to get back in touch with Karrie and learn what all God’s been up to in her life.

Karrie chooses to cling to God’s promises, even when life is messy and uncertain.  Her artwork allows her to share this belief with others.  I know you’ll enjoy reading Karrie’s story below.

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My parents retell the story often, especially during family gatherings. “Karrie, you have never known a stranger.”  The story starts with a 3 year old Me at the grocery store with my mom. I sit down on a bench next to an elderly woman.  I talk her ear off; the ramblings of a child are very important, you know.

Karrie offers FREE printables on her blog!

The woman laughs out loud and looks over at my mom and says, “You need to watch out for this one.  She’s so young and talking to strangers can be very dangerous for a sweet little girl like yours.”  My mom nodded, smiled, and answered, “Yes, ma’am, I know.  That’s the way God made her though.”

I am still this way.  Smiling and talking to strangers, whether in passing in line at Starbucks, sitting on an airplane, or just posting on my Instagram feed.  I will talk your ear off.  The ramblings of an artsy Mom of boys are very important, you know.  Let’s call it “Outgoing Extrovert.”  This personality trait has gone hand in hand with my art journey.  It starts here…

A favorite of mine, Karrie’s
TUESDAY-HUESDAY. Follow
her on Instagram to see more!

Art has always been a love of mine.  Since I was a school aged child I can remember loving my Art class above all other subjects.  Even in my English classes where I would have to write a story or write a summary for a book report, I included an illustration even if it wasn’t required.  I wanted to create all the time.

At the beginning of my college career I actually wanted to go into nursing.  It didn’t work out because once I took my first college drawing class, I changed my major to Fine Arts.

My concentration in college was pottery.  I loved throwing clay on the wheel to create functional pieces.  Photography, painting, and illustration were the other main art courses I took.  Since graduating from college, my art journey has included all 4 media.

With the accumulation of 4 states and 6 moves, the constant relocating has afforded me new creative opportunities.  Each move has drawn me closer to one of the 4 art media I mentioned above.  I have taught middle school Art in the North Carolina public school system, and I traveled to different areas in the state to sell my pottery at festivals.

While living in Illinois, I began collecting rubber stamps to make my own greeting cards because, for me, handmade is so much more personal.  My photography business began in Georgia, as did my idea for illustrated Biblical promises.

One morning, while reading my devotions, I came across a Davidic Psalm when a vision of a painting appeared in my mind.  I quickly sketched out my ideas and painted the promise based on Psalm 56:8 – “Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll–are they not in your record?”  The footnotes read, put my tears in your wine skin.

The Davidic Psalms are my favorite.  The poetic verses and raw emotion speak to my spirit.  I can relate to them so well.  The painting is a depiction of myself crying, my tears rolling into the wine skin, which is also shaped like a tear.  The painting was completed in 2009.

Most recently, I have been posting my Indexcard Verse Art via Instagram.  Most of my Indexcard Art is from my morning devotions.

Sharing my everyday life, my experiences, and my heart are all connected to my creative process.  My desire is to love–to love The Lord and to love people.  My God who created me as an artsy Outgoing Extrovert gave me a big open heart to love people, and to share His promises with them.  I am thankful and I am blessed!

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Go see more of Karrie’s work on her blog.

She has written and illustrated her own children’s book, Autumn, and offers a 2014 calendar featuring her landscape photography.

Follow Karrie on Instagram: @karriedrake  and Twitter: @karrie_drake

I’m so excited to start featuring artists I love!  And by “love” I mean I love their work, but even more I love their HEART!  This week I want to spotlight Jacquelyn Berry Rogers, of ReMade in Mississippi.

The last time I saw this beautiful girl, she was about six years old sitting still while I painted her face at the Wesson flea market.  Reconnecting with her as adults is fascinating, and seeing how she’s embraced life is why I knew–even way back then–great things were in store for her.

I asked Jacquelyn to tell me about why she pursues a creative path, specifically in working with jewelry.  I know you’ll be as blessed as I was and feel her charming, warm spirit just oozing through her words.

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For the life of me, I cannot recall a time when I wasn’t a crafter. I grew up watching my mother and grandmother sew, quilt, crochet, and embroider. In his free time, my father repaired his own arrows and reloaded his brass casings and shotgun shells for hunting. Hands-on work appeals to me and always has.

At a young age I began simple cross stitch and–bless her heart–my mother attempted to teach me to use a sewing machine. I could spend hours in my room with a hot glue gun, popsicle sticks, construction paper, and empty Coke bottles. I, of course, went through the “glitter everything!” phase, and over my high school years I painted and repainted every piece of furniture in my room. Multiple times.

I have dabbled in pottery, ceramics, woodwork, and metalwork. Every morning I wake up with a new project in mind, but most of them never make it past my sketch/ideas journal. Time and space are limiting factors for me as they are for many crafters with lofty ambitions, so our journals get thicker and heavier.

This is what brought me to jewelry. My hands stay busy and my compulsive need to create is satisfied while my two year old plays “big trucks” at my feet or naps in the next room. Is jewelry a passion for me? No, but creating is.

The “remade” aspect of my craft, however, I am passionate about. While I am not a super-environmentalist, I try to do my part. I recycle, try to buy local produce, cook as many “meatless Monday” meals as my husband will allow, and only buy sustainable sourced seafood (you don’t want to have a conversation with me about salmon or tuna). With that being said, reusing and re-purposing materials is my way of trying to contribute to the “green” movement by making something desirable out of another something that would otherwise be forgotten in a drawer or thrown away.

My ReMade in Mississippi jewelry is the beginning of a journey I am pursuing with the support of my loving husband and amazing family. I hope that one day what started out at a tiny work desk in my living room will end up pushing my skills and patience to the limit in a workshop filled with sawdust, tools, a pottery wheel, and all sorts of broken, dented, cracked, and rusted materials begging to be ReMade.

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   Browse ReMade in Mississippi jewelry at  www.etsy.com/shop/ReMadeMS 

Thank you, Jacquelyn, for sharing your story. The image of forgotten things being found, cherished, and made into something beautiful reminds me of our own Creator. What a picture of God’s heart for us your jewelry is: making something desirable out of something that would otherwise be forgotten.

Busy, busy, busy describes most of our lives.  If we aren’t busy, we’ll find something to do, and even if we can’t find something to do our brain is kept busy.  But busy-living is a heavy burden and you can’t go on that way for long.  It is right, and good, to stop every once in a while and scream–“RETREAT!”  My word, even Jesus got to a point where he and his disciples didn’t have time to eat.  It’s recorded in Mark 6:21, “He went away from the crowds and said to His followers, ‘Let’s go somewhere lonely and get some rest.'”

Memorial Day weekend my husband and I took a much needed retreat.  Having been married 11 years, we realized we’d only had 2 getaways as a couple.  That’s pretty darn sad.  New to northern Virginia, we searched the area for appealing options and discovered a hidden gem, Wintergreen Resort.

Blue Ridge Morning

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, this affordable getaway made for the perfect escape.  If you’re a ski buff–which I am not, nor have I made plans to be–this probably isn’t your place, with man made snow and 3515 ft at it’s highest point.  But if you love lonely mountain life, God’s green beauty surrounding you, and really good food within walking distance, I’d keep Wintergreen on your radar.

The Memorial Day festivities included live music, yummy BBQ and a craft show. Believe it or not, I’ve never been to a real craft show, so I was super-duper excited.  I don’t know what was better, looking at–and buying–the arts and crafts, or talking to the artists about their lives and their work.  Below you’ll find pictures, life tidbits, and contact information for the artists I met.

The weekend rest and fun was a good thing, but the best thing was remembering how to spend time with my husband and how much we love music and nature. No matter where you are in life, whether it’s carrying a heavy load, or surprisingly calm and rested, we all need to get away from the crowd to a lonely place.  Remember the things you love, those lovely things you have pushed aside to take care of the urgent daily tasks that dominate our energies.  -Oh, and never ever get too busy to eat.

“Art is fulfilling work, because

we were created to create, by the Creator.” -just me

Teethable Toys

A retired Virginia cattle farmer hand carves wooden toys and then practically gives them away!  For only $7 each I had to have one of each animal.  The couple was so genuine I truly hope I get to see them again one day.  They lived off the land and in their camper while they hand-built their dream log cabin.  Their organic garden supplies all of their produce needs and plenty to share with neighbors and friends.  You can visit http://www.valleygreengallery.com to find Robert and Linda Wilkes’ wooden toys.  By the way, they don’t own a computer–only a phone–so don’t try to find them on Facebook.

Brian Lacy Pottery

Next stop, pottery.  Oh, how I love pottery!  Pottery isn’t a cheap addiction, which is why I don’t have more of it, but potter Brian Lacy offers many affordable and functional pieces.  I walked away with this adorable steal, a teensy vase about 4 inches tall and $7.  My husband said, “Look it’s a shot glass!” and I said, “Look it’s a teensy vase!” and Brian Lacy said “It’s a shot-vase!”  The shot-vase is a perfect addition to my kitchen window sill, and holds half a dozen zinnias perfectly.  Brian is a stay-at-home dad and a full time artist with a gentle spirit that makes you want to own something he’s created.  He makes a colander I’m pretty sure I must have, so visit him with me on Facebook, “BrianLacyPottery.”

Must Have Pendant

Linc and Ginny Warner of Greensboro, North Carolina, another retired couple, make Smokey Mountain slate look good.  While Linc makes oil-burning candles from the larger slabs of rock, Ginny creates beautiful pendants from the smaller pieces.  Ginny is a proud grandmother and chatted with me briefly, assuring me I really will love my grandchildren even more than my own children.  I wonder if her grand babies dig through her baubles and beads “making” jewelry while she’s not looking?  This necklace (chain included) was a mere $7.50, and you can order your own at stone-of-fire@earthlink.net.

Hunter Wolfe and ARE

Musician Hunter Wolfe and his 16 year old drumming sister totally stole the show in the battle of the bands.  My husband and I were captivated by their raw talent and couldn’t help but hope big things for this duo.  Their first album, The Go, has such strong Mississippi references, I had to inquire–and hope–they were from my home state.  No such luck, they are from Tulsa originally, but the lyrics prove once again that everyone loves Mississippi.  They are very humble, approachable and did I mention talented? Find out more about this group at http://www.hunterwolfe.com, while they tour the UK beginning in September.

The final artist I want to feature is Carolyn Schallmo from Richmond, Virginia.  Carolyn is the mother of four–count them FOUR–girls, and has been painting ever since her childhood art teacher told her she had no talent.  Carolyn’s work is inspirational, uplifting and many pieces are underscored with scripture references.  While googling Carolyn, I found she’s illustrated many children’s books! You can find Carolyn on Facebook, “carolyn! eclectic expressions of color and mirth.” Browse her art and get some for yourself, because I truly believe she pours her love of life into each piece.

Create