Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Photography by Fielding Etheridge Opens in Art Gallery

On Display Through June 30

Artist Statement:

Yes, Fielding really is my name. My first name. Not my last name. :) Bet you never heard that name before.

I am 20 and have never had a day of photography training in my life. One day when I was 15 I simply picked up our family's little digital camera and began taking photos as it came so naturally.

Now I am lucky enough to have Nikon D40 (hoping to get a D5000 soon!) All in all, I simply love the art of photography. I suppose you could say it is in my blood, as my grandfather was a professional photographer.

Art of Quilling Exhibit by Charlotte Canup Opens in Display Gallery

On Display Through June 30

While in high school, I happened upon a how-to book about quilling (also known as paper filigree) and was immediately enthralled by all of the beautiful designs that could be made with coiled and scrolled bits of paper. I wanted to learn more about this centuries-old art form that was enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the craft world and amassed quite a collection of books, each one showing me something new and exciting that could be done with quilling. I lost no time creating framed quilled art and dimensional pieces as gifts for family and friends. These works were so well received that I entered my first craft fair at the age of 16 and sold out the first day. I have been a quiller ever since.

Along with participating in craft fairs, and giving demonstrations, I teach the art of quilling to other paper craft enthusiasts in my studio located within Art Things (a retail art gallery located in downtown Dallas, GA). Various tools can be used to curl the paper strips (slotted tool, corsage pin, needle tool, and even the trusty toothpick) and I show my students how to work with each. However, I still love the feel of the paper between my fingers and prefer to finger roll my coils and scrolls.

My designs have been published in Crafts 'n Things™ and CardMaker™ Magazines. Two of my quilled cards ("just ducky" and "Christmas Cheer") appear in the book, 1,000 Handmade Greetings: Creative Cards and Clever Correspondence, by Laura McFadden (Author), and Deborah Baskin (Author).

I'm a proud member of the North American Quilling Guild and the South Cobb Arts Alliance, Inc.