Explore March's Featured Artists
For over 50 years, Don Drumm Studios and Gallery has been a home to the work of over 500 artists. Sharing their work with others is something that our co-manager Jessica loves to do. Each month she searches for artists that complement one another and match the season. This month features Iron Chinchilla & Bluegill Pottery. Read more information about the artists below.
Iron Chinchilla
A welder by training, Patrick Neuwirth, decided to take a leap of faith and begin creating “Functional Art.” Patrick got his first break by fabricating tables for a restaurant where he worked during the evenings.
Following this learning experience, he started crafting picture frames and candle sticks. Patrick spent time trying to balance the needs of his growing family with that of his art. At one point, he found himself at a crossroads wondering if he would have to leave the world of art behind.
Fate smiled on him, and he developed a partnership that grew into a vibrant business. However, this new venture led to him traveling all over the country and becoming exhausted. After a few years, he returned to his roots and rebuilt Iron Chinchilla.
Today Patrick focuses on individually crafting each design he develops. In his studio, a "cold bend" method is used. For this method, each piece moves through a series of vices to form the overall shape. Because of this, no one piece of art is 100% alike.
After the cold bend process, Patrick's studio further transforms the piece by welding it into its final form. Patrick views aspects of welding to be akin to how clay can be used in pottery. Layers of a weld - similar to layers of clay in pieces of pottery - help bridge parts of the piece together to form a solid connection. Please email us at info@dondrummstudios.com for any special order requests.
Bluegill Pottery
This leads us to Vicki Liles Gill, a potter who established Bluegill Pottery in 1997. One feature of her work is her use of texture. Vicki chose to work with fine white stoneware that enabled her to carve and to directly place impressions into her creations.
Because Vicki crafts her pottery with the intention for it to be seen and touched, part of the enjoyment of her work comes from a tactile experience. Holding a mug in your hand, you can feel the ruffles or trace the outline of a bird or a branch. On one of her trays, the handles have light carving into the clay that follows the shape of the handle. When you pick up the piece, the nature scene you gaze upon is reinforced by the feeling of wood bark as your fingertips touch the handles.
The background glazes on her pieces are translucent, which helps accentuate the colors and textural elements of the pottery. You can use her pottery for everyday or special occasions. However, the aspect Vicki wants to share is for others to enjoy using her work and sharing her love of the beauty of the natural world.
We hope Vicki’s work resonates with you and suggest you take a moment to look at (and touch) her pieces. Please email us at info@dondrummstudios.com for any special order requests.
Click here to Shop Bluegill Pottery
Don's Latest Creation
Who doesn't love Don's signature suns? You can wear a sun pendant as a necklace or place a large sun sculpture above an architectural element in your home.
Don's process for creating new works of art starts with his imagination. He works constantly, sketching new design ideas. No matter where he is his sketchbook is always with him. From his sketches, he'll begin drafting a concept design. Don will take this concept design and draw many variations on a theme.
Don then selects from these permutations to build physical 3D models. These models will be the basis of his finished pieces. To give you a sense of the scope of his output, just this past winter, Don selected well over 50 design concepts from which to create new products.
From those new products, we have chosen to feature the sunflower, which we love! This ornament is made from pewter which brings out the delicate intricacies of the flower's petals. Don loves to see and to be surrounded by vibrant plants. This sunflower is his way of capturing that feeling in his art.
Interested in having one of these gorgeous sunflowers grace your home or office? Then you'll want to click this link to make your purchase online. Also, please be on the lookout for next month's newsletter. We'll send out a birthday message (Don's turning 88 in April!) that we think you'll not want to miss.
