Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 32

OF THE
MOUNTAINS
LEFT TO RIGHT: April Hudgins: " You can't rush clay. You must learn
its characteristics and how to work with it, not against it. "
Allison Ford: (On her dual careers as attorney and artist): " I enjoy
using both sides of my brain. I consider myself a lifelong creative. "
MIKE ETHERIDGE
the " Start My Art " Collection program
to allow children to purchase affordable
art with Cherokee Syllabary for their
families.
Moving forward: " I am remodeling
my home studio and look forward
to [working on] a long list of paintings.
[Specifically], modern abstracts that include
the Cherokee Syllabary. "
jody.bradley763 on Facebook
Ansel Ringler, Green Mountain. " Nature
is the actual artist. I'm just the messenger. "
" As a woodworker, I see many things
when I look at wood, " says Ansel Ringler.
" I analyze it structurally. What characteristics
dictate its workability, the pattern
of the growth rings, any warping,
how dry it is, how strong it is. On the
other hand, I view it for its beauty and
figure and how it will work into a piece.
" I drive around these beautiful Appalachian
Mountains and see the wide
variety of beautiful trees growing every32
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
where and can't help but imagine what
the wood inside of them would look
like. Yes, I'm that guy taking pictures of
burled trees on a hike, " he adds with a
smile.
Ringler says, " I view my work as
bringing to life the character that nature
has created over time in functional form.
Nature is the actual artist. I'm just the
messenger. And cleaning up a piece of
wood, or milling a slab from a log, is like
unwrapping a Christmas present. "
He works with small local familyowned
sawmills for logs primarily felled
due to natural causes to create pieces
that now live in clients' homes across the
country and the world. " Woodworking
is an engineering project with a whole
series of decisions. In each one of those
decisions is where the 'art' comes in...
something more intuitive that you just
feel is the right thing to do, " Ringler
states.
" It may sound cheesy, " he says with a
grin, " but you can 'listen' to the wood or
the project and feel what may fit it best.
I think there's art in everything humans
do. It's something that is built and refined
by your lived experience. "
Moving forward: " My next plan is
to build and design unique cabins that
are immersive in their natural environments. "
estatoewoodworks.com
SOUTH
CAROLINA
Allison Ford, Greenville. " Starting a
new canvas is one of the most amazing feelings
- so full of potential. And that feeling carries
over to real-life. When things get hard, from deep
down you gather that sense of 'I can do this!' "
The dual careers of attorney and artist
bring a balance to Allison Ford. " I
enjoy using both sides of my brain. And
I consider myself a lifelong creative. "
She began her artistic pursuits in earnest
following a six-week course " which was
Artists
https://www.facebook.com/legendweaverstudio/ http://www.estatoewoodworks.com http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024
