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We are so pumped to announce our next exhibition with the incredibly talented Faryn Davis of Fernworks. We have been carrying her line of jewelry at Art Star for years now (you can see it here), but what you might not know is that Faryn also creates dreamy painted landscapes to adorn your walls! I am in complete awe of the 3 dimensional worlds that she creates with her unique technique of layering painted resin.
Her very first solo show at Art Star will features a brand new collection of resin paintings. The show is titled “After the Flood” and will be up from March 19th – May 15th. We will be hosting an opening reception on Saturday, March 19th, from 6-8pm. Come get a first look at the work and share a drink or two with us!
Faryn Davis creates mixed media paintings and a line of jewelry, under the name Fernworks, which combines hand painted scenes and found natural ephemera into layers of polished resin. Each piece is painted with toothpicks and tiny brushes, embedded in multiple layers of resin, then cut and polished into delicate, dreamlike 3-D landscapes populated by plants, birds, bears, foxes and other woodland creatures.
Growing up in Waynesville, N.C, the artist spent many afternoons gathering and collecting items on the family farm. She’d pick up and preserve bird nests, feathers, interesting clumps of dirt, moss, leaves, bones, fur, twigs, bugs, and other tiny things. Her paintings and line of jewelry reflect this lifelong passion and tradition.
Her first solo exhibition at Art Star will include a new body of resin paintings. The artist states, “These new resin paintings reflect a lifelong exploration of the natural world, the land, and how each tiny self finds its place in it all. After the Flood is an allegory of the land and its diverse beings emerging after a metaphorical flood or shift. Many of these pieces quietly reflect restoration and new beginnings; how new land rises to meet us after old things have been washed away.”
Faryn Davis studied at North Carolina School of the Arts, in France, Italy, and Nepal, and received a BFA degree in sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2000. You can find her work in stores and galleries throughout the US and abroad, as well as at various art and craft shows like the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly, The Renegade Craft Fairs in Chicago, Brooklyn, Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles, The Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle, and many others. She now lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Eli and their 6 year old son Milo Gray after an 8 year hiatus in the Pacific Norweast. She creates art full time in a modified 8’x8’ garden hut in her backyard.
Get a sneak peek at her studio and process here
go visit her website here
Leather Star Key Rings by Mason Made, $15 each 
Bitch Please Bowl by Stanley Chester and Albert, $20 
Made by Unicorns Woven Labels by Sublime Stitching, $4.50 
Love Ornament by Mason Made, $10 
Felt Crowns by Opposite of Far, $24 
2016 Wall Calendar by Laura George, $25 
Enamel Pins by Yardsale Press, $8 each 
Package of 8 Recipe Cards by Wild Hart Paper Co., $12 
Bottle Openers by Woodshop Dropout $25 
Visit Brianna and her clothing line, 
when i started making pots under Stanley Chester & Albert about two and a half years ago, i had almost 15 years working as a ceramic artist under my belt, including a BFA and an MFA in ceramic sculpture. i started SC&A with a very simple premise: to produce well made vessels that would be accessible to a diverse audience and appeal to a population of people who normally didn’t buy handmade pots. with that in mind, i decided to stick to simple forms like bowls and cups – things that could be used in a variety of ways and be at home in any domestic environment.
i’ve always been in love with vintage imagery, pop culture and snark, and the unexpected ways they can be combined. as for putting them on pots, it all started about seven years ago when i was still in grad school. i made a vase for a friend’s birthday: on one side was a dead flower, and the other said “BITCH PLS”. no one around me really got why it was funny, but i thought it was hilarious at the time (and still do). ceramics sometimes has a tendency to be overly formal and serious, so i love to disrupt that expectation.
most everything i make starts on the potters’ wheel, thrown by yours truly. i favor simple, elemental forms. everything is thrown generously and has a solid weight and heft to it. i want these pieces to stand up to daily use in your home, not put on a shelf only to be admired.
after the pots are trimmed and dried, they are bisque fired to 1860 degrees, and then glazed and fired again to 2232 degrees. almost everything i make is dipped in a clear glaze to allow the clay body (which is a really delicious speckled while stoneware) to shine through. i try to keep glazing very simple, mostly because i really hate glazing, but also because i’m more interested in using the vessel as a blank canvas for the images i apply.
i was introduced to the waterslide decal process by my colleague and friend, Sharon Bartmann. i immediately saw the possibility of decals and ended up running with it like mad. i source my images from copyright free and vintage websites and books, in particular the Dover series of illustration books, which compiles a huge variety of images in one place. after scanning or downloading, i play with the images in Photoshop a bit, adjusting contrast, brightness, proportion and orientation. because of the way the printer works, high contrast images without a lot of shades of gray work best.
once i have the image the way i want it in Photoshop, i print it out using a special printer and special decal paper. from there, i cut out the image, put it in water, and then affix the cellophane image to the vessel. it’s fired once more to permanently bond the image to the glaze. although the images are printed with black ink, once they are fired they turn a lovely reddish brown sepia color. with that aesthetic in mind, i gravitated toward imagery from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. i love anatomy and so skulls, hearts, bones and brains frequently find their way onto my work.
My process reflects how I try to live my life, figuring it out as I go and making decisions that look and feel right in the moment. I find amazing things happen when I let go of a plan and allow the moment to inspire me. It is this reason my designs are constantly changing and morphing into something new and current. It keeps me interested and excited about my work.
I love what I do and I hold that intention as I create, and in turn I believe my work retains those positive vibes.
I am constantly influenced, motivated and challenged by all the amazing makers and artists out there. Appreciating other people’s work and building relationships with those on a similar path really helps to keep me going. I am also continually moved by the support and feedback I receive from family, friends and fans. I truly love the opportunity to meet new, interested people when I am out at a show.
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About Dreadnought Workshop: Brett is inspired by the city, American history, and the things he experiences living in an urban setting. Brett’s new line of belt buckles, tie clips, and cufflinks are made using various metal fabricating and casting techniques which he has learned through studio exploration.
