Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Emerine.
Hi Tom, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Artist Tom Emerine is the creative force behind Raspberry Woods Art Studio and Gallery. He is a painter, ceramic artist and landscape and wildlife photographer. His huge two-story state of the art studio and gallery may be one of the largest in Ohio and is located across the driveway from his residence in a rural setting, outside of Middle Point, Ohio.
He is an award-winning artist and continues to judge local and regional art competitions. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Bowling Green State University and Master’s Degree from Bluffton College.
He was a high school art teacher at Van Wert High School for more than two decades, before he retired early to follow his passion. The studio began in 2006 and has been in existence for twenty years.
His watercolor paintings are soft and subtle. His landscape oil paintings are filled with hidden light sources and color. Many of his ceramic pieces are finished with a contemporary feel, with a splash of glaze and an accent spray. In his photography, he focuses on landscapes and all things wild.
Most of his work depicts the natural, rugged landscape he constantly pursues or the peacefulness of a mood or a moment caught in nature. He enjoys the technical skill and precise planning of the preparation process of a composition.
Tom currently sells his work from his studio, at shows and is represented by galleries in Ohio and Colorado. He is represented by the Hayley Gallery in Columbus, the Collective Gallery in Cincinnati, the Penny Jane Art Company in Coldwater, Burning River in Vermillion, Artist’s N Cahoots in Lakeside, the Wassenberg Art Center in Van Wert, and Sage Mountain Gallery in Salida, Colorado.
Tom’s passion of the outdoors is reflected in his paintings, photos and drawings of the forests, fields and landscapes. His passion is driven and captured in his statement, “I stand in awe of what has been created to boast of its Creator.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are many challenges to a business when You are the sole proprietor. One of my biggest concerns is having regular business hours. I always seem to be traveling to a gallery to pick up or deliver work, traveling to a show or picking up supplies. I have resorted to opening the studio and gallery by appointment.
Another challenge is firing ceramic work in the kiln. There are just no guarantees anything will turn out. This means your time and labor may result in a complete loss if there is a problem in the kiln. Some pieces can take a day, a week or a month to work on. There are just so many variables. Some of the problems that can and do occur are glaze defects, a kiln over firing or under firing, cracking, breaking or warping. If pieces actually turn out it is a miracle! If a pop up storm passes through the area it can shut off the kiln and that has happened. Most potters who have been at it for any length of time have experienced any and all of these problems.
Last summer there was a period of extreme humidity and I had an entire load of work that had dried for three weeks explode in the kiln for a bisque firing. This is extremely rare, but it happens. I spoke to other potters who fired the very same night from where I live to Pennsylvania and they had the exact same experience. I lost a couple thousand dollars of work that night.
Almost eighteen years ago I spent two years trying to figure out how to use a certain glaze. I lost almost two thousand dollars or more of work, clay, chemicals and electric (not to mention my time) trying to figure out how to correctly use this glaze. I was taking a hammer and breaking pieces off of my kiln shelves. Time after time I saw failure after failure. Then finally, success! I figured it out and it has been one of my best selling glazes ever since.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Like the finger markings on a piece of clay turning on a potter’s wheel that will one day be etched there forever or the wet brushstrokes on a piece of canvas that will one day dry and remain, we too are known by our scars. All the events of our past shape us, mold us, and change us. We will be formed by who we love, what we love, and by the extravagance that we love.
With fire, color, passion and strength
“to throw, to crush, to force, to slam, to pierce, to change to repeat,”
“to brush, to dream, to emboss, to splash, to spray, to create, to complete,”
I work with these actions.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What really matters at Raspberry Woods is creativity, craftsmanship and kindness. Without anyone of these three components my business would not exist or succeed. Genuine kindness just may be the very most important aspect, because without kindness I would have no customers. With kindness my customers feel valued and appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.raspberrywoods.com
- Instagram: emerinetom
- Facebook: Tom Emerine or Raspberry Woods Art Studio – Artist: Tom Emerine
