Cheekwood in Bloom: Emily Tuttle
Saturday April 26, Cheekwood in Bloom will be having a Tennessee Craft Day, where four of Tennessee Craft’s artists will be demonstrating their work and helping us achieve our mission of teaching the public about craft. Taking place the week before our spring Craft Fair, this exhibit will also give exposure to Tennessee Craft, our fairs, and the artists who are participating.
In anticipation of this event, we will be spotlighting the artists who will be demonstrating at Cheekwood in Bloom. You can find the first part of this series here.
Our second artist profile is on Emily Tuttle.
What is your craft?
The collagraph print is my primary medium. My plates are printed on handmade paper. The combination of color printing and handmade paper produces a rich, textured surface.
How did you get started?
After teaching art for ten years, I needed to take additional hours to get recertified. I took a printmaking class and was fascinated. That led to more printmaking classes and workshops at Arrowmont and Penland. I made silkscreens, etchings and block prints, but I was hooked on collagraphs after I took a class called “Prints on Handmade Paper” at Arrowmont in 1990. I have been working on collagraphs on handmade paper since then.
Emily Tuttle
What is your inspiration for your work?
My art is inspired by the everyday things that touch my life. My images are taken from my immediate environment–my pets, my garden, trees, flowing water and daily rituals. The titles of my prints are often taken from cliché phrases that I hear such as “Bouncing off the Walls” or “Let the good times roll”.
Why have you decided to demonstrate at Cheekwood in Bloom?
I demonstrated at Cheekwood once before and I had a great time talking to the adults and children who came to watch. Cheekwood is a beautiful setting and draws people who are interested in both art and gardens, which are two of my passions.
Emily Tuttle
What do you find most rewarding about demonstrating your craft for the public?
Unlike musicians and actors, visual artists often work alone. My artwork might be on display somewhere, but I, personally, am not interacting with others. Demonstrating my craft gives me that chance to interact with others and hear their reactions to my work.
What do you hope to accomplish through your demonstrations?
I always try to show people that my prints are HANDMADE! Original prints are made by the artist and are not reproductions made on a computer printer or mass-produced at a commercial printer. I make the printing plate, I make the handmade paper that the plate is printed on and I make the prints one by one. I am always happy when people understand that concept.
One Response to “Cheekwood in Bloom: Emily Tuttle”
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Thanks for all of our sponsors and partners that have helped keep Tennessee Craft operating since 1965! We appreciate you!
March 15th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
I haven’t seen you in far too long, Emily. I hope to visit your demonstrations but if not I have enjoyed seeing the images on this blog.