Our Artist's Statements:
Tom and I often work together on our art and wish to share the enjoyment of nature, and the beauty in life we see each day. Over the last 40+ years, we enjoyed creating art for family, friends, and custom orders. We are having a wonderful time doing something we love, but had not fully focused on until after taking early retirement when we realized this is something we could do. We appreciate the recognition and support from all.
As a realistic animal artist, I use acrylics on Cradled Birch Boards. By continuing the story on all visible edges of the board it adds an almost 3rd Dimension to my paintings. My desire and challenge is for you to see and feel the magic of the moment to realize, as though you are standing right next to me, the rush, the eye opening sense of wonder, captured from my photographs into my paintings. I use bold colors and many layers of thin washes to create a painting. I also paint many of Tom's sculptures to bring them to life with color.
Tom enjoys the challenge of creating delicate miniatures, meticulously hand sculpted wildlife from one piece of wood. Sculpting birds and animated animals are his favorites because of their beauty and the challenge. Each wood has its own individual beauty, texture, and strength that is a pleasure and challenge. The proper use of the color, grain, and knotholes are used to help emphasize or convey the shape and texture of each piece. A Band Saw or Scroll Saw are often used for rough cutting of basic shapes. Refinements are made with surgical blades, palm chisels, fine gouges, and sanding. His bases are handmade from a variety of hard woods occasionally combined with granite, travertine or other natural stone. Some frames, made by Tom for Barb's art, are of peeled pine bark. 5X magnifier lamps are used to help create many of the details.
Many requests for personalized items such as Mantel pieces, Desk sets, Name Plates, Baby Birth Announcements, and Animal memory pieces and pins are truly our pleasure to create, bringing special memories to commemorate and share a special moment in time.
A landscape scene becomes more lifelike, intense and personal when a Mountain Goat is looking for a handout in your car window... when a baby Mountain Goat steps on your foot to get away from other on-lookers at Mount Evans... when a serene Bald Eagle is quietly perched 50 feet above your head... when twin fawns are born at early morn in the grass just below your deck... or a bobcat sits causally in the grass outside your bedroom window, looking to see what he can find for lunch.
The Adkins are a team that is unusual because they combine their skills and yet are also able to create separate pieces of art. Nature is one of their inspirations because of the color and the beauty in the world. They want to share their enjoyment of nature and also putting a smile on everyone's face.