Zimmerman Vineyards - About the Artists

     Bob Redding began his study of music and entertainment at the age of eight years. Like most musicians brought up in a rural environments his first experiences involved singing and playing in his local church, forming bands in high school and college, and in the
70 's venturing out into other parts of the nation to "test his wings" in markets foreign to his native North Carolina. Since that time he has proven himself to be a viable, lucrative, and reliable addition to many music rooms throughout the country.
     With twenty-plus years in the entertainment industry, Bob Redding joins an impressive and eclectic list of material ranging from '30 's blues and traditional southern ballads to '60 's and '70 's "hippie" music, to the most socially definitive and thought provoking offerings from the current decade of master songsmiths. Although definitely not to be considered "Top Forty", Bob's presentations are always polished and professional in every sense; "I try to give people a good time without resorting to "juke box" tactics. Some of the songs I play during the course of the evening I know a lot of folks have never heard before, but if they wanted "radio' music I figure they'd probably stay home and turn on their stereos and be happy with that! What I try to do is to relate to everyone in a very personal and intimate way. It's an art form that requires a great deal of sharing between artist and audience' a recalling of the days of the traveling minstrels; a fist full of stories and a heart full of songs. "
    If you were named Clay, you would think it would be obvious what your calling should be. But life has never been that simple for me! Some of us are just determined to do things the hard way.  My artistic drive started very early creating my own toys and then developing into painting and drawing in school. I must admit that the thought never crossed my mind to make a living doing what I enjoyed until much later in life. While in my twenties, I explored pen and ink drawings, sculpting latex Halloween mask, airbrush painting to painting portraits and then woodcarving. In each endeavor, I grew as an artist taking the knowledge I had gained and adding to it.  Then in 1996, I met a wonderful person named Sandra Moore at the Lexington Art Museum. In that eight week class she introduced me to a creative material that I have found has no limitations, clay!. For the next six years I would spend a couple of hours everyday after work at my wheel learning and developing my own style. Then in 2002 I realized that I had reached a wall ,I needed more time to refine my skills as an artist and the only way I could do this was to become a full time Potter.  The following years were by no means easy ones but it takes hard times to bring out the best in all of us. I hope you can see the creative spirit that has grown within my work and share in its magic. Each piece that I create is a footstep in the path of my life and God willing this path will continue for many years to come.  Clay Trotter Pottery is located in Jackson Creek North Carolina and is open by appointment. Call 336-241-2034.
         If your mind can conceive it, your heart will reveal it, & your hands can create it for your eyes to behold.
                                                         The Magic of Making!

    Mandy Sloan's work uses color and texture in her paintings to develop her piece.  She learned about the importance of light and shadow and the dance that they create in a painting while studying under Denise Landi for four years. Her paintings are influenced by her life and emotion. She currently owns Amazing Grace Art Gallery and is in the process of transforming that gallery into a new one and taking on a partner.  Her business partner is Amy Keith Barney and their new gallery is Circa Gallery located in downtown Asheboro at newly renovated building "The Mill" 130 S. Church St.  Mandy is married to Dan Sloan and has two active boys, Nathan and Jake Sloan. Along with 5 boxers. :) www.circagallerync.com

     Jane  Hager is a classically trained artist who remains true to her Canadian heritage in language and attitude eh. She received a degree in Art and Art History from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  Following graduation she studied at the Dundas Valley School of Art.  Marrying her interest in people and art, she later attended the Toronto Institute of Art Therapy. 
     Jane works with a variety of media including fiber, clay, other craft media but her passion is in glass.  So how did she get transplanted to Randolph County?  While studying in Cleveland, she met and then followed (she says “stalked”) her now husband all the way to North Carolina; poor (a.k.a. lucky!) fellow.   Upon arrival in Asheboro in 2001, Jane’s fascination with glass led her to apprentice with a talented local artist, Jan McDuffie. Starting with cold glass methods (stained glass), Jane has moved on to fused glass.  This is a process where glass is melted in a kiln to create decorative and utilitarian pieces.   Her current focus is on jewelry. Her creations in fused glass have an airy, playful feel while presenting an understated elegance and sophistication.  Jane has had the good fortune of showing her work through galleries located in Asheboro, Raleigh, and Winston Salem. 
     Professionally, Jane is a master level social worker who quips that her career has followed a reverse path from the norm in terms of income.  She taught at universities before coming to Randleman High School as a teacher of exceptional children.  Next year, she will have come full circle when she returns to her first love, art, as the newest art teacher in the Randolph County System.
  Henry Bowers is in fine company! French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet Renoir advocated en plein air painting.  En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-1800s working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism.  The concern was with the effects of atmosphere and light in nature, as seen out of doors, rather than the artificial effects of the studio. The popularity of painting en plein air increased in the 1870s with the introduction of paints in tubes (resembling modern toothpaste tubes). Previously, each painter made their own paints by grinding and mixing dry pigment powders with linseed oil. It was during this period that the "Box Easel", typically known as the French Box Easel, was invented. It is uncertain who developed it first, but these highly portable easels, with telescopic legs and built-in paint box and palette, made treks into the forest and up the hillsides less onerous. Still made today, they remain a popular choice even for home use since they fold up to the size of a brief case and thus are easy to store. If they can pack it, they go outside and find it. Artists continue to invent ways to transport themselves and their supplies to a site that begs to be captured. So it is that Henry will be painting a vineyard view on the 7th, for sale, to commemorate the event.
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