MY WORK IS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN I WAS A CHILD, MY EARL YETS MEMORIES, THROUGH CURRENT DAY.

THE SOUND OF THE BLUES MAKES AN IMPACT.

WE GET OUT AND TRAVEL AND GO THROUGH ALL THE HARDSHIPS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

THE APPEAL OF CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY.

I LOVE WHEN SOMEONE ALLOWS ME TO DESIGN AND DO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THE STYLES THAT INSPIRED ME TO DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND THE WONDERS OF THE WRITTEN WORD.

I AM SOMEBODY WHO IS IN LOVE WITH LANGUAGE.

AND PLAYS WITH LANGUAGE AND SOUND, AND RHYTHM, AND RIMES.

THAT'S ALL NEXT ON "ART ROCKS."

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

HELLO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M CHELSEA NORRIS WITH ANNE CONNELLY FINE ART, FILLING IN FOR JAMES FOX-SMITH.

WE BEGIN WITH A FINE ARTIST AND INSTRUCTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE.

BRIAN KELLY HAS USED HIS LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCES TO BUILD A NARRATIVE OF ARTWORK.

ONE OF THE MANY LESSONS HE BRINGS INTO THE CLASSROOM IS THE ACT OF RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF OBSTACLES.

HE SAYS JUST ABOUT EVERYONE HAS STRUGGLES, WE SIMPLY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THINGS IN WAYS THAT WORK FOR US.

I'M A PRINTMAKER AND I WORK IN THE FOUR DISCIPLINES -- WILL.I.AM, LITHOGRAPHY, BUT ALSO ETCHING AND SILKSCREEN.

LITHOGRAPHY IS PROBABLY MY MAIN PROCESS.

AND LITHOGRAPHY IS A PRINTING PROCESS THAT UTILIZES LIMESTONE, OR ALUMINUM PLATES, OR PHOTO PLATES.

AND THE ARTIST GENERATES AN AIMAGE ON ONE OF THOSE MATRIXES, AND ONCE THE IMAGE IS COMPLETED, IT'S PROCESSED USING GUM AIR, NITRIC AAND I'D SOMETIMES FOSS FOR I CAN ACID.

INK IS APPLIED, AND THE INK IS TRANSFERRED TO PAPER.

SO IT'S A PLANOGRAPHIC PRINTING PROCESS THAT EMBRACES DRAWING, DRAFTSMANSHIP, WHICH IS A QOAR OF WHAT MY WORK IS ABOUT, AND WOODCUT, IS A PROCESS IN WHICH YOU UTILIZE A PIECE OF WOOD OR PIECE OF LINOLEUM.

AND THEN USE GOUGES TO REMOVE MATERIAL, MATERIAL THAT'S REMOVED DOES NOT ACCEPT INK.

SILK SCREEN IS A PRINTING PROCESS THAT UTILIZE AS MESH THAT IS STRETCHED ONTO A WOODEN FRAME.

AND YOU DRAW ON THAT MESH.

YOU CAN DRAW WITH SCREEN FILLER, OR DRAWING FLUID, OR YOU CAN COAT THE SCREEN WITH A PHOTO SENSITIVE EMUS AND YOU CAN SHOOT TO THAT SCREEN PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE.

ONCE THE IMAGES ARE PROCESSED, WHETHER IT'S PHOTO, PHOTO EMULSION OR SCREEN FILLER DRAWING FLEW IT THERE.

ARE AREAS THAT ARE BLOCKED OUT, AREAS THAT ARE OPEN, INK IS THEN SPREAD ACROSS THE SCREEN.

THE AREAS THAT ARE OPEN, INK WILL PASS THROUGH ONTO THE PRINTING PAPER.

ALL OF THE PRINTING PROCESSES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE MULTIPLES.

I ENJOY THE IDEA OF MAKING MULTIPLES.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN PATTERN, LINE, TEXTURE.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN BALANCE, SYMMETRY, AND ASYMMETRY.

AND EVEN, I PLAY ASYMMETRY WITHIN A COMPOSITION THAT FORCES SYMMETRY WITHIN.

SO I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT, AND ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAY.

THE CURRENT BODY OF WORK IS MORE AFTER VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THAT.

ALL MY PRINTS START OUT IN MY HEAD AS A VISUAL BLACK AND WHITE KIND OF IMAGE.

I CONCEIVE THEM THAT WAY AS I'M DRAWING.

COLOR REALLY IS A SECONDARY ELEMENT.

IT SUPPORTS THE MAIN IMAGE.

WHEN I DO SHIFT INTO USING COLOR, IT REALLY IS MORE OF AN ORGANIC THING.

IT CREEPS IN.

SOMETIMES IT CREEPS IN WITH JUST ONE COLOR.

OTHER TIMES IT CREEPS IN AS TWO, AND IT JUST SORT OF GROWS FROM THERE.

I DIDN'T USE A LOT OF COLOR UNTIL I CAME TO LOUISIANA.

WHEN I WAS IN ILLINOIS IT WAS REALLY BLACK AND WHITE.

THE COLOR IS VERY DIFFERENT HERE, IT'S BRIGHT, IT'S SATURATED.

MY WORK IS AUTO BIOGRAPHICAL, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.

MY WORK IS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN I WAS A CHILD AND MY EARLIEST MEMORIES, ALL THE WAY THROUGH CURRENT DAY.

IT'S A REFLECTION AND DOCUMENTATION OF ALL MY EXPERIENCES, IN THE LANDSCAPE, EXPERIENCES BETWEEN MYSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE, AND SOMETIMES THE CHARACTERS AND ELEMENTS WITHIN THE WORK TAKE THE FORM OF ANIMALS.

SOMETIMES THEY TAKE THE FORMS ARE PEOPLE, BUT I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT UNIVERSALALITY.

EXPERIENCES WE ALL HAVE AND CAN CONNECT TO.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

WILL THE VIEWER KNOW MY LANGUAGE COMPLETELY OR HOW I'M PERSON IDENTIFYING SOMETHING?

PROBABLY NOT.

AND THAT'S OKAY.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ALTHOUGH UNIQUE FOR ME, THEY'RE SIMILAR TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WE ALL HAVE EARLY MEMORIES.

WE ALL HAVE DEATH IN THE FAMILY.

WE ALL GO THROUGH STRUGGLES.

WE ALL HAVE OUR FAVORITE DOG WHO PASSES AWAY.

I HAVE DYSLEXIA AND LEARNING DISABILITIES IN COMPREHENSION AND REHENGS.

WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED, I WAS IN FIRST GRADE.

BACK THEN, IF YOU WERE LABELED LEARNING DISABLED YOU WENT TO A SPECIAL CLASSROOM FOR MAYBE THE WHOLE DAY, OR MAYBE A FEW HOURS, UNTIL YOU WENT BACK TO YOUR CLASSROOM FOR THE SUBJECT THAT YOU WERE HANDLING.

SO FOR ME, I WAS REMOVED FROM THE CLASS IN THE MORNING.

AND I WAS GONE A BIG PART OF THE DAY.

IT WOULD HAPPEN AT ABOUT 9:30, AND I WOULD GET UP AND I WOULD WALK OUT THE CLASSROOM DOOR INTO A HALLWAY.

AND AS I WALKED INTO THE HALLWAY, OTHER KIDS WOULD LEAVE THEIR CLASSROOMS.

AND THEY WOULD SHOW UP IN THE HALLWAY AND WE'D ALL WALK TO THE SPECIAL ED GROUP.

AND THIS WENT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS IN THE WORKS AND SECTED TO THAT IS BORDERS, FRAMES.

THE FRAME OF THE HALLWAY, WALKING DOWN THAT ALL OF THOSE YEARS, HAS STUCK IN THE WORK.

THE DISABILITIES WAS CHALLENGING FOR SURE.

AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS A BLESSING, BECAUSE IT TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT PERSEVERANCE, IT ALSO TAUGHT ME ABOUT HOW TO BE AN ARTIST.

IT'S GIVEN ME FUEL AND THINGS TO DRAW FROM THAT HAVE SHOWN UP IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS.

IMILL IS VERY DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO ART EDUCATION.

EVEN WHEN I WAS A STUDENT BACK IN THE EARLY '70s, I THINK THEY WERE PRETTY PROGRESSIVE.

SO ART WAS A MANDATED SUBJECT K-12.

I REMEMBER DRAWING IN KINDERGARTEN.

AND I'VE DRAWN SINCE.

I ALWAYS HAD A PENCIL, ALWAYS HAD A MARKER, ALWAYS HAD PAPER.

THE LITHOGRAPHY -- THE PRINT EXPLORES MY MEMORIES OF COLLABORATE, IT EXPLOSION WHERE I GREW UP OUTSIDE CHICAGO, WHICH WAS A VERY URBAN SETTING FOR ME, TO THE CHANGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN DEKALB, WHICH IS VERY RURAL FARMLAND.

IT GOES INTO THINKING ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP TO LOUISIANA, WHERE I CURRENTLY AM LIVING.

THE PRINT IS ORGANIZED USING ELEMENTS THAT ARE FROM LOUISIANA, THAT ARE FUELED BY LOUISIANA, WHETHER IT'S AN ALLIGATOR, WHETHER IT IS A TURTLE, THE ACID I CAN COLORS THAT EXIST IN THE LANDSCAPE.

OTHER ELEMENTS IN OUR -- ARE FUELED BY DEKALB, THE BIRDS, WHETHER THEY'RE WRENS OR BLACKBIRDS, ARE INDICATIVE OF THAT ENVIRONMENT.

THE LANDSCAPE, HOW IT ROLLS AND HOW IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT GREEN THAN IT IS IN LOUISIANA.

THE BROWN OF THE DIRT THAT EXISTS IN THE FARMLAND THAT DOESN'T EXIST OUT HERE.

THE PRINT ACADIANA PRAIRIE -- "LAMAR MIGRATION" IS ABOUT MY BROTHER-IN-LAW'S PIG FARM IN ILLINOIS.

MY SISTER MARRIED A PIG FARMER, ONE OF THE LARGEST PIG FARMERS IN ILLINOIS.

AND FOR US, IT WAS A VERY SURREAL KIND OF THING.

I LOVE ANIMALS, I'M AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE, AND BEING ON THE FARM SORT OF PULLS ME IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THE ANIMALS, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE LIVELIHOOD OF MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND HIS FAMILY AT THAT TIME.

IT'S A VERY COMPLEX KIND OF EMOTIONAL STATE THAT IT PUTS ME IN.

BIRDS ARE ALWAYS IN THE WORK.

BIRDS REFERENCE WAYS OF MIGRATING, WAYS OF MOVING.

IF YOU ARE EVER IN THE FARMLAND AROUND ILLINOIS, BLACKBIRDS ARE EVERYWHERE.

I FIND BIRDS VERY POWERFUL ANIMALS.

I FIND THEM TO BE GRACEFUL.

I AGGRESSIVE, AND IN TERMS OF A SPIRIT ANIMAL, I IDENTIFY WITH THEM.

"SNAKE, SWINE, AND COCKS" IS A FLAINT IS ABOUT MY EARLIEST MEMORY AS A CHILD.

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I REMEMBER WALKING OUT OF THE HOUSE, DOWN THE STEPS, AND ACROSS TO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.

I CRAWLED UNDER A BUSH, AND WHEN I CAME BACK INTO THE HOUSE, MY MOTHER WAS IN THE KITCHEN, TURNED AROUND AND ASKED ME WHERE I HAD GONE.

IN MY HAND WAS A BABY BUNNY.

THAT MEMORY IS SO VIVID.

RABBITS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF POPPING UP THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.

I GREW UP AROUND ANIMALS, WE ALWAYS HAD DOG AND CATS AND BIRDS, AND RABBITS AND SORT OF A COMFORT IMAGE, WHETHER IT'S DOG OR A CAT OR RABBIT.

THE WORK IN THE GALLERY, A LOT IS PROBABLY BEING FUELED FROM COVID.

I'M A UNIVERSITY TEACHER AND I'M IN THE STUDIO WITH STUDENTS SIX DAYS A WEEK.

I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 22 YEARS.

30 YEARS IF YOU COUNT HIGH SCHOOL AND OTHER THINGS.

THE STUDIO FOR ME IS AN EXTENSION OF WHO I AM.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE MAIN THINGS THAT KEEPS ME GOING, INSPIRING ME.

AND WHEN WE SHUT DOWN LAFAYETTE FOR COVID, WE WENT REMOTE, THAT SORT OF ASPECT OF MY LIFE WAS CUT AWAY.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A GOUGE CUTTING INTO WOOD.

I FOUND MYSELF REALLY KIND OF DETACHED IN A PLACE WHERE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SORT OF THINK AND SORT OF CREATE.

LAST FALL WHEN I GOT BACK TO CAMPUS, WE WENT FACE TO FACE.

OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T NORMAL FACE TO FACE.

CLASSES WERE REDUCED IN SIZE, WE WERE WEARING MASKS, SOCIALLY DISTANCED, AND YOU CAN'T TEACH PRINT MAKING FROM SIX FEET AWAY.

IT JUST DOESN'T WORK.

YOU HAVE TO SHOW A STUDENT HOW TO ROLL A STONE, HOW TO USE A PRESS, IT'S -- YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT SIX FEET AWAY.

I FELT MENDED A LITTLE BIT, BUT STILL, REALLY SEVERED.

AND WHEN I STARTED TO MAKE THE CURRENT BODY OF WORK, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT IDEA OF BEING CUT OFF.

SO I DECIDED TO TAKE WORK THAT WAS AROUND ME.

AND I STARTED TO CUT IT UP.

AND THIS IS NOT A RADICAL IDEA.

ARTISTS HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS.

FOR ME, IT'S -- IT WAS PHYSICALLY VERY DIFFERENT.

WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS TAKE PHYSICAL PRINTS AND GLUE THEM AND BUILD.

I CHOSE A WOOD CUT THAT I MADE BEFORE COVID, AND I CHOSE A SECOND WOODS CUT THAT I MADE DURING COVID.

AND I STARTED TO CUT THEM UP INTO MULTIPLE SHAPES.

AND THEN I STARTED TO BUILD THEM AND MIRROR THE SHAPES OFF OF EACH OTHER TO SORT OF CONSTRUCT THESE NEW SORT OF WHIRLS, NEW REALITIES THAT WERE REFERENCING WHERE I WAS NOW.

I CALL THEM TOTEMS.

AND FOR ME, TOTEMS ARE SIMILAR TO POWER.

WHETHER UNA MODERNIST OR PREFER CLASSICAL ARTWORK, THERE'S PLENTY TO SEE.

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR PICKS FOR NOTABLE EXHIBITS HAPPENING AT MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES IN OUR PART OF THE SOUTH.

FOR MORE ABOUT DISPLEASE MANY MORE EVENTS IN THE ARTS, VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS.

WHILE, THERE YOU'LL FIND LINKS TO EVERY EPISODE OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO TO SEE, OR SHARE ANY SEGMENT AGAIN, VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS.

THE INFLUENCE OF BLUES MUSIC IS UNDENIABLE.

ITS DISFEECT SOUNDS CAN BE HEARD ACROSS AN ARRAY OF MUSIC GENRES.

WE SPENT TIME WITH A BLUES MUSICIAN FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

WITH HIS GUITAR, LAP STEEL, AND POWERFUL, EMOTIONAL VOICE, HE PLAYS AND SINCE FOR ALL TO HEAR.

♪ I GET A FEELING OFF BLUES MUSIC THAT I REALLY DON'T FEEL THAT I GET FROM ANY OTHER STYLE OF MUSIC.

♪♪ PEOPLE TELL THEIR STORY, SOMETIMES SAY THEIR PRAYER IN THEIR SONG.

SUCH AN EMOTIONAL MUSIC AND SO RELATABLE, THAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT REALLY HAS DRAWN ME TO IT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ENJOY IT SO MUCH.

♪♪ ♪ ALL MY MONEY, BABY, ♪♪ ♪ AND YOU DO MY WOMAN TOO ♪♪ I STARTED PLAYING MUSIC WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD.

I LEARNED LISTENING TO RECORDS AND STUFF, SO I HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS, I GUESS.

MUDDY WATERS, B.B.

KING, AND JOHN LEE HOOKER.

ALL THOSE PEOPLE I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC, AND WANTED TO KEEP IT GOING EVER SINCE.

WANNA HEAR WHAT THIS LAP STEEL SOUNDS LIKE?

YES!

TOO BAD.

[LAUGHTER] THIS IS ONE.

♪♪ I GOT INTO PLAYING LAP STEEL GUITAR THROUGH A MENTOR OF MINE NAMED SUNNY RHODES.

WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLD, HE PICKED ME UP IN HIS BAND.

I WENT OVER TO MEET HIM AND I PLAYED ABOUT HALF A SONG FOR HIM.

YOU KNOW, HE JUST LOOKED AT HIS BASS PLAYER AND SMILED AND SAID, SON, DO YOU HAVE A PASSPORT?

AND I SAID, YEAH.

♪ HE MIGHT TROT OVER AND TO MY SURPRISE ♪♪ HE GRANTED FROM EAR-TO-HERE WITH THAT ALLIGATOR SMILE ♪♪ ♪ I SAID I'LL SPARE YOUR LIFE, BOY ♪♪ I ALWAYS KIND OF WANTED TO FIND MY OWN VOICE AND MY OWN SOUND, AND NO MATTER WHAT I WAS LEARNING, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT MY OWN.

AND IT CAME THAT WAY WITH WRITING.

IN HIGH SCHOOL, I ACTUALLY -- WOULD I DO A LOT OF POETRY AND WHAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME SONGS.

AND I USED TO DO IT AS A RELAXATION, MEDIATION, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES EVEN GET FRUSTRATIONS OUT SORT OF THING.

AND IT WAS JUST A GOOD OUTLET FOR ME.

SO EVENTUALLY IT TURNED INTO MORE SONGWRITING.

I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC PROCESS EVERY TIME.

IT'S ALWAYS DIFFERENT.

SOMETIMES I'LL FIND A SOUND WHEN I'M PLAYING GUITAR, OR A CHORD THAT I THINK MIGHT MAKE A GOOD SONG, OR I'LL HEAR SOMEONE TELLING A STORY.

AND I'LL THINK THAT A WORD SOUNDS COOL AND I'LL TRY TO WORK AROUND THAT, OR SAYING THAT SOMEONE HAS, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS DIFFERENT.

SO I JUST TRY TO ALWAYS KEEP MY EARS OPEN.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

YOU KNOW WHAT?

WHAT?

?OATD I DON'T LIKE NO KISS NOWHISKEY, I JUST LIKE THE TASTE ♪♪ ♪ I DON'T LIKE NO REEFER, ROLLS THEM EVERY DAY ♪♪ ♪ I DON'T LIKE A GAME, I JUST LIKE TO PLAY ♪♪ ♪ I DON'T CARE FOR STRANGERS, BUT I DIG THE STRANGE ♪♪ ♪ I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YA ♪♪ ♪ THEY'RE JUST GUILTY PLEASURES.

♪♪ ♪ THEY'RE JUST GUILTY PLEASURES ♪♪ TOURING IS PRETTY MUCH LIFE.

WE SPEND THE WINTER TIME FOR THE MOST PART AROUND FLORIDA, JUST KINDA DODGING SNOW.

♪ ALL BY MYSELF ♪♪ ♪ TALKING TO MYSELF ♪♪ ♪ THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT KNOW THE SHAPE OF BEING ♪♪ I DID TWO TOURS IN THE SNOW AND SAID I'D NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

♪♪ MY TOURING BAND IS THE SAME BAND THAT'S ON MY RECORD.

WE'RE LIKE BROTHERS, YOU KNOW.

WE JOKE WITH EACH OTHER, WE ALL GOT THICK SKIN.

SO WE -- WE'RE ROUGH, BUT WE'RE GENTLE AT THE SAME TIME.

WE LOVE TO HAVE FUN, LOVE TO LAUGH.

SAXOPHONIST REGGIE OLIVER, HE'S A GRADUATE OF BARKLEY COLLEGE OF MUSIC, SO HE BRINGS A JAZZ INFLUENCE.

OUR BASS PLAYER, DONALD HUFF WRIGHT, HAS BEEN TOURING IN THE BLUES SCENE FOR I THINK OVER 20 YEARS.

AND MYSELF, I COME FROM AN R&B AND CHURCH BACKGROUND.

SO I'VE TOURED WITH A LOT OF FUNK BANDS.

MY FIRST RECORD WITH ALLIGATOR THAT WE RELEASED IN 2014 WAS CALLED "DON'T CALL NO AMBULANCE."

AND WE ENDED UP WINNING THE BLUES MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST NEW ARTIST ALBUM THAT YEAR.

IT WAS AMAZING.

IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE 10 FEET TALL, YOU GET UP ON THE STAGE, AND THEY'RE PLAYING YOUR SONG, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU'RE WALKING UP TO THE STAGE.

IT WAS REALLY JUST SORT OF A SURREAL MOMENT.

WHEN I'M ON STAGE, THAT'S THE HAPPIEST YOU'LL SEE ME.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T DO THIS BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS AND GET A HIT SOMEWHERE.

WE GET OUT AND TRAVEL, AND GO THROUGH ALL THE HARDSHIPS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SOMETIMES, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

THIS IS OUR PASSION.

THIS IS OUR LOVE.

THIS IS OUR JOY.

AND WHENEVER WE GET ON THE STAGE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA SHARE WITH EVERYBODY.

WELL, YOU ALWAYS HOPE FOR A POSITIVE REACTION.

IT'S SORT OF GIVE AND TAKE, YOU KNOW.

WE PUT THE ENERGY OFF THE STAGE, AND THEY GIVE IT RIGHT BACK.

IT'S SORT OF A COOL THING WHEN IT CAN BE A SHARED EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT.

MY MOM AND MY SISTER USED TO ALWAYS GET ON ME, YELL AT ME BECAUSE I'D ALWAYS BE BAREFOOT.

PEOPLE ASK ME IF I CAN FEEL THE VIBRATIONS OF THE MUSIC.

YOU KNOW, BE MORE ATTACHED TO THE ENERGY OF THE MUSIC AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.

AND I WISH THAT WAS THE ANSWER.

I KIND OF WANNA GO WITH THAT INSTEAD OF JUST, I DON'T LIKE SHOES.

[LAUGHTER] BUT THAT'S THE TRUTH.

I'M JUST TRYING TO WRITE THE BEST THAT I CAN, PERFORM IT THE BEST WAY I CAN, AND GET IT OUT AS FAR AND WIDE TO EVERYBODY AS I CAN.

AND I FEEL LIKE IF I DO THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FALL INTO PLACE.

♪♪ FASHION HAS THE ABILITY TO SET THE STAGE FOR ANY TIME PERIOD AND GENRE.

INFORMS TERRING THE APPRECIATION FOR VINTAGE FASHION IS THE FOCUS OF NEVADA ARTIST TINA VINES.

HER LOVE OF CLOTHING AND WESTERN WEAR LED HER TO THE ART OF CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY.

THE ARTIST TELLS US WHAT GOES INTO HER CREATIVE PROCESS.

MY NAME IS TINA VINES, AND I DO CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY.

I GOT INTERESTED INITIALLY IN EMBROIDERY BECAUSE I'M INTO VINTAGE CLOTHING, AND I LOVE, ESPECIALLY WESTERN WEAR, KIND OF '40s, Hs, '40s ERA IN PARTICULAR, AND I NOTICED THE EMBROIDERY ON WESTERN WEAR AND THOUGHT, WHAT IS THAT, I CAN TELL IT'S NOT DONE BY HAND.

IS THAT A SPECIAL MACHINE?

SO I LOOKED INTO IT, AND I NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE PIECES HAVE SO MUCH CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY ON THEM, IT WAS LIKE SUCH BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT.

CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY IS MADE UP OF JUST ONE SINGLE STITCH.

IT'S A CHAIN.

AND YOU USE THAT TO MAKE UP ALL THESE DESIGNS.

SO THE FILL IS THE SAME STITCH AS THE OUTLINE, IT'S JUST THE FILL IS OVERLAND IN A CIRCULAR MOTION.

AND THE FILL WOULD BE LIKE A STRAIGHT STITCH.

ONE OF THOSE COMMON MATERIALS THAT I USE IS OTHER PEOPLE'S CLOTHING.

PEOPLE SEND ME JACKETS, BOOTS, AND I EMBROIDER THEM FOR THEM.

I LOVE WHEN SOMEONE ALLOWS ME TO DESIGN AND DO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THE STYLES THAT INSPIRED ME TO DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO SUPER TRADITIONAL, KIND OF WESTERN OR JUST VERY VINTAGE LOOKING, WHETHER THAT'S A CLUB JACKET OR A LETTERMAN JACKET.

THAT'S MY FAVORITE, WHEN I GET TO MAKE IT LOOK REALLY OLD, WHEN YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IF YOU FOUND IT IF IT WAS ORIGINAL OR NOT.

THAT'S MY GOAL.

WHEN I GO TO MAKE A PERSISTER, FOR EXAMPLE, I FIRST START WITH A ROUGH SKETCH OF THE BASIC DESIGN I'M GOING TO DO.

AND THEN I MAKE A MORE REFINED SKETCH THAT I ACTUALLY USE MORE AS A TEMPLATE FOR THE EMBROIDERY.

I CHOOSE THE FABRIC, CUT OUT THE FABRIC, AND CHOOSE THE THREADS, THE COLORS.

I REALLY LOVE THIS SAGE GREEN THAT I USE FOR A LOT OF THE CACTUS THAT I DO.

IT'S LIKE THE PERFECT COLOR.

IT LOOKS GREAT WITH EVERYTHING.

THE MACHINE I USE IS A 100-YEAR-OLD ANTIQUE MACHINE.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE ASSUME THAT A NEWER MACHINE WOULD WORK BETTER, BUT IT'S THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE.

THE OLDER MACHINES ARE SO STURDY AND SO RELIABLE, AND THEY JUST GIVE THIS STRIP THAT NO OTHER MACHINE CAN MAKE.

I LOVE THE FEEL OF IT, I LOVE THE SOUNDS OF IT.

I LOVE WORKING ON IT.

WHEN I'M ACTUALLY USING THE MACHINE, I'M DOING A LOT OF MULTITASKING, I'M USING THE HANDLE WITH MY RIGHT HAND.

I HAVE MY LEFT HAND ON TOP, WHICH I'M KIND OF STEADYING THE FABRIC, AND THEN WITH MY FOOT I'M OPERATING THE PEDAL, WHICH MAKES THE MOTOR OF THE MACHINE MOVE.

THERE'S A SPOOL OF THREAD UNDERNEATH, IT COMES UP, AND THE NEEDLE IS SHAPED KIND OF LIKE A FISH HOOK SO IT LOOPS THE THREAD AS IT COMES UP, AND IT JUST PULLS IT, AND PULLS IT INTO THIS CHAIN.

AND THAT IS JUST A STRAIGHT STITCH.

IT'S JUST LOOPING IN A STRAIGHT LINE UNLESS I'M MOVING THE HANDLE UNDERNEATH.

AS I'M TURNING THE HANDLE, THE STITCHES ARE OVERLAPPING IN A CIRCLE.

SO IT'S A HAND-OPERATED WAY OF KIND OF DRAWING WITH THE MACHINE.

WHEN I FOUND THE CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY, IT FELT LIKE FINALLY THE PERFECT MATCH OF ALL THE THINGS I LOVE.

I JUST FEEL REALLY LUCKY THAT I GET TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO ME THAT OTHER PEOPLE ENJOY AS WELL.

WE'RE GOING WRAP UP THIS EPISODE BY SPENDING SOME TIME WITH POTATO DORA MALECH.

THE BALTIMORE WRITER AND PUBLISHED AUTHOR LOVES TO EXPLORE THE WRITTEN WORD AND ITS MANY POSSIBILITIES.

SHE TELLS US HOW SHE PURSUES HER WORK.

LOVE POEM.

IF BY TRUTH YOU MEAN HAND, THEN YES.

I HOLD TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, AND HOLD YOU IN THE HIGHEST.

KO TO MY OT, AND BAIT TO MY SWITCH, I CROWN YOU ONE-TRICK PONY TO MY ONE MIFF HORSE TOWN.

I'M ALL POTATO NOT BECAUSE I HAVE ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS TO SAY, OR ALL THESE AMAZING INSIGHTS, BUT BECAUSE I TURN TO LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE UNCERTAINTY.

DUB YOU, MY ONE-STOP SHOPPING.

MY SPACE HEATER.

JUKE JOINT.

TOURIST TRAP.

I AM SOMEBODY WHO IS IN LOVE WITH LANGUAGE.

AND PLAY WITHIN LANGUAGE, AND SOUND, AND RHYTHM, AND RHYME.

AND FOR ME, LANGUAGE ITSELF COULD JUST CARRY ME AWAY LIKE A FLASH FLOOD.

I COULD GET COMPLETELY LOST IN THE SOUNDS AND THE RHYTHMS, AND THE RIMES THAT I LOVE.

AND SO FOR ME, WHEN I TALK ABOUT PRESSURE AND PUTTING PRESSURE ON THAT LANGUAGE, IT'S A PRESSURE ON MYSELF TO ASK MY OWN PLUSH TO COHERE INTO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR A READER AND FOR ME.

TELL ME YOU'LL DISMEMBER THIS NIGHT FOREVER.

YOU MY PUNCH DRINKING BAG.

TAR TO MY FEATHER.

MORE THAN THE SUM OF OUR -- MY LIFE WITHOUT POETRY MIGHT BE SIMPLER, BUT IT WOULD BE A LOT LESS EXCITING, A LOT LESS SURPRISING.

A LOT LESS FUN FOR ME.

AND THERE WOULD BE A LOT LESS OF A SENSE OF ATTENTION TO THE WORLD AROUND ME.

IF, AND, THEN, BUT.

IF,ER, THEN, HUH: MY FRUIT BAT.

MY GEWGAW, YOU HAD ME AT NO DUH.

THAT'S GOING TO DO IT FOR THIS EDITION OF "ART ROCKS."

BUT REMEMBER, YOU CAN ALWAYS WATCH EPISODES OF THE SHOW AT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS.

IN ADDITION, "COUNTRY ROADS" MAGAZINE IS A GREAT PLACE TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE ARTS ACROSS THE STATE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M CHELSEA NORRIS, FILLING IN FOR JAMES FOX-SMITH.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

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