- In this edition of ARTEFFECTS, four local stories that have garnered more than 100,000 views on the PBS Reno YouTube channel.

It's all ahead on this edition of ARTEFFECTS.

(bright music) - [Narrator] Funding for ARTEFFECTS is made possible by Sandy Raffealli with Bill Pearce Motors.

Heidemarie Rochlin.

(bright music continues) In memory of Sue McDowell.

(bright music continues) The Carol Franc Buck Foundation.

(bright music continues) And by the annual contributions of PBS Reno Members.

(bright music ends) - Hello, I'm Beth Macmillan, and welcome to ARTEFFECTS.

The locally produced stories in this episode altogether have more than 100,000 views on the PBS Reno YouTube channel.

We begin with our most viewed segment featuring Steampunk.

The Steampunk movement started in the 1980s as a way for people to combine their love for history and the infinite possibilities of fantasy.

(classical music) - Steampunk is something that is based on history, but it's not tied to the reality of history the way we know it.

It's based on an alternative history idea, what if?

What if the age of steam power?

What if the, let's say, the 1860s, 1870s, or 1880s industrial revolution continued on?

We never developed the microchip, all right?

What if that happened?

- Steampunk is kind of a mix between Victorian and post-apocalyptic.

It's a really neat aesthetic.

I think a lot of times, if you blew a gear on it, it makes it Steampunk, but it's so much more than that.

- Well, Steampunk is technically a literary sub-genre of a sub-genre.

So technically, we are Victorian science fiction.

And the word was coined by K.W.

Jeter, one of our great authors, when he was being interviewed in 1987, they said, "What do you call this literary sub-genre you're writing?"

And he said, "Well, I don't know, Steampunk?"

And so it kind of stuck with us since that time.

I would say if you think of the novels of Jules Verne, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", H.G.

Wells, "The Time Machine", any idea about what the Victorians had about the future based upon their technology, which was steam technology.

- It allows you to really take your imagination off in many different directions.

And there's really very few rules actually.

- [Lisa] A lot of the stuff you see it on is fashion-oriented.

A lot of wearables.

- [Doc Phineas] You're gonna see a lot of Victorian garb, because we're basically coming from the time of Queen Victoria.

- We spent the last 30 years or more in American society perfecting dressing down.

Men are discovering that it's kind of cool to, you know, put on a nice shirt, and vest, and tie.

Although our clothing is based on Victorian clothing, people take a lot of artistic license with it, a great deal.

We wear a lot of goggles because, of course, in that type of an environment with a lot of steam power, you're burning a lot of coal, and the air is just full of soot all the time.

And a lot of people have respirators for the very same reason.

(classical music) - This area, it's just prime breeding ground for Steampunk.

It's just the history of it, the Comstock, the Victorian era.

I mean, we've got Virginia City.

People dress up like this all the time in Virginia City.

- I think we have a lot of beautiful Steampunk artwork because the time travel has influenced people's perspective on life and kind of made everybody think outside the box, "Oh, gee, well I guess I could make an arm with cogs that moves like this, and if I lose my arm in the World War, they can just build me a new arm that works on steam."

- It allows you to unleash your imagination and think of things in a mechanical way, where you're taking everyday items like an octopus might be wearing a top hat, or have a monocle, and there might be a flying machine, but it has giant mechanical wings instead of being a normal airplane.

I like that kind of aesthetic 'cause it frees you to just unleash your imagination.

- I brought along a few of my sideshow-style banners.

I brought one about shrunken heads from the Amazon.

I brought one called Iron Man, which is a steam-powered robot.

They also painted a map backdrop.

We thought would make a nice photo backdrop for people to come, and it says, "See the world by airship".

And so it has a map of the world in what it might be in an alternative future, where countries and borders are different than we see it today.

- Our movement has encouraged a lot of making, a lot of inventions, and a lot of artwork.

We just don't want more plastic things from China.

We want things that we build, that we carve, that we work in leather.

(bright music continues) - Part of it, I think is, (sighs) maybe it's a bit of a rebellion against this, the technology that takes over our world.

You know, the technology of 150 years ago or so was something that was controlled, people controlled it.

We pushed the levers, we turned the dials, you know?

This stuff, this is different, this takes over our lives.

But something that has style to it, something that has shape, something that's very real, something that's handmade.

These things are becoming a contrast to this very boring industrial design kind of world that we live in, and I think that's part of the charm.

- When you're living that close to the origination of things, it's very beautiful, it's very inspirational, and kind of different than today's world, where everything's kind of plasticized.

- You don't have to be a certain age or a certain demographic.

There's people from all walks of life.

That's one of the cool things about it.

- We're sexy geeks who are creating a better future.

We are emulating our Victorian ancestors, and that was a time when men were really gentlemen and ladies were really ladies, and there was a lot of respect for one another.

Were a very friendly, loving group of people.

If you want to be with somebody that will really give you support in kind of being creative with your life and making new things, Steampunks, we're here for you and we love you.

- Now, let's head to Minden, Nevada to discover glass bead mosaics by Sabrina Frey.

This visionary artist uses hundreds of thousands of tiny glass beads to create striking and colorful mosaics that catch the eye.

(bright music) - I love buying beads.

Beads are an addiction, they're beautiful, and they're tactile.

And glass is such an incredible element to work with.

It's vibrant, and it's happy, and it's alive, it has a life to it.

(bright music continues) My name is Sabrina Frey, and I'm a Bead Mosaic Artist.

So I use beads like a painter uses paint, and I create mosaics out of glass beads.

And so from far away, they do get mistaken for paintings, but when you get close up, it's hundreds of thousands of glass beads that make up this image that looks like a painting.

I work out of my home.

Half of my home is my studio, in my basement.

We live in the Carson Valley, South Lake Tahoe area.

So it's very inspiring, I get to look at the mountains, and the sky, and nature all day, which is a big emphasis on my work.

(bright music continues) There are so many types of beads out there, translucent beads, and transparent beads, and silver lined.

And the beads that I work with are primarily glass.

Sometimes they work with natural stones as well as accent beads and they're very versatile.

I had some beads leftover from a attempted jewelry-making stint.

This was about 10 years ago.

(bright music) I wanted to do stained glass, and I didn't have the money or the space to do it, and so I looked at these beads and things that I had and I thought, "Oh, well these are glass, and I have wire that could potentially look like the black lines around stained glass."

And so I picked up some beads and wire, and did my first piece, and learned a lot of things not to do, but it was a good concept.

And so I started playing with it and experimenting more and more, and then it just grew.

(bright music continues) I tend to use repurposed materials for my work.

I will take, say, a repurposed serving tray, and I have to sand it, I have to prime it, otherwise, nothing's gonna stick to it because it was made for durability and for things not to stick to it.

So I have to do that and then I'll bring it in, and outline whatever I'm gonna do on it.

So if I'm creating an animal, I create a very strict outline of what it's gonna look like, and then I can start the bead process.

I use very, very pointy non-magnetic tweezers because a lot of the beads have metals in 'em, silvers, and things, and if you use regular tweezers, they do magnetize and you won't be able to get your beads off of them.

(laughs) I wear them out.

About every six months, I have to get a new set of tweezers because I've used them all day long.

(bright music continues) I think of every bead as a piece of DNA.

We all have a different story in our lives that make up the complete image of what people see from afar.

But it's all these little pieces of our lives and our DNA that really make up who we are.

And it's sometimes hard for people to realize what makes up your story and how the pieces come together, but they see you as a whole, and that's how each one of these beads is.

They're all very different, but they're coming together to make one complete image.

(bright music continues) I get that question a lot, how many beads are in this piece?

And I did count.

There are 156 size 11 seed beads per square inch.

I'll do a piece say that's 12 by 16, and it'll have something like 90,000 beads.

Last year when we moved, I had to weigh the beads for the movers.

I had 2,000 pounds of beads, just not attached to boards, just beads.

So yeah, I have a lot of beads.

(laughs) (upbeat music) I started mixing my own glue mixture that allows me to do what needs to be done.

Create blends and mixes for each piece, and take as long as I need it to take, and then do the glue after.

And that way, it sets, and it works with me and not against me.

(bright music) There's a final touch up phase that I do with the beads.

I seal 'em with an acrylic glaze so that the glue is protected from the elements.

I create them to be durable.

But people's reactions are that it's delicate, and we are programmed as children, don't touch the art.

At shows, I had to figure out a way to give people permission to touch.

And I put, "Go ahead, touch me", signs up all over the place, and it draws people in because people are naturally tactile creatures, we like touch.

And so giving permission to do that gives so much joy.

Adults, kids, everybody, they come up to the booth and it's just this sensory experience.

They get to feel the trees, they get to pet the birds, and they love it.

I love doing shows because I get to see that joy, and see that curiosity, and the wonder.

That sparkling bead piece that's on the wall when the sun hits it every day is going to make them smile, 'cause it can't not, 'cause it's happy.

And so I make happy art to make people happy.

(bright music ends) - To learn more, visit sabrinafreyart.com.

Next up, we meet Juliette Leong, a decorated painter and violinist from Sparks.

She's raised thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations through sales of her artwork.

She has performed violin with both the Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Chamber Orchestra.

And she accomplished all of this and more at a very young age.

(bright music) - My name is Juliette Leong, and I'm eight years old.

My most favorite thing to do is play with my friends.

Second is reading.

I like graphic novels, fiction, nonfiction.

I love reading so, so much, I get in trouble for reading.

(laughs) And I love painting.

(bright music continues) I started painting when I was eight months old.

My parents put me on the dining room table and gave me paint on paper to play with.

I guess they wish they didn't really do that because I made a mess on my table, I just like splatted my hand in the paint and like basically, finger-printed the whole table.

(bright music continues) I use colored pencils, acrylic paints, watercolor paints, and garage paint.

And I've tried oil paint, but it took forever to dry in.

I don't like waiting forever, I'm impatient.

(laughs) (bright music continues) Gathering materials is kind of the first step of painting, but an idea is really the first step.

I paint landscapes, abstracts, animals, and portraits.

Oh, and abstract realism.

(bright music continues) Sometimes I feel stressed when I'm doing it in live competitions or I have to like paint in person with other people that are not kids, but when I'm just painting for fun, I feel happy and excited.

(bright music continues) I donate the proceeds from the sale of my paintings to raise money for non-profit organizations that help others such as AADP or Asian American Donor Program, Race to Erase MS, Ladies Who Rock 4 a Cause, and many more.

(bright music continues) It makes me feel great helping people and trying to save their lives.

When I'm not painting, I'm usually playing my violin.

(bright music) I first saw a violinist play at San Francisco City Hall when I was about two years old.

And then after I saw Ray Chen perform, then I really wanted to play the violin, so that's what got me started.

(violin playing) I love practicing my violin while roller skating.

(violin playing continues) You learn how to hold your bow straight and it has to be straight and not like crooked.

Because then it'll go off the fingerboard, it'll be all over the place.

I got to play with the Reno Chamber Orchestra because I won the Concerto competition in March, and it was so exciting.

(audience and musicians cheer and clap) They like made a big box for me to stand on.

(laughs) That was funny.

(classical music) My favorite concerto is the Mozart Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major.

(classical music continues) The Reno Chamber Orchestra is a really fun orchestra.

I get to meet some of the solo violinists.

They always come out, and I love the Reno Chamber Orchestra.

(classical music continues) I wasn't nervous because I just think of it as another public performance or if I'm practicing at home.

(classical music continues) I love performing so much.

To me, an artist is a person who has an idea in their head and they just share it with the world.

(classical music ends) (audience and musicians cheer and clap) - To learn more about Juliette, visit julieteleong.com.

Now, let's head about 90 miles west of Reno to meet Raymond Kinman of Grass Valley, California.

Kinman is a master wood carver, a painter, and musician with an eclectic background.

If you've ever been to Disneyland, you may recognize a few of his colorful and charming signs.

(bright music) - Playing music is my passion.

That's where I lose my mind, and in the present moment, and that's really my thing.

(bright music) Every musician wants to be a rock star when they grow up.

I figured that's what I was gonna do.

I remember I had this conversation with my dad one time.

I was like 14 or something, and I just tell him, "Dad, I know what I want to be when I grow up."

He's going, "Oh what?"

And I said, "A drummer."

(drums playing) He said, "Well, you know, Raymond, that's great, you know, go for it.

But you might want to think about having something to fall back on, in case the drummer thing doesn't work out."

Thought about it for a while, so I took out the bass guitar as a backup.

(drum playing) I was living in Kings Beach at Lake Tahoe, and Marty, a friend of mine, was gonna open a restaurant.

Just off the top of my head I said, "Well, who's gonna make your sign for you?"

And Marty looked at me and he goes, "Do you know how to do it?"

I told him, "Yeah, I can carve a sign for you."

And I think about it now.

It's like I had no money, no tools, no woodworking experience.

I'm a working musician, barely making it, and a baby on the way.

But I was pretty sure I could do it.

You know, when you're young, you kinda... That works to your advantage sometimes.

So that's how I got my start.

(bright music) I borrowed 30 bucks from my dad and I bought my first two tools, which I still use every day, a mallet and a gouge.

The gouge itself used to be about this much longer than it is now.

By sharpening, it's gotten shorter and shorter.

You can just see the soul in it.

(bright music continues) My studio's in my home.

When an artist says studio, that's code word for garage.

So I've been working out of my garage for 46 years now.

It's in Northern California in Grass Valley, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Most of the wood I use is a Malaysian hardwood, it's called, get ready for this, jelutong.

It comes from a rubber tree in Malaysia.

(tool whirs) It's the type of rubber that they use for chewing gum.

(tool whirs) So it's hard to find and it's expensive, but it carves like nothing else, it's beautiful.

Nice blonde colored wood.

So it goes from raw wood, and then there's a stain/sealer, a penetrating oil stain that goes on.

It's just like really a lot of it, so the wood just drinks this up.

(bright music continues) It goes from a drawing to transferring it onto the wood.

What I do is called relief carving, it's an illusion.

There's some things you can do to fool the eye into thinking that it's deeper than it is.

One of those tricks is the use of perspective.

There's a specific process for doing that.

Cut in your outlines, take away the background, put in your layers, add shapes, add detail.

A good composition will have many layers of overlapping objects.

For example, if you look at my chest here as a level, and when I put my arm over my chest, now, there's two levels.

Then I put my other arm over here, that's three levels.

So the more layering that you get, the greater the illusion of depth to the viewer.

Objects that are closer to the viewer are larger and more detailed.

And as they get further away from the viewer, they get smaller and fuzzier.

And then to take that into the color stage, which is where it really comes by, 'cause you can do some things with color to increase that illusion of depth too.

Dark recedes away from the viewer and light comes forward.

My favorite part is the very end when I'm putting the color on it, it's like, wow, that looks really good, it looks really... It's magic.

(playful music) I was getting near my 40s.

I got a phone call.

It was from the senior graphic designer, that top guy at Disney Imagineering.

He saw some of my work at a restaurant, and he got my number from the owner of the restaurant, and that's how I got that lead.

That is just a lucky break.

I've done quite a few carvings for Disneyland.

Last time I was there, I counted there was 14 still there.

So those would include the Indiana Jones Adventure, Country Bear Jamboree, Country Bear Playhouse, Many adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Pooh Corner, Splash Mountain, Hungry Bear Restaurant, and more.

(playful music continues) The work I've done for Disney, their theme parks, have been seen by hundreds of millions of people all over the world.

This is part of people's childhood, it's a powerful thing.

In addition to the signs that I carve, there's doors, fireplace, mantles, and doing these serving platters right now.

I recently gotten into doing tikis just 'cause I always wanted to try it.

I'm not pretending to be a Polynesian tiki carver, I'm just playing with it, super fun.

(bright music continues) I've been doing this a long time, 46 years now, and, you know, you can kind of look back and learn some things.

So what I learned there was, your greatest asset isn't your education, it's not your ability, it's not your good looks, it's not the quality of your work, it's your persistence.

(mallet thumping) And here's another one.

Always do your best work 'cause you don't know who's gonna see that.

And that turned out to be true in my case.

Everyone is an artist, whether you know it or not.

Part of the human condition is to create.

And when we do that, it really puts us in touch with our core spirit.

And we are, that's why we're here, we're born to create.

(bright music ends) - To learn more about Raymond Kinman, visit woodcarverguru.com.

And that wraps it up for this edition of ARTEFFECTS.

If you want to watch new ARTEFFECTS segments early, make sure you subscribe to the PBS Reno YouTube channel.

And don't forget to keep visiting pbsreno.org to watch complete episodes of ARTEFFECTS.

Until next week, I'm Beth Macmillan, thanks for watching.

- [Narrator] Funding for ARTEFFECTS is made possible by Sandy Raffealli with Bill Pearce Motors.

Heidemarie Rochlin.

(bright music continues) In memory of Sue McDowell.

(bright music continues) The Carol Franc Buck Foundation.

(bright music continues) And by the annual contributions of PBS Reno Members.

(bright music ends) (bright music)