Among the 20 or so pieces in the River Gallery showcase are masks, fish and framed mixed-media pieces.If you go
› What: Works by Kimmy Cantrell› Where: River Gallery, 400 E. Second St.› Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday› Admission: Free› Information: 423-265-5033 ext. 5 or art@river-gallery.com
A little over 2 1/2 decades ago, Kimmy Cantrell found himself working for a non-art-related company in Tifton, Ga., when he started messing around with clay. It was a way to pass the time and to entertain himself.
"I got bored and was doing it as a hobby, but I got serious right away," he says. "I had taken a class in high school and I always loved clay."
Pretty soon he'd filled up his makeshift studio with clay pieces; then he started showing his work at shows. Four years later, he quit his day job and devoted himself to making art, which he has done now for 22 years.
In all that time, he has never been to Chattanooga nor shown his work here. That changed this month with a show at River Gallery featuring about 20 of his pieces. The show runs through January.
Cantrell, who is largely self-taught, is known for his colorful clay and framed mixed-media pieces. His figures focus on three main subjects - fish, masks and nudes - and he says the staff at River Gallery helped choose which of his works to showcase. They decided to center the Chattanooga show around fish and masks.
"I do a lot of fish imagery and that seemed to make sense for this with the river right there," says Cantrell, who lives and works in Atlanta. "The fish have to do with my grandmother, who took me fishing when I was 7 or 8."
Gallery owner Mary Portera has been watching Cantrell's career for several years and says she wanted to showcase his work during the bleaker winter months to introduce some bright, vibrant colors into the gallery.
Cantrell says that, while he uses fairly conventional glazes, "what separates me maybe is that I layer a lot of glazes."
"I taught myself how the glazes react with each and with different clays. I also use a lot of oxide, which also gives the glazes a different reaction or surface or texture."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.