(Oct. 13, 2016) While not yet finished, the Wooden Octopus fine art studio in Berlin is inviting the public to tour the new space during the monthly 2nd Friday art stroll this week.
Michigan native Matthew Amey and his wife, Lisa Tossey, are renovating an 116-year-old home on 8 Jefferson Street for use as a “gallery/showroom.”
“[During 2nd Friday] we will be showing a collection works, including some plein air paintings in oil, a small collection of custom-designed jewelry, photographs and small, collectible pieces created by myself, Lisa, her sister, Karen Ardis, and her mom, Margaret Tossey. We are a family of artists/makers setting up shop in Berlin,” Amey said.
The 44-year-old moved to Salisbury in 1983. He graduated from James M. Bennett High School in 1990, and became a professional tattoo artist the following year.
According to Amey, the burgeoning tattoo industry allowed him to make art during the day, while also continuing to experiment with other media. His favorite is oil paint.
“I was essentially a self-taught artist until 2008, when I had an opportunity to return to college to study fine art,” he said. “In 2012, I graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor of fine art degree with a focus on painting. Much of my work is influenced by my career as a tattoo artist, but I have a more diverse interest, especially in 3D modeling, sculpting and jewelry design.
“Every medium is a challenge within itself, although each medium definitely informs the others,” Amey continued. “By focusing on the fundamentals of drawing and design, my efforts are to be creative and to create works that resonate, regardless of the medium. With my experience as a tattoo artist, I am definitely most comfortable with the skin although, as a tattoo artist, I am confined to my clients’ design requests and I am very limited on what I, as an artist, can imbue into my work. I have more freedom to express my own ideas when I work in other mediums.”
During the past year, he has focused on renovating the Wooden Octopus building, where he has been able to “design and build a number of architectural features” to customize the space.
“The experience has given me the confidence to work on larger-scale sculptural work that I hope to create more of in the future,” he said.
Eventually, he said the space would also become a “working artists’ studio.”
“We really enjoy having people visit our studio to see our works-in-progress and also share in our love of the area where we live,” he said. “Hopefully our visitors will appreciate the time and effort that we put into everything we produce and leave feeling inspired to either pursue their own endeavors or return to see how we’ve progressed since their last visit.
“We will be working on the renovations of the house for the foreseeable future, although eventually I plan on spending more time working ‘en plein air’ to study the natural world. I also plan on returning to my custom jewelry designs as soon as my schedule allows,” Amey added.
Amey created a repository for much of his work online at www.matthewamey.com, where some items are available for purchase. He also has a collection of prints online at www.uncommongoods.com/artist?23060.
For more information on Wooden Octopus, visit www.woodenoctopus.com.
Berlin’s 2nd Friday festivities will feature more than a dozen art displays in shops throughout the downtown area, along with sales and specials in area restaurants from 5-8 p.m.
Michigan native Matthew Amey and his wife, Lisa Tossey, are renovating an 116-year-old home on 8 Jefferson Street for use as a “gallery/showroom.”
“[During 2nd Friday] we will be showing a collection works, including some plein air paintings in oil, a small collection of custom-designed jewelry, photographs and small, collectible pieces created by myself, Lisa, her sister, Karen Ardis, and her mom, Margaret Tossey. We are a family of artists/makers setting up shop in Berlin,” Amey said.
The 44-year-old moved to Salisbury in 1983. He graduated from James M. Bennett High School in 1990, and became a professional tattoo artist the following year.
According to Amey, the burgeoning tattoo industry allowed him to make art during the day, while also continuing to experiment with other media. His favorite is oil paint.
“I was essentially a self-taught artist until 2008, when I had an opportunity to return to college to study fine art,” he said. “In 2012, I graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor of fine art degree with a focus on painting. Much of my work is influenced by my career as a tattoo artist, but I have a more diverse interest, especially in 3D modeling, sculpting and jewelry design.
“Every medium is a challenge within itself, although each medium definitely informs the others,” Amey continued. “By focusing on the fundamentals of drawing and design, my efforts are to be creative and to create works that resonate, regardless of the medium. With my experience as a tattoo artist, I am definitely most comfortable with the skin although, as a tattoo artist, I am confined to my clients’ design requests and I am very limited on what I, as an artist, can imbue into my work. I have more freedom to express my own ideas when I work in other mediums.”
During the past year, he has focused on renovating the Wooden Octopus building, where he has been able to “design and build a number of architectural features” to customize the space.
“The experience has given me the confidence to work on larger-scale sculptural work that I hope to create more of in the future,” he said.
Eventually, he said the space would also become a “working artists’ studio.”
“We really enjoy having people visit our studio to see our works-in-progress and also share in our love of the area where we live,” he said. “Hopefully our visitors will appreciate the time and effort that we put into everything we produce and leave feeling inspired to either pursue their own endeavors or return to see how we’ve progressed since their last visit.
“We will be working on the renovations of the house for the foreseeable future, although eventually I plan on spending more time working ‘en plein air’ to study the natural world. I also plan on returning to my custom jewelry designs as soon as my schedule allows,” Amey added.
Amey created a repository for much of his work online at www.matthewamey.com, where some items are available for purchase. He also has a collection of prints online at www.uncommongoods.com/artist?23060.
For more information on Wooden Octopus, visit www.woodenoctopus.com.
Berlin’s 2nd Friday festivities will feature more than a dozen art displays in shops throughout the downtown area, along with sales and specials in area restaurants from 5-8 p.m.