This Valentine’s Day, why not celebrate the arts and your loved ones by gifting them unique creations by local artists?
Elyse Bogart, Jewelry Maker
Elyse Bogart earned her bachelor of fine arts degree in painting and her master of fine arts degree in metal design from OU in 1974 and 1978, respectively. She has taught jewelry-making techniques, lost-wax casting and enameling classes at the Firehouse Art Center in Norman since 1982. Elyse also has taught as an adjunct at the OU School of Art and College of Liberal Studies, as well as at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She can be reached at elysebogart@me.com.
Shop Elyse’s Work: Firehouse Art Center Gallery or visit ElyseBogartDesigns.indiemade.com.
John Lang, Pottery
John Lang has had four great loves in his life: his Catholic faith, his family, college football and his art. The former University of Tulsa nose guard began drawing when he was 5 years old. As a young boy, he copied drawings in comic books and cartoons, filling in fine details of his childhood heroes. He spent his college years on the field, playing football for the Golden Hurricane, and in the classroom, where he graduated with a degree in fine art. He earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma City University in 2003. Today, he is accomplished in ceramics and classical drawing, working out of his home studio. He also enjoys watching football and spending time with his wife, Emily, and their son Wyatt.
Shop John’s work: etsy.com/shop/JohnLangPottery
John Tullius, Wood Carver
After a four-year Navy enlistment, John Tullius enrolled at the University of Oklahoma on the G.I. Bill, majoring in architecture and earning a bachelor of fine arts degree in art. While at OU and continuing after, John worked in construction/cabinet making/woodworking, while at night he produced logos, caricatures and T-shirt designs. He also produced a tri-weekly cartoon that ran in The Norman Transcript for 30 years. “I feel all these experiences, plus my Catholic upbringing, came together as a lifelong creative process and led to what I love doing today—carving religious figures,” he said. Most of these figures measure 32-36” (as well as a few 24”).
To purchase John’s art and for more information, email jgtoons@att.net or JohnTulliusArtist@gmail.com.
Helli Hawk, Artist
Although Helli Hawk comes from an artistic family, her background is in wildlife biology. she turned to art as a sort of therapy when she was battling postpartum depression, and never looked back. She began with hand lettering, slowly finding her way to watercolor. “I took my art full time after I was laid off in 2020; my 4-month-old is my co-worker while her big brother and sister are in school,” she notes. Today, Helli offers fine art depicting wildlife, nature, pets and people. “Capturing candid moments of joy and love is my absolute favorite,” she says, adding that she has had the honor of painting countless commemorative portraits of both animals and humans. She describes the feeling of being able to bring someone comfort through her art a beautiful thing.
Shop Helli’s work: STASH in Norman, Out on a Limb in OKC’s Plaza District, and etsy.com/shop/hellihawkart/
Darci Linker, Fiber Artist
Darci Lenker is a fiber artist specializing in miniature thread painting, a form of embroidery where many layers of threads are used to create detailed images. She finds inspiration anywhere there are interesting colors, textures, light and shadows, and she enjoys the challenge of portraying that into art using a single strand of thread. She is currently working on a series of portraits. Darci is available for commissions.
Shop Darci at: instagram.com/darcilenkerart/
Lindsey Martin, Artist
Lindsey Martin has always had the urge to create art, whether it was painting seashells on the beach in St. Augustine, Florida, making stained glass jewelry or teaching. She has taught art at multiple elementary schools in Norman. When she sold her art school (Scissortail School of Art) located in downtown Norman, in 2016, her main goal was to make more original art—not just example art for projects. She dove back into painting in winter 2018, at which time she became interested in creating paintings of inspirational women. “I wanted to include these inspirational women’s hands in every portrait. Our hands do so much for us and are such an important piece to every image, whether those hands are holding a microphone, praying, experimenting, writing, or holding a loved one, they are all so very important,” she says. She’s currently working on another series of hip hop artists, which will be displayed this spring at Sundeep Sharma’s album release show in OKC.
Shop Lindsey: at Green Buffalo on Main and Crawford streets in Norman or through instagram @lindseymartinart
