Born, Feb 12, 1955, in Missouri, I grew up in the Chicago area. At age 23 I moved to Colorado where I lived for ten years. I've also lived in New England, Florida, and now West Virginia.
Since childhood I've been a writer, including writing technical publications for the software industry, as well as short stories, essays, poetry, and science papers. In the early 2000s I had a flirtation with brush and canvas painting for a while, but work and other obligations eventually got in the way of that pursuit, though I've continued doing abstract digital art since that time.
I'm an explorer and collector by nature, and enjoy few things more than a walk in the woods, so perhaps it was inevitable that something instinctive kicked in when I began carving bowls and sculptural wood pieces a few years ago. I also have an interest in geology. I had a rock collection as a kid and I've incorporated this interest in the form of stone inlays in many of my wood pieces.
While I enjoy doing smaller, simpler, or more conventional pieces that bring out the uniqueness and beauty of a species or individual piece of wood, I'm also constantly imagining new themes, concepts, or individual pieces, At any one time I typically have one or more complex or sculpted pieces underway. In addition is the queue of pieces still in my head as I explore what might be thought of as sketches on a theme as well as new forms.
Artistic influences...
I've lived, traveled, hiked, backpacked, and camped in diverse areas, including California, the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, the shores of Lake Superior, up and down the coast of Maine, and Pocahontas County, West Virginia, where I now live. Besides an interest and affinity for a range of art and design, including 20th century art deco furnishings, 1930s automobiles, sleek boats, and modern sculpture, the landscapes of wild places have been an influence in my aesthetic, particularly rugged shorelines and seacoasts and the canyons and fantastic rock formations of the western states. In such places nature holds a cache of diverse and exquisite sculpture, ages in the making.
David W. Skellion
An art major in college, love of art, love of nature, and love of animals have always been part of my life. They've remained so, even after 40 years playing the role of a responsible adult and working as a hair stylist and business owner. Meanwhile, I've enjoyed various arts and crafts, such as water color painting, knitting, and jewelry making.
A few years ago I discovered the medium of needle felting. It's turned out to be a natural, a perfect fit, combining my enjoyment of fiber with my lifelong love of animals. One of the delights of the art is how each piece is unique and individual, a one of a kind with a spirit and personality all its own. My work is currently featured at the Fourth Avenue Gallery in Marlinton, West Virginia, the Art Colony at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV, Allegheny Highland Arts and Crafts Center in Clifton Forge, VA, and Handmade West Virginia at Droop, WV.
In college I studied ceramics, an art form I resumed recently, focusing on hand built items, including mugs, bowls, dishes, sculpture, and garden bells. My work is available under the name Tea Creek Clay Works.
Jan Skellion
