Up next, we're celebrating the holidays with three Louisiana artists whose work helps make the season merry and bright.

Craig Ruth's Christmas cards got a hannigan's, handmade ornaments and Sean Allen's greeting cards.

These gifts unwrapped, this time on art rocks.

West Baton Rouge Museum is proud to provide local support for this program on LPB, offering diverse exhibitions throughout the year and programs that showcase art, history, music, and more.

West Baton Rouge Museum culture cultivated Art rocks is made possible by the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and by viewers like you.

Hello.

Thank you for joining us for a special holiday edition of Art rocks with me.

James Fox Smith from Country Roads magazine.

Choosing Christmas cards and gifts for family and friends is a labor of love to make it easier.

This episode will introduce artists whose works celebrates the season while being a gift in its own right.

Over in Denham Springs, artist Craig Ruth has the holiday spirit in spades.

So come see how.

The main thing I try to do is just celebrate what's beautiful, whether it's Louisiana or Texas.

Capture the things that most people relate to with Louisiana's the swamps, crawfish, and the wildlife.

Most people love being outdoors, fishing, hunting.

Everything that I do is based on my personal experiences.

If I have a swamp scene, it's from pictures that I took.

I'll go out in a canoe or whatever and spend all day.

So what I'm mainly trying to do is capture the scenery.

There may be a pelican there, but he may not pose correctly.

So I'll have to go back and put in the pelican or the duck or the alligator.

I had one of his paintings.

I didn't want him sale and we kept it over.

Our bed is beautiful.

There was a sunset with shrimp boats and the Gulf Coast, and it was just gorgeous until we were going to Fairhope, Alabama.

He took it and he found it.

And I'm like, oh, you got to paint me another one, because we don't have a lot of originals that we've kept.

He sold most of them.

That was a favorite.

We've had people wanted to buy it years and years ago.

They want to sell it because it was just so beautiful.

When I do an LSU painting, it's always going to be a star player because those are the ones that are making the big plays.

The paintings I do are usually based on a significant play.

One of my favorite paintings was of Jacob Pastor in the Florida Game in 2007.

I just love the way it came out.

Everybody loved Jacob, Pastor Jacob, Pastor.

He's from Shreveport, and he actually came through when I was doing an art show, and I got to meet him and he got one of my pictures.

And then in 2019, it was Joe Burrow and Coach Joe and I did a championship painting for the 2019 championship, focusing on them.

And then same thing with the baseball and basketball.

You do pick the star players because they're the ones that are highlighted.

When I've done a championship painting, I've always offered to give all of the players one of the prints because of regulations.

I haven't been able to do that.

I'll usually have an edition of at least 500.

If it's something that I think is going to be really popular back in, like 1983.

We did our first Christmas cards.

The reason there's such a variety of what I do is because I needed to have different types of things to bring in income.

The more whimsical work developed because of our greeting card line, and we wanted that just to be more fun and capture what's humorous.

The crawfish dancing in the alligator is playing the fiddle or whatever.

It's two different types of work I'm trying to create for different purposes.

I use watercolor for the Christmas cards as well, but it's a different technique.

I'll do a line drawing.

Most of them are a combination of ink.

Line with the watercolor.

Christmas cards is probably the most popular.

Businesses love to send that and we do recipes on the back.

When a business sends it, it's also a gift.

I'll work on recipes.

I've had some that I work on 3 or 4 years because I just couldn't get it right.

Under the greeting, we could add logos.

I could send a template to people and they could have multiple people sign it.

And you can't really tell that they didn't physically sign it.

Probably our biggest customers are businesses because I think they get such a positive response to a PR.

We started developing the Nexus line using the same philosophy.

You just pick out what people are proud about in Texas Longhorns, the Alamo.

My mom's actually from Texas.

I tell people I'm half Texans.

That's one of the reasons we do Texas cards.

I started out just wanting to be a watercolor artist.

I actually got really excited about being an artist when I was in high school.

That was when I started learning how to paint and was so interested in it.

That's how I spent all my spare time.

People really responded to what I did.

I was selling things in high school, doing commissions, pet portraits and landscapes in high schools.

I went to college in fine art, did not get a degree.

When an artist wants to develop, they really have a passion for it.

They really learn the most just by painting.

When I decided I wanted to actually make a living from it, I had to learn how to bring in different streams of income.

My dad is an architect and an artist and I learned architectural illustration from him.

The technique I use mostly for architectural rendering is ink line, and then for color I'll use colored pencil.

And that's really because I'm trying to capture a more hand-drawn look.

I don't want them to look computer generated, and it's quicker when I'm doing an architectural illustration.

There's no photograph or anything to go by, so usually they'll submit just the plans and the elevations that the architect drew.

So I'll start out with a pencil sketch, and then I'll actually put tracing paper on top of that.

And I'll come back with ink lines, the shingles and everything.

It's just a matter of being patient.

I'll use a straight edge when I'm doing shingles or vertical lines.

We are truly a mom and pop business.

My wife and I run everything now.

My wife primarily is in charge of the greeting card business, and I do the illustration and all the artwork.

The internet has become a really big part of our business.

It started off slow, but over the years it's gotten to be probably 75% of our business.

I generally work at least ten hours a day, and during the busiest time of the year, maybe 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

I maybe don't work as long on the weekend, but we're working all the time just trying to keep up.

The most fun is actually doing the painting, but there's a lot of business paperwork that goes along with it.

I can't say that far.

It's fun.

Some people think that an artist is just having fun all the time and just doing what they want.

It's not that, but I do really enjoy what I do.

If you're looking for a gift to be enjoyed again and again, check out these functional ceramic works by Gata Hennigan of Baton Rouge.

I was born and raised in Lebanon.

It's a small and beautiful country in the Middle East, in a small village called Sidon.

I grew up in a time where the things we needed most often they were handmade from bread to close to the cheese.

Even though we sometimes.

My mother was a seamstress, and she was very meticulous.

My father was a builder, but his real passion was making things.

So after he retired, he started making small tables from collected stones and scraps of wood.

And they were great.

I was making miniature furniture from used cardboard boxes, and I used to sew clothes for my doll.

So my whole world as a child was outdoors play time or indoors crafting time.

And it was great.

It was the best.

As a child, I've never been introduced to clay or never seen clay my life.

And after high school, I went to college and I kept switching majors until I finally graduated with sacred Art degree.

During my studies of sacred art, I was introduced to clay for the first time.

I took one course of ceramics, but I never thought I would work with clay again.

So after I graduated, I went to a 9 to 5 regular job.

Later, my sister, she's a nun and an artist.

She asked me to work with her.

She wanted to expand the embroidery studio and add ceramics.

And of course I said yes.

I was so excited.

She knew I didn't know much about Clay, but she took the chance and I became a potter by chance.

The studio was only one room.

There was a big embroidery and noisy machine, and we didn't have even a table for me.

So we put two chairs and a piece of wood, and I worked there on that thing by a little bit at a time.

We had a kiln, we had a bigger studio.

I had as many tables as I want, and it developed a little bit at a time, and it became like a big studio.

So I worked there with her for five and a half years, and I was making just items, but never functional pots.

My only resource, was books and experimentation.

And this is how I learned.

Just reading books, experimenting and just getting better at it a little bit at a time.

After I came to the United States, I was like, so surprised and fascinated by the ceramics world and how they teach it in college.

I've been here since 2006, and I established my own studio and the dining room like you see behind me.

Since the end of 2007, and I've been working with Clay ever since, I had to start all over again making functional pottery.

I started taking ceramics online classes, and I attended, the visiting artist workshop at LSU in the ceramics studio.

So those two things were really helpful in establishing my career as a potter, plus, tremendous support of my husband.

I didn't have a wheel, so I started by hand building.

Later on, my husband and brother, they got me a wheel for Christmas and I put it on the kitchen counter when I need to work on the wheel.

But since I didn't have space for the wheel all the time to just keep it there and work whenever I want to.

I started to just build more stuff, and then I got used to it.

And now I like it more because the pace of building is so slow, meditative, I can control it better.

My focus is mainly on functional parts, so I make mugs.

Bowls and.

Jars.

And.

Plates.

And.

But I also make some decorative things like vases.

What are.

Then?

Ornaments.

Most of my legislation are, inspired by my childhood memories and stories from my childhood.

Like some of the animals that I draw, I had, like, a personal connection with these things from back then.

Back in Lebanon.

I also draw my inspiration from nature's forms and textures and from what I see around me, and of course, from living in Louisiana.

For example, when I first started going to markets, people would ask me, do you have any Louisiana design?

I would say, no, I didn't feel it yet.

I was still adjusting and when I don't feel something, I can't make it.

So it took me eight years to live here, to feel like it's really home.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, I found myself just drawing the pelicans and the beach and even the pelicans and the bees.

They have a connection to Lebanon, to.

And I like this appliqué technique that you can like cut something.

And it's also called sprigs in clay terms that you make something out of the shallow mold.

And then you apply it to the piece when it's still not too dry.

And I like to use different kind of technique for decorating, because my process is mostly about decorating and about illustration and about texture.

After a few years of using different glazes, I finally settled on, those translucent bright coral glazes because they show the texture and all the drawings that I put underneath so I can at the same time draw a texture, highlight the texture, and use those translucent glazing to show everything that I drew or all the texture I put on my pots.

And I like that.

The ceramic process for me doesn't get easy.

It's a long process from making, decorating, drawing, firing, then glazing, then firing again.

Plus, working with clay has a lot of possibilities, so I'm always learning.

Hello everyone!

I'm Chelsea Norris, co-director of and Carnally Fine Art.

I'm happy to be here volunteering for LPB to present this special holiday edition of Art rocks alongside James Fox Smith, who is the host of the series and publisher of Country Roads magazine.

Hey, Chelsea, how are you?

Good.

How are you?

Used to see you.

Great to be back.

We're both out of context today.

I love it.

Yeah, I know, it's great feedback.

Thank you.

Chelsea.

As all of you loyal readers and viewers know, Art rocks is PBS's weekly series that spotlights artists, performance, culture, literature, landscape, history, and the impact of art in our world.

It features Louisiana stories as well as segments from PBS affiliates across the country.

Yes, and as you've just seen, this special is spotlighting Louisiana artists who each, in their own creative way, is making this season even merrier.

LPB has a membership opportunity that lets you choose artwork created by these artists to give or to give us a gift, right?

And it should be noted also that usually during our on air membership messages, we come to you 2 or 3 times during a program to remind you of all of the thank you gifts that are available.

This time though, the only program break is this one that you'll get to see the specially curated Art rocks!

Thank you gifts that are available this time.

So grab a pen, take notes so you can receive the items that you love most.

That's right.

We need to hear from all of you.

Art rocks fans so that we can continue to air new seasons and meet more artists that make our communities so creative.

Make your pledge online right now@lpb.org.

Or call us or text give to 888769 5000.

Or you can scan the QR code you see on your screen right now.

Take a look at the special GIFs mentioned to you right now.

When you become a member, you support all the programs you love on LPB, including Art rocks.

So join now and we will thank you with your choice of membership.

Gifts created by Louisiana artist featured in the Art Rocks Holiday Special for $25 a month, receive the Art rocks combo that includes a signed and numbered print collection by artist Sean Allman, including past the hot sauce and crawfish boil, a cardinal Christmas ornament by ceramicist Got a hint again?

And Louisiana Cypress Trees note cards by artist Craig Ruth for $12 a month.

Choose the signed a numbered print collection from artist Sean Allman that includes past the hot sauce and crawfish boil for $10 a month, receive the Cardinal Christmas Ornament by Ghada Hennigan, or for just $6 a month, choose the Louisiana Cypress Trees note cards by Craig Ruth, plus receive visions LP B's monthly program guide and our popular member benefit and streaming service, LPB passport.

Welcome back.

We'll remind you of the thank you gifts you just saw on momentarily.

When you become a member during this break, you're telling LPB you value the stories about the artists who make our state and our culture so unique.

LPB has such amazing arts programs from documentaries on such artists as Clementine Hunter and Angela Gregory, to presenting the performing arts on great performances.

But my favorite has to be the Art rocks, because the number of artists we get to meet each and every week.

And James, you and I both have worked on that program.

Mostly you, but it was a gift to be a part of it for a short time while.

It was a massive privilege to share it with you, Chelsea.

I mean, if there's anybody in the state that knows more about the what contemporary art in Louisiana, the diversity and the variety, it shows, it's you.

So I feel like I learn from you in every conversation we have on the subject.

Oh, it's so fun.

Now, believe it or not, Art rocks is now in its 12th season, thanks to viewers like you who have called in the past to become members to support the program.

So thank you all who are making your support known right now so LPB can uncover more creativity and inspiration for you to enjoy.

As James said, we will share the thank you gift options again in just a moment.

But first, LPB has another opportunity we want to share with you right now.

Let's take a look.

LPB is win.

The Will's raffle is back!

Amplify your drive with a 2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Efficiency.

Never look so stylish.

Every dollar raised goes to support public broadcasting in your local community.

Make a pledge of $50 for one ticket.

Pledge $100 and get a third ticket free.

Go to LP Dawgs Raffle or call 888769 5000.

You are helping sustain LPB, which makes you a winner and possibly the owner of a new car.

James and I are inviting you to support the programs you love.

You can do that by becoming a member right now.

And really, everything about art rocks is kind of my favorite.

I don't have a favorite episode because they're all great.

What's it been like being the host of such an amazing show that celebrates our community and our artists?

What I've really enjoyed the most about it, Chelsea, is probably the opportunity to see how many different perspectives it gives you on the state of Louisiana.

Every time you look at a piece of original art, you are seeing a view of the state through somebody else's eyes.

And then when you consider the talent that is incorporated into that, I find that it's there's every I come away with a greater experience and enrichment of a way to to find ways to appreciate Louisiana.

Every time we tell one of these stories.

Yes, and giving art is actually one of my favorite things to do.

And do we as well.

And getting it?

Yes.

When I say that, it is definitely like a reciprocal thing, but yeah, I think learning the context behind an artist makes you even more appreciate the piece of art itself, the physical thing.

It's that entity around it.

And it's fabulous for travel too.

When you think about how important it is for tourism and travel and visitors to to come to Louisiana again, that perspective that visitors get when they see the, the art on the streets, the art in the, in the in the music, on and in the place and play it everywhere.

You get an opportunity to enrich that experience.

I love that.

So while your membership during this program is telling LPB you love the series, Art rocks, it also helps LPB to bring you all the other programs that you depend on year round.

So here's your chance.

I mentioned that this is the only break to see this selection of gifts, so I hope you grabbed your pen because one last chance that you can see how to receive original work from the artists that are featured in this Art rocks holiday special.

When you become a member, you support all the programs you love on LPB, including Art rocks.

So join now and we will thank you with your choice of membership.

Gifts created by Louisiana artist featured in the Art Rocks Holiday Special for $25 a month, receive the Art rocks combo that includes a signed and numbered print collection by artist Sean Allman, including past the hot sauce and crawfish boil.

A cardinal Christmas ornament by ceramicist got a hint Again and Louisiana Cypress Trees note cards by artist Craig Ruth for $12 a month.

Choose the signed a numbered print collection from artist Sean Allman that includes past the hot sauce and crawfish boil for $10 a month, receive the Cardinal Christmas Ornament by God, a hand again, or for just $6 a month, choose the Louisiana Cypress Trees note cards by Craig Ruth, plus receive visions LP B's monthly program guide, and our popular member benefit and streaming service LPB passport.

Before James and I sign off, we want to thank you all for becoming members during Art Rocks the Series holiday special and give a shout out to art rock series producer and Senior Producer for LPB, Dorothy Kendrick, who I know and love and she does an amazing job researching the artists.

She travels the state and she brings them all to us in our living room.

That's right.

We get to do the exhibit.

We just stand in front.

But really, Dorothy is the one that brings the show to life.

So thank you, Dorothy, and thank you everybody.

Operators are standing by and are ready to hear from you.

You make the difference with your membership.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Sean I am and lives in the New Orleans area and celebrates the spirit of the Crescent City in all of his works, even those with Christmas themes.

Cards image.

Start off with a Louisiana theme based off of Louisiana, either seafood or things like that, or Louisiana folklore.

Things like Papa Noel, Santa Claus with sacks full of toys like fishing poles and shrimp boots and alligator food toys and that sort of thing.

Anything I can think, find to put into this that people like it because it's just something from the area, not a generic store bought card.

The Christmas card with the crawfish and the artichokes just went together.

It just seemed great because the red of the crawfish and the queen of the artichokes are Christmas colors, so it just lends itself to the Christmas idea.

And it's just a fun little thing where everybody goes to different crawfish boils and everybody tries to do a little something different.

People throw artichokes on their sausage, all kinds of stuff.

Corn.

They're popular with both tourists and locals.

I so a lot of lost the internet to my Etsy and website, but they don't just go locally, they mostly go to the Gulf Coast, but they also go to East Coast, West Coast, and everywhere in the 20.

People just want a little piece of Louisiana.

This is a favorite painting that I did a while back.

I tried to do make the crawfish intertwine with each other, and I call this one The View from the bottom of the pot.

So the crawfish are looking up at the sky, and they just kind of just a fun, colorful painting and just red, bright reds and bright yellows and the blue of the sky.

The Rooster at Mardi Gras is a version of the Mardi Gras.

Cajuns chase the chicken.

They try to catch it to make gumbo.

So it's a big part of Louisiana.

It's a big part of Mardi Gras.

So the head beads, I've tried to make it fun when I put beads and crown on the chicken and.

Being from New Orleans, I've grew up and I've listened to jazz.

I've listened to blues.

I've listened to all these different bands.

There's brass bands and all kinds of different things.

I've go to a lot of music festivals, which just feeds into the culture.

It feeds into the heritage of New Orleans.

Those are some of the things that would make it to my paintings, and that's what I want to share.

In this.

Cool.

So I sell out at the music festivals and that sort of thing.

I enjoy painting them and people collect them.

They have their favorite artists and that's something they want.

Same thing with the musical instruments.

In the cases these people grew up, they play clarinet.

I think played trumpet.

They played saxophone.

And they want a piece that they hang on the walls.

So I enjoy doing it.

My clients come from all over the place.

They come in town, they go to the festivals, and then they see the piece and they really enjoy doing that.

They're among some of the people that I've painted over the years.

Is a street performer down in New Orleans going out on to Loosen Royal.

He would just sit on the corner.

He was blind in one eye is his name is Grandpa Elliott.

Now he recently passed away, but that was his thing.

He would sit there and play music.

From there.

He became famous and got on tonight's show, I believe, and played for playing with change into world tours.

Just a street performer, but he was part of New Orleans.

He played son Monica and just sat on a five gallon bucket and played for change, you know?

So for the past few years, I've had the pleasure of designing all of the posters for the New Orleans Bourbon Fest.

It's fun festival where they let you go and sample all these high end bonbons.

I try to keep all the posters with the Louisiana theme, because it's the New Orleans Bourbon Fest.

I added all things like alligators and fiddles and accordions and anything I could think of.

And a little Cajun cottage back in the back to the bar, even with a little outhouse in the back, I just try to mix them all together and fit them in there.

So it's like a puzzle and it all just fits in.

I'm really happy the way it crawfish drinking is bourbon and stuff like that.

And that is that.

For this edition of Art rocks, I've been James Fox Smith, thank you for joining us.

The West Baton Rouge Museum is proud to provide local support for this program on LPB, offering diverse exhibitions throughout the year and programs that showcase art history, music, and more.

West Baton Rouge Museum culture cultivated Art rocks is made possible by the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting and by viewers like you.

Can.