{"id":1786,"date":"2014-09-26T09:00:34","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T15:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikedumascopperdesigns.com\/blog\/?p=1786"},"modified":"2014-09-26T07:57:59","modified_gmt":"2014-09-26T13:57:59","slug":"chapman-design-at-western-design-conference-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mikedumascopperdesigns.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/26\/chapman-design-at-western-design-conference-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapman Design at Western Design Conference 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
We enjoyed our participation in the Western Design Conference<\/a> in Jackson, Wyoming this month. One of the best parts of the show is meeting the artists and learning about their work. I took the opportunity to interview just a few on the last day of the show, so I could share their stories here on our blog.<\/div>\n
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\"Chris<\/a>

Chris Chapman-WDC 2014-with Mike Dumas Copper Designs.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Chris Chapman of Chapman Design Inc.<\/a>, is a leather artist living and working in\u00a0Colorado. She\u00a0has been a furniture maker for over 20\u00a0years. Chris\u00a0says “I’ve always been a maker of things. When I was 5 years old my Scottish Grandfather gave me an antique sewing machine.\u00a0. . .\u00a0I began making historical clothing at 19.” Chris has travelled to Scottland and seen the land her ancestors lived on and worked from. This inspires many of the pieces she creates.<\/div>\n
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\"Detail<\/a>

Detail of bonded leather work on Scottish Chest by Chris Chapman-Chapman Design Inc.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Chapman<\/a>

Chapman Design Inc.- Leather Wrapped Bar<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The leather bonding Chris works into\u00a0her furniture is a style unique to her design. It’s done by building up layers of leather, then the raised pieces are wrapped and bonded, creating a relief of the image she is portraying. These images incorporate the historical styles of Classic Western, Native American, and Black Forest into many of Chris’s\u00a0pieces.<\/div>\n
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\"Chapman<\/a>

Chapman Design 17th c. style Scottish Warriors Chest<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This Scottish Chest has 400-500 hours of Chapman’s time alone in it, and another 100 hours from local artisans in the woodworking, ironwork and silversmithing trades. Many of her tools are homemade to create the look she is after. She also uses traditional saddle stamping tools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chris is a certified\u00a0Verterinary Technician and says\u00a0anatomy and physiology studies have added to\u00a0the\u00a0detail seen in the animals she includes in her leather designs; horses, deer and birds are just a few.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Interviewing Chris about the work she does taught me that she is very committed to her art, her love of\u00a0history and animals, and the freedom of working in her craft\u00a0to make a living. It was an honor to meet her, and get a close up look at the beautiful work her hands create.<\/p>\n

You can learn more about Chris Chapman and the work she does at her website: chapmandesigninc.com <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Do you collect historical styled furniture or art? Let us know how you display it in the comments below.<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
Thanks<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
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