2023 Blue Ribbon Winners
Renee Meyer
Clay Artist
Renee grew up in League City playing in the mud and digging clay from the creek beds. Her pottery studio has been a staple in the community for 28 years. She hosts many childcares, girl scout troops, and senior citizen classes. Her career started in high school with 4 years of art and 3 years of architecture classes. She followed that with 2 years of college art coursework. She has studied under some great artists, and has participated for many years in the annual Art-Ober-Fest in Galveston. By combining unconventional glazes such as low-fire glazes with raku glazes, Renee creates dynamic and colorful pieces. Along with this Renee utilizes other techniques like mid-fire, low-fire, sgraffito and slip-trailing, Renee’s distinctive style is multi-textured, mixed media, and natural. Her motifs especially include floral designs inspired by hiking through botanical gardens or off roading in her jeep. Renee also brings movement and fluidity to what is normally a static art form. Renee’s original art can be viewed and purchased at her studio in League City or one of her annual shows. Artoberfest in Galveston, Salt Grass Potter Sales, and Texas Clay Fest in Gruene.
Renee, an exceptional artist, has achieved a remarkable feat that hasn't been seen in over a decade – earning a perfect score twice in a row. Her journey began in League City, where she spent her childhood immersed in the wonders of nature, playing in mud and extracting clay from creek beds. For 29 years, her pottery studio has been a beloved cornerstone of the community.
From her earliest days, Renee's passion for creativity was ignited, with her high school years marked by four years of dedicated art study and three years delving into the intricacies of architecture. Building upon this strong foundation, she continued her artistic exploration with two years of intensive college-level art coursework. Guided by influential mentors, Renee honed her skills under the instruction of renowned artists, setting her on a path of continuous growth.
A fixture in the local artistic scene, Renee has been a devoted presence at the annual ARToberFEST in Galveston for many years. She artfully combines unconventional glazing techniques, seamlessly fusing low-fire and raku glazes to yield captivating and vibrant pieces. In her creative process, Renee employs an array of techniques – from mid-fire to low-fire, sgraffito to slip-trailing – resulting in her signature style characterized by its multi-textured, mixed media, and organic essence.
Renee's distinctive motifs often draw inspiration from her experiences – be it traversing through botanical gardens or embarking on off-road adventures in her trusty jeep. In a genre known for its stillness, she introduces a unique sense of motion and fluidity, breathing life into her creations.
Experience Renee's original artworks firsthand by visiting her League City studio or attending one of her annual showcases. Her pieces are showcased at esteemed events such as ARToberFEST in Galveston, Salt Grass Potter Sales, and Texas Clay Fest in Gruene. Each creation tells a story, inviting you to become a part of Renee's artistic journey and the vibrant narratives she weaves through her remarkable pottery.
Tim Pattison
Painter
Blue Ribbon artist Tim Pattison, recognized for his distinctive artistic vision, has embraced the intriguing epigram "From West of Center" since 2017. Living in Nacogdoches, at the time which is place that lies approximately 30 miles west and slightly south of Center, Texas, Pattison found inspiration in the convergence of the West and the South. It had become a joke using tiny Canter Texas population 5100, as the center from which he would situate himself.
Pattison's affinity for the West of Center concept didn't confine itself to geographical coordinates. Now residing in Corsicana, situated 50 miles below Dallas, his longing for the West extends across continents and landscapes. Whether drawing parallels with the I-35 corridor, which courses like a blue spine connecting major Texan cities, or evoking the imagery of the Continental Divide, Pattison's aspiration remains consistent—his heart lies in the West.
This sentiment resonates across oceans and continents. From Africa's western reaches to the shores of Australia, from the European expanse to the realm of Middle Earth, Pattison's artistic compass unerringly points westward. In the realm of music, he finds himself attuned to the westier melodies, where sonic landscapes mirror the expansiveness of his artistic vision.
While geography is rooted in science, its essence flourishes through personal experiences. The West, as Pattison sees it, is a realm of boundless horizons, where clarity of vision meets open-mindedness. It embodies the spirit of live and let live, embracing freedom while remaining steadfastly responsible to one's fellow beings. The West's arid honesty, defined by the relentless sun that bares all, finds a kinship with Pattison's soul.
The concept of West extends beyond geography—it becomes a philosophy, an orientation. Pattison, with a lifelong affiliation to the left coast, has woven this perspective into his identity over the last two decades. In a nation marked by shifting ideologies, Pattison's artistic stance stands firm. As the boundaries of the nation's center shift and sway, one can invariably find Tim Pattison and his art proudly positioned to the West of it.
Just as Sinatra's allure heightened as he ventured westward and the Grateful Dead found their beginnings in the same expanse, Tim Pattison's artistic odyssey finds its truest expression in the West of Center—where art, philosophy, and geography converge to create a narrative uniquely his own.