Halloween might be over, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop watching scary movies. Even if you’re a bit trepidatious about the genre and are an avid knitter like Lompoc artist Joellen Chrones, some casual horror viewing now and then could be a fun way to multitask.
“I enjoy my knitting while watching TV at night. I find it easy to watch and knit,” Chrones told the Sun. “If the show is scary or bloody, I just knit and don’t look up.”
Felted hats, purses, and other knitted items are among Chrones’ featured items on display in the Cypress Gallery’s current exhibition, Uniquely Yours, a duo show highlighting functional art by Chrones and frequent collaborator and friend Toni Zybell. The two local artisans have known each other for nearly two decades, Chrones said.
“It will turn cold this winter and these hats are really cute and warm,” said Chrones, commenting on her handcrafted headwear featured in the exhibit, which opened on Oct. 31 and is scheduled to run through Nov. 29.
While Chrones loves to knit, her biggest passion is creating fused glass art, she said. Chrones will often find ample time to knit while her kilns are running, she added.
“I enjoy working with glass the most, even getting cut now and then—the process is fascinating,” Chrones said. “You never really know what glass will do in the kiln or how it will react to the design you put on it.”
While Chrones specializes in functional and decorative glass pieces, Zybell uses enamels, copper, and silver to create her handcrafted jewelry. A collection of Zybell’s earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces are featured in the exhibit and available for sale.
Aside from jewelry, Zybell also creates whimsical “fantasy boards,” which can be used for outdoor or indoor decor. Giraffes, birds, and sunflowers are among the lighthearted designs Zybell either hand carves or stains onto the customized, wooden boards.
Similar to Let’s Do the Holidays—Cypress Gallery’s winter exhibit last year, which also featured items from Zybell and Chrones—most pieces featured in Uniquely Yours are perfectly giftable, just in time for the holiday season.
One of Chrones’ favorite fused glass pieces of hers in the show is her “jungle scene,” a decorative combination of multiple glass designs, including detailed glass leaves and a glass frog.
“My jungle scene was the most fun. All the pieces were fused separately and then put together,” Chrones said. “The frog was done with frit, or powdered glass, in a mold.”
While Chrones was able to create a wide variety of new pieces for her show with Zybell, the artist admitted it’s been hard to stay creative throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she explained.
“The past months have been hard; there are times when you can’t seem to get any creativity going, and it was hard for me to get out in my studio,” Chrones said. “But when I finally did get into the studio, it was great to take my mind off everything and create.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is raising a glass. Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2020.
