Opening Reception, Saturday, May 22nd, 6-8 p.m.
Brimo-Cox’s show will contain a collection of works across a variety of mediums. Included will be flame-worked glass beads, enameling, jewelry, monotype nature prints, hand-dyed silk scarves and metalsmithing.
Brimo-Cox is known for working across multiple mediums, and yet there seems to be a tie-in among them. Much of her work is an organic, earthy, reflection of nature and natural elements in the world around us. In fact, the Ohiopyle, Pa.-based artist gets much of her inspiration from the local area and its picturesque geography. But she also tends towards whimsical designs on occasion. Explaining the variety of her art for the upcoming exhibit, Brimo-Cox says, ―Spring has sprung and there are many things happening in nature right now. Trees are leafing out. Flowers are blooming. Animals are coming out of hibernation. It’s like a kaleidoscope of activity. So, as a reflection of the bursting forth of creativity in nature, I am busy working in a variety of mediums. There will be new designs and new work in the exhibition. Something else you can expect to see in my artwork this time of year is a lot of color.
Primarily a glass artist, Brimo-Cox began glass beadmaking in 2002. In making flame worked glass beads, Brimo-Cox starts with rods of colored glass. The rods are heated in the flame of a torch and carefully melted, blended and decorated into their final form. She uses a variety of different decoration techniques—from simple to complex—using, for example, stringers, enamels, reduction frits and metal foils. The beads she creates run the gamut from brightly colored to earthy. The glass beads are then annealed in a kiln for strength.
Enameling also is glass work. In the enameling process, glass powders are applied to metals, such as copper, and melted and fused onto the metal using a kiln. In some cases the metal is formed and shaped before being enameled, which led Brimo-Cox to try her hand at metalsmithing. Hand-raised and fold-formed copper bowls and dishes are items the artist enjoys making, but she doesn’t have the opportunity very often because of the specialized tools needed.
Brimo-Cox’s love of nature and plants is readily seen in her monotype nature print creations. She uses natural plant materials, such as leaves, ferns and grasses, to make the one-of-a-kind prints. Colors in Brimo-Cox’s monotypes tend towards ocher, greens, cranberry red and deep blues. The leaves she uses are typically from tree and shrub species native to the region.
A medium very different from Brimo-Cox’s other artistic work is silk scarf dying, but the challenge of working with textiles and dyes interests her a lot. ―The folding, twisting and clamping of the silk fabric to achieve a variety of designs can lead to unexpected results and many happy surprises. Sometimes the pattern of color is quite interesting and eye-catching. And some are drab. Silk scarf dying is very much a medium in which experiments can lead to rich rewards, Brimo-Cox explains.
Brimo-Cox was born in Philadelphia and grew up in eastern Pennsylvania. In 1976, she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Wilkes University. After spending several years in southeastern Virginia and Hawaii, she now calls the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania home. She and her husband, Wm. Lloyd Cox Jr., an artist-blacksmith, sell their art work under the business name Chestnut Ridge Studio & Forge. Brimo-Cox is a member of numerous art organizations, including Arts at Canal Place, the Allegany Arts Council, the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor’s ―Handmade along the Highway Artisan Trail, the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, Three Rivers Glass Beadmakers, Touchstone Center for Crafts, and the Uniontown Art Club. Her work is exhibited and sold through galleries and other venues in Pennsylvania and in Cumberland, Md. In addition to being an artist, Brimo-Cox is a public relations professional, award-winning garden writer and photographer, and a dedicated observer of nature.
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