Today we’d like to introduce you to Tosha Wise.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tosha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve lived on Colorado’s Eastern Plains my entire life. The big sky, farmland, CRP, sandhills, and pasture influences what I create. I worked as a fine artist (colored pencil and charcoal) for a few years when my two sons were tiny. The work consisted of local commissions and my personal pieces.
While volunteering for the fine arts division at the Yuma County Fair, I came across 4-H leatherwork. Examining it closely I realized that it was just line, depth and texture. I know all three elements extremely well. I bought a basic tooling kit and watched You Tube videos. I cannot tell you how many times I failed. Each failed attempt brought me closer to the vision in my head.
Leather fascinates me. The smell is primal and the scars, scratches, and insect bites tell the story of the animal and the rancher. I embrace all the imperfections in my work. I stay true to the imagery that know so well, the prairie. The beauty here is subtle and has to be sought out.
Has it been a smooth road?
Life is full of struggles but my two main ones are time and reigning in my perfectionist tendencies.
Making requires uninterrupted time. I teach part-time at a local school and try to balance family/home life in-between studio work. Sometimes I am successful but many times I am not. When the kids were little I would put in late night hours. I can’t do that anymore. As the boys have gotten older its easier to fit in more studio time. I try to paint in an area where my family hangs out, the kitchen. This way I can be more present. The art is important to me and I am always trying to find a balance. It is a work in progress.
My other struggle is perfectionism. My work is highly detailed. I obsess over and love intricate line and color. Its difficult to know when to stop and call a piece done. I have also learned to embrace the handmade qualities of my leather pieces. My hand will never be as exact as a machine. I just try to produce the best I am capable of and put my heart into my work.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Tosha Wise Studios story. Tell us more about the business.
My business is leather craft. I tool, paint, stain, and construct high quality wallets, purses, portfolios, and other items. The imagery I create is mostly landscapes, animals, and local flora. My painting style is reflective of my fine arts background. I love the alchemy of color theory and carving lines on the leather.
I occasionally work with clients. I really enjoy tooling and painting a beloved animal and learning my clients story. Many come from a farm/ranch backgrounds. My husband and I farm irrigated corn and we both grew up around cattle. It’s important to me to elevate the prairie and agriculture in my art work.
What sets me apart from other leather workers is my style. Even though I think traditional tooling styles are beautiful and special; I want to put my own mark on my work. I choose imagery that I can tell my personal narrative. I also consider my leather to be fine art. I love that my art can travel with my clients. The leather will wear with time and use, but it takes on the story of the person who owns it.
I am always extremely proud of how people connect to my work. As an artist I tell stories though my visual work. Some clients have an emotional reaction when they receive my leather. It’s always been the goal to transport my viewers.
I also have pop up shops on my website. Every two to three months I will release what I have built online. I communicate the date of these pop up shops on my instagram and facebook business pages.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
To be honest I am not sure. Right now I am just making and trying to grow my brand through social media. I do see more and more people wanting handmade items. In this culture buying anything is just a click away. My art is not. It’s slow and special, especially my custom pieces. I tell my client’s story and they literally carry the piece with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.toshawisestudios.com
- Email: toshawisestudios@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toshawisestudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toshawisestudios/
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