The Artists of Heartside Gallery and Studio-- Temia Chambliss

Our featured artist for March is Temia Chambliss. Here is a little about the artist, in her own words:

"I’ve always been a dreamer intrigued by life’s journey through self discovery and imaginative cultivation. I believe we are all blessed with various gifts and talents and it is our duty to water our seeds so that they may grow and bloom. For as long as I can remember I’ve held fast to the idea that through diligence and faith my gifts would lead me to a place of prosperity.

As a child I wanted to write. Every day I’d write in my journal, some short stories, some poems, prayers, quotes, Bible scriptures, hopes, dreams, disappointments and desires. Quickly I found that writing could only maintain my attention for short spans and only stimulate a small portion of my creativity. Where there was once only designated space for my writings became commonplace for my doodles and sketches. The main things I would draw were clothes and accessories, but I had a special love for purses. These purses weren’t just your ordinary run of the mill style purses, they were lavishly ornamented with decorative details, embellishments and pockets. One day I decided that I wanted to manifest my drawing from its stagnant page and make it a reality. To accomplish this with lacking resources I had to be inventive. With old jeans I had either out grown or hated I began my project. For hours on end I sat in my room cutting, hand stitching and creating. I had no formal training, I was simply lead by my own curiosity. It took me quite some time to finish but my end result was one I was very proud of.  So proud I gave it away as a birthday gift to my mother. From there on all I could think about was sewing. I became so enthralled with sewing I thought spools of thread would come oozing out of my ears. Somewhere around age 15 I was given my very first vintage sewing machine. The excitement over this machine was shortly lived though because in just over a weeks time the machine was tragically broken. Devastated, I decided to stick to hand stitching. Over time I had made quite a few hand stitched purses, but sadly none of which I can now recall their whereabouts. I went through spells where I’d go back and forth between writing and sewing until eventually I ceased them both, in the back of my mind frequently wondering if I’d ever pick either of them back up.

After graduating community college I decided to attend a four year university where I took up a concentration in journalism and a minor in fashion merchandising. Journalism provided me with the mental space to write and merchandising provided me with the opportunity to sew. I was finally back to my roots. It seemed I was in the perfect position to do exactly the things I had once loved as a child. But just as before I found no contentment in writing. All my life I feel like there’s been this mental dueling of writing verses sewing both of which hold a significant relevance to my growth. Writing for me has always represented refuge but sewing on the other hand has always been my peace. How can there be peace without refuge?

Recently I learned how to knit. In the beginning I was hesitant to affirm my interest in such a perplexing hobby but as I reflect I find that it has enlivened consciousness and pushed the limits of my creativity. Knitting has become my bloom. It would be unfair to say that I arrived at such an elevated state of discovery alone. If it were not for divine intervention, my best friend and partner Gil, my son Kimani or all of my family at Heartside Gallery, I may have never found the strength to persevere in times of doubt and discouragement."

We are excited to announce that Temia has just launched her own Etsy page, featuring her hand-knit ‘Ninja Necks’! Check her work out here!

The Artists of Heartside Gallery and Studio is a monthly feature to highlight some of the wonderful people of the Heartside neighborhood. Visit www.heartside.org , Facebook and our Flickr page to keep up with us, to learn about volunteering and other ways to get involved.

Sarah Scott is Arts Coordinator for Heartside Gallery and Studio at Heartside Ministry, and can be reached at [email protected]