Born out of a love for creating trendy and classy home decor, as well as a love for sewing, Chêne Rouge Design & Decor came into existence nearly a year ago. Morgan Wooten, the owner, creator and talent behind Chêne Rouge (translated “Red Oak”) started making and selling various items through an Etsy storefront when she simply began to run out of room in her apartment for her own creations. So, she had two choices: quit making stuff or make for others. Lucky for us, she chose to follow her passion and keep creating and sharing her work with the masses!

Pairing modern necessities with classic, vintage styling and patterns, each of the handmade items that come out of Chêne Rouge are one of a kinds. Currently selling chic iPad cases and jewelry frames that marry the practical and the fashionable in a truly unique way, we’re only seeing the beginnings of what Chêne Rouge will be offering as more and more items are being planned and produced.

314 Industries is excited to see what’s next and encourage you to keep up with what’s coming down the line by checking out the Chêne Rouge Etsy page.

How it happened…

Brent Griffith started creating visual art as an extension of making music. Designing and creating punk flyers is where he first became interested in producing art that didn’t require a guitar in his hands. His first tools were simply Sharpie markers, paper and a photo copier. His subject matter? Typically skating, skulls and politics. Gradually experimenting with other mediums and subject matter, Brent started branching out and exploring different ideas and ways of producing art. Now many years later, he’s still at it, Creating art and noise. His Sharpies still aren’t far from reach…

Brent’s mentality behind art is that it goes hand in hand with music. One inspires the other and the visual and audible play off of one another in every possible way. Often a piece of visual art will lead him to creating a new piece of music and vice versa.

His process is haphazard and frantic with just a bit of planning thrown in. Developing digital collages and creations or building upon objects that he comes across are just a couple of the ways he makes art. Mixing mediums and a little “let’s see what happens” influence his work heavily. The final product can be anything from a simple print to a freestanding, “peek if you dare,” box with an elaborate scene of confusion within. Regardless of the outcome, his work does not go unnoticed and will always leave an impression.

In short, Brent Griffith is a father, husband, musician/artist and skater. His art however, can not be so neatly defined. You simply have to experience it for yourself. Look for his art in a gallery for the full effect or head over to his new website for a sampling. You can also check out his musical creations on his Black Sounds Black website.

12 years old. That’s when Kelli Brinkley’s obsession for photography began. Kick started when her Dad gave her a 35mm Minolta as a pre-teen, the obsession has grown into both a career and an artistic outlet.

Kelli has always taken her photography seriously, making it more than a hobby. For this reason she pursued and attained a BFA in photography from UNC-Charlotte. She further honed her skill by studying at various schools in New York and The Penland School of Crafts in NC.

Originally starting a photography business that focused simply on photojournalistic wedding shoots, she has since expanded to maternity, children, engagement and even the occasional boudoir shoot. Her laid-back nature and warm heart give her a special knack for making people feel at ease during her shoots and the results are beautifully crafted portraits that capture the not only a memory, but the spirit of the subjects.

Uniting technical skills with fine art, Kelli brings an authentic and unique vision to photography. While this applies to her portraiture, she goes even further to seek out locations and obscure items in everyday life from which she can create a work of art. This makes Kelli’s work not only beautiful but also versatile. You are just as likely to find her work as a conversation starter in an album on a families coffee table as you are to find it hanging on the walls of a fine art gallery.

To see a wider variety of Kelli’s work, and to get information on booking a session with her and her camera, visit her website.

Daniel Dunlop‘s love for art and creativity started at an early age. He can still remember creating comic books out of printer paper when he was just 7 or 8 years old. He came by his artistic talent honestly. Daniel’s father, being a photorealist painter, gave him his first set of watercolor tubes. To this day he still carries a passion for the medium.

Though it was his parents that instilled a love of art and writing in him at an early age, it has been Daniel’s desire to grow as an artist that has pushed him to expand and explore the possibilities of watercolor, acrylics and other mediums.  His passion is still thriving and he continues to hone his skill. His love of cartoon and comic styling can often be seen hanging next to a beautiful watercolor floral in one of his shows and exemplifies both his range and his desire to try a variety of things with his art. Bright colors and both vintage and modern urban landscapes current trademarks of his work, but don’t be surprised if you see him mix up his subject matter with some “robot apocalypse” pieces.

His pieces are unique and never the same. Continue to watch this artist to see what’s coming next. It likely won’t be what you’re expecting.

Daniel lives in North Carolina with his wife, Meg, who also has artist tendencies as a crafter and photographer. (They also have an adorable little girl.)

Disclaimer: It’s safe to say that we know little to nothing about this artist. In fact, what we do know about him is what we have managed to glean from his blog or by following him on Instagram. In fact, he might even prefer to go by his alias on Instagram rather than Clinton Kirk (which happens to be “conchena” if you want to go look him up), but Clinton Kirk matched the website, so that’s what we’re going with.

That said, here is what we know: He likes bikes, showing off his produce, doodling and he takes phenomenal photographs. When photographing people, his style isn’t the traditional portraiture pose and shoot. In fact, it’s not even the recently popular “magazine” or editorial style of candid shooting either. Rather, it’s just rough, simplistic, yet beautiful in the moment snapshots that are deserving of hanging on an art gallery wall. The honesty that is evoked from these images makes you stop and consider the story of the subjects’ lives, and though you don’t know them, you come away feeling like you do.

Faces aren’t the only thing Clinton captures on film. Browsing the categories of his site you will find some fantastic shots of pets that are often humorous and yet often just as poignant  as the aforementioned portraits. Where we tend to get drawn in are his photos of the everyday. From laundromats to street art he gives you a unique perspective to the world we live in. This may just be freezing time by capturing an image of a city at a specific moment, or it could be his use of macro photography to bring even the smallest details to the sharpest focus.

Regardless of what we know about Clinton Kirk, his photography and his art (in the form of sketches, doodles and likely many other mediums) are some of the best story tellers we’ve ever seen. These are truly fitting of the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” You wouldn’t necessarily hire him to shoot a wedding (though he’s done that too), but you might consider getting him to just go out an shoot your favorite neighborhood or friends at a party to decorate your home with because he will definitely create some conversation starters and memories with his talents.

Check out his website to see more of his work, and follow him on Instagram for equally amazing iPhone shots. Prints of his work can be ordered via email.

Derek Leek is one of those people that is just way to talented at too many things. He’s a mutli-instrumentalist (though not all at once), a photographer and an incredible designer. Based near Raleigh, NC he uses his skills as a web designer/developer as his day job, but puts his many other talents to work in his off time.

Derek’s interest in photography started in high school and grew to more than just a hobby in college. While it hasn’t pushed him to the point of making it a career, he can often be found shooting events, weddings, portrait sessions and the occasional interior design job. However, to see the true beauty in his photography, it’s best to see the things he shoots just because he wants to. These are the shots that you want to hang on your wall. Whether it’s a landscape/cityscape shot when he discovers an interesting way of viewing it, or portraits of towns and people he meets while traveling on missions trips to Central and South America, these are instant conversation starters and works of art.

Being a designer, both print and web, he can often bring a very unique look and feel to his photographs with his editing style. While expressionistic at times, he never creates an image that seems fake.  Rather, he uses his editing to highlight details that may have been missed or bring harmony to the entire scene that he is portraying.

Beyond his skills behind a camera, Derek does amazing design work. Projects have included web sites, brochures, wine bottle labels, logos and more. His work here, again, takes on a unique perspective, drawing on a number of influences to meld a unified piece of functional art. He is constantly challenging himself and learning new processes utilizing digital design that causes each work to come out even better than the last.

A full portfolio of his work, along with his photography can be viewed on his website which also gives insight into the process for many of his projects. You can also connect with him on Twitter.

Intermingling traditional art styles and innovative mediums, J Clark‘s works are experienced as quick, colorful and explorative. There are so many elements that come together in his catalog of work that one immediately gets a sense of his desire to grow as an artist and not be limited in his abilities to create and express himself.

J’s creative process is best summed up in his own words:

“I am aware of the spirituality of art making. I choose to connect with this reality in the area’s of truth, goodness and beauty. I ask myself if what I am creating falls into these three categories, and can it lead the viewers soul to contemplate one of the three.”

From abstracts to portraits, J Clark acheives just that. His works cause the viewer to stop and think, but not in the scratching-your-head-”what-is-that” kind of way. The emotion in the faces of the portraits draws you to consider the thoughts behind the expression and the intricacies of his mixed media work make you question how one comes to bring so many elements together in a way that is perfectly balanced. In addition, you occaisionally get to see a “simpler” street art styling, that while no less beautiful and thought provoking, tend to use fewer and more basic mediums.

J Clark (AKA: Jason T. Clark) lives in Jacksonville, NC with his wife Shelley and their two cats, Munchkin and Lynne. His works can be seen in various galleries around Eastern North Carolina, including New Bern Artworks and Art Exposure. Be sure to check out his website for updates on his work and follow his blog for insights into the pieces he creates.