On his 12-acre property in South Carolina, Kent Ambler finds endless inspiration for his nature-based woodcuts.
Artist: Born in northwest Indiana about 25 miles outside of Chicago. As a kid, Ambler moved around a lot (seven times between first and twelfth grade), mostly in northwest Indiana.
At Ball State University (IN), he was introduced to printmaking and discovered he had a “feel” for making woodcuts. In 1992, Ambler graduated with a BFA in painting.
Ambler spent six years in New Mexico before moving to South Carolina in 2000. He lives, with his wife, dogs and cats on 12 wooded acres on Paris Mountain in Greenville.
Studio: Ambler built his studio from 2016 to 2018 on his property in Paris Mountain in Greenville, SC. The studio, which he has occupied since 2018, is separate from house. Prior to that he mostly worked out of basements and garages.
In the beginning: As a kid who could draw, teachers encouraged Ambler to go to art school. He went, graduated and then figured out there is no “job” for a BFA.
So, having no family money or connections, he worked odd jobs (sign company, landscaping, retail, cabinet shop) until he got into a few galleries and made the leap to full-time artist in 1997.
Art & materials:
- Primarily nature-based woodblock prints, also known as woodcuts. ($100 to $1200). His work depicts birds, dogs, cats, other wildlife, neighbors’ goats, flowering trees, skyscapes, the night, the moon and other things that interest him.
- Paintings (acrylic on panels) and wood-based sculptures that he builds and carves.
Process:
- Starts with an observation or a quick sketch.
- Carves wood (a block for each color), mix inks, and print them in layers on paper to create images. See a video of his process at .kentambler.net/woodcut-process.
“I only print an edition of twenty or thirty and then I never print the blocks again,” said Ambler. “I also do not make any digital copies of my work.”
Favorite tools:
- Gouges and chisels.
- His press.
- All hand tools, no power tools.
Inspirations/influences:
- Folk art, which Ambler collects, may influence on his work.
- German expressionist printmakers.
- Architecture wise, Mid-century modern. “My house was built in 1966 and has a mid-century vibe,” said Ambler.
Special commissions: Generally, he doesn’t do commissions due to the lengthy woodcut process and the fact that the medium is meant to be printed as an edition.
However, Ambler did make eight large bird woodcuts for an architecture firm in 2008. The woodcuts were translated into glass windows for a meditative chapel space for a hospital system in Gainesville, GA.
Free time: Building and designing furniture and spaces.
What’s next: Exhibiting at several festivals, including:
- Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta, GA. April 12-14..
- 4 Bridges arts festival, Chattanooga,TN. April 19-21.
- American Folk Art & Framing, Asheville, NC. Two-person show with Maine woodcarver Doug Frati. August.
- Woodland Art Fair, Lexington KY. Aug. 17-18.
- The Little Green Store Gallery, Huntsville, AL. Solo show. September.
- St. James Court Art Fair, Louisville, KY. Oct. 4-6.
- Hudgens Art Center, Duluth, GA. Solo show. November.
Where to buy: kentamber.com (or.net). See Ambler’s website for other galleries that sell his art.
Get social: Instagram: @kentamblerart
