By Kathleen O. Brown
Upholstery artist Jenny Ellis of The Artful Chair is offering in-person upholstery classes starting in January in her studio at Marshall High Studios overlooking the French Broad River.
Participants will transform a chair of their choice into a work of art under the guidance of Ellis whose custom upholstery work through her business The Artful Chair transforms pieces into artfully reimagined creations. Attendees do not need prior experience and each class is limited to just four students so that Ellis can give close personal attention to each participant.
Jenny Ellis, artist
“The joy of creating with your own hands is what I love to see on their faces,” Ellis says of her students. “I love teaching the whole process and the ‘hows and whys’ of upholstery. It has become a lost art of sorts with all the foreign furniture imports that are not made well. With these new skills, one can save a chair from the landfill and customize it for one’s own decor. The older chairs have so much more character and are so much more well-built.”
Classes are eight weeks long and begin Wednesday, January 7, with both morning and afternoon sessions available at her studio at 115 Blannahassett Island Road, in Marshall. Ellis will offer additional Thursday sessions and a focused Friday mini-term for those who want a deeper dive or who need a more flexible schedule.
To ensure success, Ellis says participants need to have her approve beforehand their choice of chair. After the first class, she shares a shopping list for supplies. Participants can email her if they want to shop for fabric ahead of time. In addition to having fabric books students can look through, Ellis takes her class on a fabric shopping trip to a local foam and fabric store where they can receive a 10 percent discount.
Ellis hopes her students gain confidence as they learn upholstery skills.
“That old phrase ‘always use the right tools for the right job’—well, it’s true,” Ellis says. “Those who attempt to recover something on their own usually find it difficult. They don’t know the secrets and ‘know-how’ that I can share. This is why my classes will get you the look and ‘know-how’ faster and easier. It’s all about using the perfect tools, learning steps to removing and applying fabric and the skill to make a good-looking, professional finished project. Collaborating along the way to add a little creativity is such a fun bonus, especially when I suggest an artful twist that can take their chair from ordinary to extraordinary.”
Visit TheArtfulChair.com to sign up for Jenny Ellis’ classes and to learn more about her own creations.
