Bill Apelian, artist
By Gina Malone
An uncle he never met inspired wood artist Bill Apelian. He grew up seeing the work of this German woodcarver, turner and furniture maker. “His work was all over our house and it fascinated me from an early age,” Apelian says. “Then about 30 years ago my daughters started asking me to carve things for them—a cat, a horse, Merlin the Magician. As the work got bigger and more complex, I had to buy tools and set up a workspace and The Linden Wood Studio was born.”
Apelian grew up in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania—camping, fishing, hiking and learning woodlore. His mother was from Bremerhaven, Germany and his father grew up in The Bronx after his parents escaped the beginning of the Armenian genocide. Apelian’s father died when he was 11 years old and his mother took over the family business even though she had never written a letter in English.
Although Apelian enjoyed creating things, especially in wood, his life momentarily took a different turn. “There was school, college and then I spent five years on active duty as a US Marine Corps officer,” Apelian says. “By this time, I was married and then the children came along—two daughters—and I began a career in ceramic tile manufacturing. Not exactly creative, but I was managing a plant that made things—lots of things. We had over 800 employees.”
Bill Apelian, artist
After his first wife died about 15 years ago, Apelian took up wood turning, wanting to lose himself in creativity. “So now I was carving Santas and ornaments, and turning bowls and boxes,” he says. “I discovered that I could give new life to trees that were being cut down and make beautiful objects that people could look at and use in everyday life. After all, why shouldn’t the things we live with be beautiful and handmade?”
Making, for him, is an immersive experience and something that he is driven to do, especially with all of the inspirational art he sees in Western North Carolina. “It is a magnificent obsession,” he says. “When I visit the galleries and see the work of other artists, my hands start to tingle and I want to get back to the studio and create again. I enjoy seeing what things will become and improvising around defects in the wood or happy accidents.”
When he began his wood studio, one line of creative work seemed obvious. “I’ve always loved Christmas, so Old World Father Christmas seemed a logical direction,” he says. “I made one, then another, then more. I sold some through a local gallery and on an impulse decided to see if the Gallery of the Mountains would like to carry my work. They did. This led me to Grovewood, and ultimately to being juried into the Southern Highland Craft Guild.”
Bill Apelian, artist
At this time of year, especially, his carved Santas are a welcome addition to the Grovewood Gallery exhibitions. “Bill’s Santas radiate warmth and timeless charm,” says Grovewood’s marketing director Ashley Van Matre. “Each one feels like it has its own soul. The way he brings out that classic, Old-World spirit makes every carving feel like a cherished family heirloom.”
With his Santas, Apelian decides the general style he will use as he begins a new piece. “Then I will sketch him out right on the wood, bandsaw the rough outline and begin carving,” he says. “You have to think three-dimensionally because once you carve something away there is no putting it back.
As the carving progresses, there are opportunities and options that present themselves, so the figure and expression evolve to become the finished piece.” He collaborates with his wife on the color of each piece.
Bill Apelian, artist
With turning, he focuses on form. “Beth Renne [shop manager] at the Folk Art Center says that I turn like a potter,” he says. “That, to me, is a compliment. Beautiful grain is really impressive, and I try to take advantage of the beauty of the wood, but a hundred years from now the wood will have oxidized and darkened through handling, and what is left is form. Does the bowl still sing? Is it alive, or just a lump of round wood?”
Find Bill Apelian’s work in Asheville at Grovewood Gallery and at Southern Highland Craft Guild locations, including the Folk Art Center. Learn more at TheLindenWoodStudio.com and on Instagram (lindenwoodstudio).
