Staff Reports
Scott and Jill Stowers, who work from their modern homestead in Brown County, bring together traditional skills with a modern interpretation.
The Nashville couple is among 32 artisans and 22 studios participating this month in the 20th annual Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour.
Visitors can drive down scenic back roads, wind through woods decked out in their finest fall colors, and discover art on display and for sale at Brown County artist studios.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Visitors can watch artwork take shape before their eyes, with artists and craftsmen demonstrating daily. Guests can talk with artists and explore the spaces that inspire them, and purchase pieces directly from the creators.
The Stowerses offer handmade soaps and candles, traditionally preserved foods, plus fine woodworking, all in a setting including gardens and farm animals and their studio, The Wood Frog.
“When most people think of a homestead, they imagine something like ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ ” Scott Stowers said. “What’s fantastic, though, is that anyone can create a sense of place in their own space to homestead, and we are no different.”
The Stowerses use inputs from their own land to create an experience that is functional and charming. Products range from the unique and artistic to the functional and traditional, and all resources are locally sourced.
“Our work offers a glimpse into how the skills, crafts, and lifestyle of our ancestors is attainable even in our modern culture,” Jill Stowers said.
The couple is largely self-taught, and have slowly increased their skills, moving from hobbyists to professionals.
Scott Stowers has always been drawn to expressive creativity, and tinkered with a number of mediums before settling on woodworking.
“I select locally milled pieces of wood,” he said, “with an eye for the character of the wood. Creating pieces in our wooded surroundings allows for a sense of the complete circle.”
As for Jill Stowers, she has never been able to stay out of the kitchen.
“A family history of farming and self-sufficiency has left in me a love of traditional food preservation,” she said.
As their homestead has grown, they have added hand-crafted soaps and candles.
A typical day in the life of The Wood Frog starts with tending the farm and its animals.
Even the couple’s children help in making soap or pouring candles.
“I make the rounds,” Scott Stowers said, “letting animals out and caring for them. Perhaps the gardens have harvest that is ready, or a fence needs fixing.”
After that, he spends time in the wood shop, crafting pieces for the galleries and shops that carry their work, stocking up their home gallery for the Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour, or working on custom orders.
“Evenings are back on the land,” he said, “getting animals down for the night and making plans for the next day.”
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Artists: Scott and Jill Stowers
Studio: The Wood Frog
Medium: Homestead arts — woodworking furniture, games and novelties, soap, candles, jams, jellies, demonstrations, and classes
October hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Address: 1294 McLary Road, Nashville
Phone: 812-345-4711
Email: [email protected]
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