We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Scott & Stephanie Shangraw a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Scott & Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Scott and Stephanie have always been risk-takers. Pursuing the arts full-time was a pretty easy decision. They rely solely on their artistic endeavors since they are a husband and wife team. They look at it as, “We’re already gambling, so why not go for it.” Their decisions are based on how much this will affect them financially and their artwork. They started as fine furniture makers, specializing in rocking chairs and more sculptural furniture. Scott did a lot of hand shaping and carving in each piece, making them very sculptural and, most importantly, comfortable. They started creating carved bowls to have smaller items to sell at art shows, and it took off from there.

Scott is very creative, and the sculptures allow him to use that “God-given Talent.” So the day came when they decided to stop doing furniture and strictly concentrate on Sculptures. It was a scary risk but well worth it. Their sculptures are constantly evolving, Scott has honed his skills with the chainsaw and grinders, and his imagination for creating new and exciting designs is continually growing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Scott and Stephanie have been involved in the arts from an early age. Scott took 3 years of wood shop in high school and was lucky enough to have a teacher who encouraged and
groomed his talents. Stephanie dabbled with scratchboard art early in life, then pursued singing, receiving a partial scholarship for Vocal Performance at ENMU Portales, NM. After marrying in 1988, they moved to the Phoenix area, and their lives went away from art for a while till they decided to come full circle back to being creatives. Starting as a fine furniture maker, Scott honed his skills by taking classes with famous designer Sam Maloof. Although primarily self-taught, this opportunity allowed him to see how a master woodworker
creates, lives, and enjoys creating with his hands. After years of making furniture, he and Stephanie transitioned to sculpture, where Scott’s creative juices are tested and shown
in incredible ways. Their process starts out with a log, burl, or slab. Scott envisions
what he wants to create out of it and starts the carving with the crudest of instruments, a chainsaw. He skillfully wields the chainsaw, roughing out a design. Then, he uses various grinders to smooth out and thin the piece carefully. These designs range from simple canyon shapes to tunnels, wavy bowls, ribbons, wall sculptures, and other unique designs. Some
are more intricate than others and take much more time to create. Once he’s done, Stephanie takes over. Sometimes, she inlays stones, like turquoise, into the natural cracks and voids. Then she does the painstaking process of sanding each creation to a very fine grit and applying several coats of hand-rubbed oil finish to achieve the perfect sheen. Sometimes, a piece may get a unique technique, like a copper patina, gold leafing, or other painted technique. Each is a true “One of a Kind” to be treasured.

There are always challenges with any career choice, but more so with being an artist. You not only have to rely on constantly coming up with new and exciting ideas to stay ahead of the game, but you are at the whim of any changes in the world economy. Art is not a
necessity. It’s a feeling invoked in an individual to desire something that brightens up their lives and homes and then to want to spend the money to purchase it. So artists must work
and strive to reach those individuals and appeal to this desire. That means constantly getting your name and work out there in the public eye, either by the internet, social media, art shows,
galleries, or whatever works. It’s hard work and takes lots of effort and hustle on the artist’s part. All this is in conjunction with being creative. Artists are known for being innovative but need to be better business people. Luckily for Scott and Stephanie, they have had
other businesses encompassing the best of both worlds. But that doesn’t mean it’s not still hard. This is a whole different demon to conquer. They personally choose to sell their art mostly at fine art shows. Seeing their work in person and learning the process directly from them is more appreciated. They both like being one-on-one with their collectors, getting to know them more personally.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the creativity and freedom it affords us. Especially as a wood carver. Scott will be as creative as his mind will allow. Each piece is unique due to the wood itself and the carving process. We strive to be unique and constantly create new and exciting pieces to keep us as artists intrigued and enjoying our work. The freedom of being an artist can be both rewarding and challenging. Although we can make our own schedule and not be tied down to a 9-5 timeframe, we must keep those creative juices flowing, keep creating consistently, and stay focused. So, it takes discipline. It also takes discipline to live within their means. As an artist, you must discover where or when that all-mighty dollar will come from. A show may do gangbusters one year, and the next, totally bomb. So you have to plan accordingly. They live a simple life where bills are kept as low as possible to get through those
lean times and try to budget as best as possible to make it stretch. Even though, at times, it can be stressful, this life is also rewarding in so many ways. There is something to be said about living a simpler, less cluttered life and enjoying the peace and
tranquility it brings. Being an artist isn’t for everyone, but those who have made it work are better for and from it.

Have you ever had to pivot?

We had two significant shifts in our lives regarding our career changes. The first was when we decided to sell our 4 health food stores in Phoenix in 2001, right after 9/11, and pursue being furniture makers. Then again, in 2017, we switched to strictly creating carved sculptures. Both these decisions were life-changing for us and for the better. We thoroughly enjoy our choices and wouldn’t change a thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shangrilawoodworks.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/shangrawwoodsculptures
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/shangrilawoodworks

Image Credits
Ron Kirk Atalanta Kirk