| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 17 Feb 2012.
Just Plain Talk: Looks like the worst of the cold weather has passed
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 10 Feb 2012.
Just Plain Talk: Now here's a way to carry your jewelry collection around
Underneath the jeweled surface is an old Dodge truck that is taking on a new handcrafted look thanks to the artistry of Mary Pitner. She is co-owner of the Jewelry Connection located in the Western Plaza behind Title Max.
Author: David Popiel
As promised by the groundhog, weather remained mild until a cold blast this weekend, yet spring flowers are in bloom about our hometown well in advance of the first day of spring in late March, as we start thinking of candy, flowers, and jewelry for Valentine's Day.
Before moving along to Leap Month news, let me, for now, end our visit with Stan and Tammy (Mercer) Southerland off Kenyon Road. They live in a beautiful log home produced by Tim Munsey, brother of the late Rev. James Munsey, and assembled by Tammy and her late husband Fred Ottinger. Stan and Tammy's personal touches in the bright and warm, golden brown all-wood interior make the two-story house their home. I was greeted by a cat, Bonnie, and their house terrier, Lola. Bonnie was one of four kittens caught up in the April tornado and it is not known what happened to her siblings. For the past 10 years, Stan has worked at the Greene County Highway Department doing bridge construction. He and Tammy regularly attend New Haven Church off 11E where Keith Williams is pastor. You may have heard his incredible fiddle playing, if not his preaching. It was at church just a few years ago that Stan and Tammy met.
As I left the Southerlands' property traveling on Kenyon Rd. to Peanut I passed another well-kept property and saw a "Treetalking Redbones" sign on a barn-red painted shed. A couple of dogs were running in the sun with their master so I stopped to chat with the woman. Lola Ottinger is married to Lynn Ottinger. My first thought was, how is he related to the late Fred Ottinger? Lola told me that Fred's grandmother, Reba Ottinger is a sister to Lynn's mother, Rosetta. Maybe I will get back this way some day to chat with Lynn and Lola and others along the half-hidden country road.
Dodge gets a body enhancement
Late last year I learned of an amusing project and wanted to see it first hand as it sounded somewhat fanciful. This plan faded away in my memory by the end of 2011, but fortunately a visit to the Jewelry Connection restored the plan after talking with business co-owner Mary Pitner. Actually, it was her partner and daughter, Rhonda Evans, who gave me the suggestion to feature the unique project. Perhaps if you happened by Western Plaza earlier this year, you saw it in the parking lot.
I'm talking about Mary's 1996 Dodge Dakota truck. You may say, "What's so amusing about an old truck?" This one is becoming slowly encrusted with jewels. That's correct. Mary is gluing assorted costume jewelry over the entire vehicle's body. She also has an outlandish color scheme created by cloth planned for the interior. You won't be able to find a truck like this one on Stinnett's showroom floor when Mary completes the project.
I wondered why and how she got motivated to start the art project on wheels. It makes sense when you think about it; she can drive it around and park at the business to promote sales. A family was looking at the truck with butterflies on the doors when I made photos for you to see. Mary began work in the fall of 2011 at her home. She explained, "We buy a lot of fashion jewelry and I didn't want to throw jewelry away." Apparently when Mary buys boxes of this some sells and some doesn't. She had already been doing mosaic tile pictures on the walls of her home. For those not familiar with a mosaic it is when you use tiny pieces of various materials and assemble them using glue or paste on a surface and the finished item might look like a fish or bird or whatever. The other "why" is for therapy. It calms her nerves and she said this helped her avoid Prozac and other drugs.
Because she is handy with a kiln, heating metals and glass to make forms of jewelry, she knew how to make tile and it is easy to break it into smaller pieces. These can also be used to make wind chimes, which she does. She didn't buy the truck for this project but it was handy and needed a paint job rather than the blah faded black. Mary said she has had the truck a long time with ". . . very little investment in it. Why not do something funky with it?" I like to think of it as going mobile with mosaic.
Her initial problem arose when she began gluing jewelry on the fenders and the it fell off; not the fender but the small jewelry. "I experimented with about eight different adhesives and found one that worked." It is a concrete cement and appears strong because I could not pull off a broach or pink earring during my pinch test. Not all the surfaces of the truck will be covered in junk jewelry. The tailgate, as you will see, is being plated with old door keys, and, yes, a few pieces of utensils. It doesn't look like quality silver so don't try to pry it off to steal. She explained it is old electro-plate forks, spoons, and knives that she flattened out with a big hammer. "I had collected keys for years," she said. Funny, I checked around and noticed I do too. Do you have a bunch of keys in jars and cigar boxes at your house? Donate them to Mary, and you probably will never miss them. "I'll take all the donations I can get," she said. Keys, jewelry, buttons, whatever you think might work, Mary will accept. Think about this, when you see the old Dodge truck you might be able to locate the items you donated, but you can't have them back.
The day before Groundhog Day, Mary and Rhonda celebrated their second anniversary of Jewelry Connection at the Western Plaza. She has always been interested in jewelry, arts and crafts, and collecting. The truck is also a good way to display some of the vintage pieces for all to see. And, she will never have to wax the truck again. "I do the work in my spare time" and mostly when the truck is in her garage. She has been around Newport for a number of years. Her parents are from Seymour where she was raised. In addition to Rhonda, Mary has two sons. Rocky works for Toyota Corporation and lives in Versailles, Kentucky. Randy is a sales person with Wyndham at Governor's Crossing in Pigeon Forge.
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