Norcross Art Fest: Bill and Tammy Hicks

One in a series of profiles on vendors expected this weekend at the Norcross Art Fest.

Bill and Tammy Hicks are vendors who create clay caricatures of animals and humans. Before the festival, Patch asked Bill Hicks a few questions on his art and about Hooper Mill Mountain Pottery, the company he runs with his wife.

Under what genre is your art classified?

Our work is normally listed as clay, non-functional. We describe it as whimsical clay creations.

How would you describe your art to a complete stranger?

We would describe our art as clay caricatures, where we have fun creating animal and human figures that bring a smile to your face. We also have pieces that are created for the collector of certain animals, and these won't always be made in a humorous way.

How long have you been producing art?

We started taking classes in clay in the late 60s and early 70s. Our first arts and crafts show was in 1974.

How did you first get started in art?

We had a parent that was a painter and decided to do something different.

Who are your art heroes?

My favorite artist is Norman Rockwell.

What inspires you?

We try to think about what we can create that will be new to our many loyal customers, because what we hear the most when our "regulars" walk in to our booth is "What's new?" We also listen to our customer requests for things we haven't made yet. Some of our customers actually email/mail us photos and drawings of things they would like us to make. 

What is your favorite piece in your own collection? Why?

Our favorite pieces are always going to be our famous reindeer with the Dogwood tree antlers. 

Do you have a website?

We don't have a website, mainly because our product line changes so quickly [that] I would have to spend too much time updating it. We have found that our Facebook page at Hooper Mill Mountain Pottery is much easier to add images to, and the page allows us to send posts to all of our "Likers" with one click, instead of our customers having to search us out on a website. 

Where do you live?

We live in Robbinsville, N.C., a small mountain town about 90 miles west of Asheville.

Are you a full-time artist, or do you have another occupation?

We are full-time artists.

How many times has your art been featured in the Norcross Arts Fest?

This will be our second time exhibiting in the Norcross Arts Fest. We were invited many years ago, but we had a shop in Norcross selling our creations and didn't think it would be right to do a show in the same town where a shop was selling our items. This shop closed last year, opening the door for us to attend. The 2010 Norcross show was our favorite show to do last year. The organizers are the best at what they do that I have ever seen in 35 years of doing outdoor shows!