Born in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains, Apolla Roth is a transplant to the Northern Neck by way of Chesterfield.
She and her husband owned a small weekend cottage on Gwynn’s Island in Mathews County and when they outgrew it a few years ago, the couple sold that and their house in Chesterfield to purchase a waterfront home near Windmill Point, where they work remotely.
“I have always been a very artsy and creative person,” said Roth. “I consider myself a mixed media artist. Although I mostly concentrate on ceramics, I incorporate many materials such as driftwood, glass, clay and paint into my pieces.”
Roth graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in information science and studio arts. She studied under the late renowned American sculptor and enamelist Virgil Cantini.
• How long have you been painting on driftwood? And how/why did you choose that as an artistic medium?
“My family purchased a cottage on the Chesapeake Bay in 2012 and I would beachcomb every chance I got. I initially started painting on shells and then expanded to driftwood on a whim after finding some uniquely shaped pieces that washed ashore. The best time to look for driftwood is after big winter storms.”
• Where do you get your inspiration?
“My inspiration comes from the many blessings that surround me daily. There is an abundance of wildlife throughout the Northern Neck and it is normal for me to see crabs, oysters, nettles, osprey, dolphins, seahorses, turtles, stingrays, fish and bald eagles all in one afternoon in these parts.
“It all starts with the wood. When I see a piece of uniquely-shaped driftwood, immediately an image comes to mind. It is almost like a Rorschach test. Everyone sees something different when they look at something abstract. I just create what I see in my mind by adding paint, shells and maybe some clay to it to bring out its charm.”
• What type of paints do you use?
“For wood, I use acrylic paints and spray them with a clear wood sealer when finished. The outdoor pieces are sealed with two coats of polyurethane to resist fading from the elements.”
• What’s the creative process from start to finish?
“I normally only choose a driftwood I call “sun kissed,” which is already dried, white and ready to paint. But if I find a unique piece that needs a little help getting to the driftwood stage, I can hurry the process along by soaking it in a tub with a cup or two of salt and toss a brick on top to keep the wood submerged.
“I change the water daily until the water no longer turns brown from leaching out the wood’s color. This can take up to two weeks. You can also add a 1/2 cup of bleach to water to speed up the process. Then leave the wood out in the sun for a couple of days to dry and whiten.”
• How many pieces have you made and do you have a favorite?
“I’ve never really counted all the pieces over the past 10 years. I guess my favorite is my cardinal. They say whenever you see a cardinal it’s someone you’ve loved and lost back to visit. When I was painting it, it reminded me of my loved ones.”
• Do you create custom pieces by request?
“It’s hard to do a custom request with driftwood because each piece is uniquely made by Mother Nature, and you never know what you will find. When I pick up a piece of wood, its shape reveals itself to me and tells me what it wants to become, not the other way around.”
Roth sells her works occasionally at craft fairs or farmers’ markets but all of her pieces, including ceramics, jewelry, mixed media pieces and driftwoods, can be viewed on her website, apolladesigns.com.
