'Artistic Journey' brought Bill and Carole Wise to Jasper
By SHARON KERR Staff writer

BILL WISE (below) is known for his watercolors of historic Jasper buildings like the courthouse; Carole Wise's quilts are remarkable for their use on non-traditional materials, vivid colors and free form appliqué.

Bill and Carole Wise chose to embrace Jasper- for retirement they claim- but the two are as busy as ever with the East Texas Art League, their work, classes and hobbies.

"We knew Jasper because one of our sons lives here," Carole Wise said. "We had lived in Austin and then Marble Falls, and were looking for someplace to retire. We took The Jasper Newsboy for two years before we decided to move here."

"If you want to know about a small town, you can tell a lot by its newspaper," Bill Wise said. "We saw there was some culture, a little theater and the beginnings of the art center. We looked at house prices and realized this is the most bang for your buck."

"And we love it," Carole said. "People have been so welcoming."

This Saturday, April 5 from 2-6 p.m. the couple will host a reception for their new gallery show, Artistic Journey, at the East Texas Regional Arts Center at 364 N. Austin St.

Newsboy photos/ Sharon Kerr

Bill Wise, who worked as an illustrator for a state agency, is best known in Jasper for his watercolors of classic homes and historic buildings. He painted the montage of Jasper that is in the chamber of commerce office, and the patriotic mural on the west side of the P.N. Ashy store.

He is also doing a set of Biblical paintings for Hillcrest Baptist church. The show will include 45 of his watercolors that range from landscapes to character studies.

Carole Wise will have 32 quilting projects and wall hangings on display.

"Bill helps with my quilt designs because I can't draw," Carole said. "And he sometimes even makes my fabrics."

Bill said he tie-died a fabric to make clouds for one of Carole's backgrounds.

"Most material looks flat, they just don't have depth, but you can get more gradation of color and more of a hand look that way," Bill said.

She says her non-traditional art quilts took the local quilters guild by surprise.

"The first time I attended their meeting, people were showing their work and everyone was clapping," Carole Wise said. "Then I showed some of mine, and the room got very quiet."

The Pine Needle Quilters meet the second Tuesday of every month at the Presbyterian Church. Carole Wise said they are rightfully proud of the precision in their quilting, "whereas I am more apt to eye it. As an artist, it's not important to me if the corners meet up perfectly," Wise said.

A lot of her work is free form appliqué, uses buttons and unusual materials and textures. Her style is so distinctive that even though the Texas quilt in the Jasper County Historical Museum had no label, virtually everyone that saw it knew it was a Carole Wise quilt.

In addition to working in their studios at home, Bill Wise teaches classes at the Art Center, and Carole Wise is leader of the local TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group that meets on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. in the meeting room at First Bank and Trust.

The show will run through May 7, Tues.-Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.