Master leathersmith sets up shop in Floyd
A lifelong artist and previous art director, Stone left his career as a nurse to pursue his passions more than a decade ago but has worked specifically with leather for about 35 years.
Master Leathersmith Wheeler Stone, who leases one of the craftsman spaces at the Floyd Center for the Arts (FCA) calls his recent activity in the art world “an incredible renaissance.” He is elated to have recently found a sense of home in Floyd after searching for a creative community to be a part of.
A lifelong artist and previous art director, Stone left his career as a nurse to pursue his passions more than a decade ago but has worked specifically with leather for about 35 years. He said the craft first sparked his interest when he saw a full suit of leather armor at a Renaissance Faire and decided he would like to learn to make one.
Now, Stone operates DocStone Studios from both his home, and the shared creative space at FCA, working leather and more into wearable, functional pieces “for people who want to feel good and look good," he said. "I'm making all the things you put over the clothing to make it look cool."
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Wheeler said that maintaining a creative energy is allowing yourself to be constantly inspired by those around you. "What I'm making now is not the same thing I made a year ago," he noted. "I think that really the key is never get stagnant or just never get used to doing the same thing. I'm always creating."
For example, before moving to Floyd and taking a blacksmithing course at FCA, Stone would purchase closures for his leather crafts online. He now crafts his own at FCA and a forge he built at his home studio. "I've really just gotten into doing the blacksmithing and creating interesting buckle shapes," he said. "I don't know if it saves me money on the actual hardware — what it does is enhance the value of my work."
Stone said he prefers to work in the art center forge because of “the ability to be around other artists and have that constant feedback."
"It's kind of like being in college," Stone explained. "It's a creative environment. You talk with, you see what other people are doing and the creativity kind of like spirals in and out. Like you're giving creativity to other people. It's like energetic feedback that enhances it. Creative energy creates more creative energy.”
Stone said that he finds himself spending 12-14 hours at a time at FCA and often finds himself walking around the facility to see what other artists are doing. He pointed out that the styles and shapes that he observes in the stained-glass studio will often directly influence his leather work. He added that having a studio in a productive, shared art space and being surrounded by other creative people "has really enhanced my art.”
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(Left) Wheeler Stone holds a handcrafted sword sheath. (Right) An original bag made by Stone.
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When creating leather pieces that have a tight fit, such as corsets (which are fabricated in a completely custom manner) Stone explains that it all starts with a form that is fit to the individual persons frame “because not all bodies are the same. I did a Wonder Woman outfit for a client, and it was like a full body duct tape form that I had to make for that, but it fit them absolutely beautifully.”
Stone expressed that over the past year, his work has changed significantly. “I was very big into steampunk about 10 years ago and that kind of went by the wayside, and I moved more into medieval fantasy and that's really, really where my heart lies.” Stone currently finds himself doing “practical stuff like belts and cosplay.”
Stone explained that he finds the most fulfillment in doing custom work for people. They come to him with a character and an idea, and he loves that he makes it come true.
Pieces created by Wheeler Stone.
The development of a new piece of art can vary, but Stone said that the process normally starts by sitting down at Red Rooster, where he reviews sketches. “Then I work it out on paper, then take it to the shop and I work out the pattern. I create the pattern out of the paper, then I basically make it into leather."
After moving himself and his studio to Floyd, Stone was excited to find Schoolhouse Fabrics. "They have an incredible leather selection," he said. "And, it's just down the road, so I can just go and grab it. They're great.”
Anyone interested in seeing Wheeler Stone's work can find him on Facebook or on Instagram as DocStone Studios. He noted that he plans to participate in the Virginia Renaissance Faire this year.
Stone currently has work on display in the lower level of FCA (220 Parkway Lane S.) as a part of the exhibit that highlights artists who are participating in the Artisan Trail.
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