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Artist Tommye Scanlin sat down with Peachy Keen at her loom in her Dahlonega, Georgia, studio to discuss teaching, learning, and tapestry on the eve of her second retirement from teaching. We got deep into the history of the University of North Georgia art department, where she taught for 28 years and was appointed Professor Emerita in 2002. Raised by a single mother, Scanlin attended college on scholarships and learned early on to balance her teaching career with her artistic practice. She described the role that her teacher, mentor, and then-colleague Bob Owens played in shaping her career, and she passed on some serious teaching wisdom centered on the desire to learn and the willingness to make mistakes.

Scanlin is a dedicated studio artist with a rigorous daily practice and uses her own paintings for inspiration as she creates large scale tapestries. She breaks down her process, how she arrives at her imagery, and how her paintings and tapestries relate to each other. 

When the studio gets too quiet, Scanlin listens to—what else?!—podcasts! She gives us a few recommendations.