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Working out of her home studio just North of Wellington Lake, Renee Price creates unique art with the hope of proving to people they don’t have to travel to big cities to find talented artists.
Cool Beans Studios-- named so by friends of Price who always uttered the phrase after seeing her work-- specializes in several art forms, including sculpture, painting, and jewelry-making. Much of the merchandise available at Cool Beans is made from found objects, such as antique silverware and watches, and reformed into something wholly original.
Price has been practicing art for over 40 years. In fact, she displays the first painting she ever actually completed at the age of 10 next to more recent projects in her studio.
She didn’t begin focusing on art as a business, though, until she retired from AT&T in 2009. Four open houses have been held at Cool Beans so far, with each serving to give the public not only a chance to see Price’s works, but to also give them the opportunity to buy some for themselves.
Price still works part-time, spending many of her days as a substitute cafeteria worker for the Wellington school system, but she always manages to devote several hours a day to working in her studio.
Price’s studio is as much a work of art as the pieces she sells. Originally a one-room farmhouse, the studio has been remodeled using reclaimed wood and goods actually from the era in which it was built.
“I like to repurpose things into something new,” said Price, more or less summing up her entire outlook on art.
Though there is currently not enough space in Price’s studio to bring in other artists, she likes the idea of one day expanding and having several artists and vendors working out of Cool Beans Studios.
“There are so many places for crafts and art in Wichita. I’d really like to make something like that for Wellington and Mayfield,” she said.
Working out of her home studio just North of Wellington Lake, Renee Price creates unique art with the hope of proving to people they don’t have to travel to big cities to find talented artists.
Cool Beans Studios-- named so by friends of Price who always uttered the phrase after seeing her work-- specializes in several art forms, including sculpture, painting, and jewelry-making. Much of the merchandise available at Cool Beans is made from found objects, such as antique silverware and watches, and reformed into something wholly original.
Price has been practicing art for over 40 years. In fact, she displays the first painting she ever actually completed at the age of 10 next to more recent projects in her studio.
She didn’t begin focusing on art as a business, though, until she retired from AT&T in 2009. Four open houses have been held at Cool Beans so far, with each serving to give the public not only a chance to see Price’s works, but to also give them the opportunity to buy some for themselves.
Price still works part-time, spending many of her days as a substitute cafeteria worker for the Wellington school system, but she always manages to devote several hours a day to working in her studio.
Price’s studio is as much a work of art as the pieces she sells. Originally a one-room farmhouse, the studio has been remodeled using reclaimed wood and goods actually from the era in which it was built.
“I like to repurpose things into something new,” said Price, more or less summing up her entire outlook on art.
Though there is currently not enough space in Price’s studio to bring in other artists, she likes the idea of one day expanding and having several artists and vendors working out of Cool Beans Studios.
“There are so many places for crafts and art in Wichita. I’d really like to make something like that for Wellington and Mayfield,” she said.
