Black Friday Sale!

As a loyal Umbra Essence customer, we'd like to invite you to our Black Friday Holiday Sale, our BIGGEST SALE of the year! Shop at Umbra Essence Candles & Gifts on Friday, November 26th, and enjoy special savings on ceramics, candles and glass items from Thorn Ridge Studio. We're pleased to announce that this year, our special holiday sale will last all day long, 10am-6pm, but our collection of one-of-a-kind and handmade items won't, so don't wait!

Great Deals of the Day!

1. 30% off all
CERAMICS!

All functional and decorative ceramic items will be 30% off. Enjoy special savings on bowls, mugs, platters, planters, plates, vases and more! Artists include: Eshelman Pottery (pictured above), Dapila, Shadow May, Mark Issenberg, Michel Harvey and Wizards of Clay.


2. 50% off all
THORN RIDGE STUDIO
glass items!

Been eyeing that pitcher and six tumbler set or maybe this cream and sugar set?
Now is the time to get them! You won't be able to find a better time to purchase these intricate and incredible glass pieces.

3. 20% off all
UMBRA ESSENCE CANDLES!

The full line of
Umbra Essence Candles rarely go on sale. Now is the time to stock up on all of your favorite fragrances. Haven't tried our new Soy Traveler's Tin? Or maybe there is a fragrance you've been wanting to try. Stop in and enjoy 20% off all day.

The Hot Chocolatier

Don't these look yummy? Come check out what other delicious treats we are carrying during the holiday season.

Don't miss out on this great sale! We also offer gift wrapping services and manage a gift registry. If you've had your eye on something be sure to come in and create a registry so you get the gift you have been wanting! Looking forward to seeing you!

November Artist Feature- Green Glass Co.

The Green Glass Company, located in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, is a small glass studio that specializes in re-purposing discarded wine and beer bottles into glassware. Using specially engineered machinery, they are able to split a standard wine bottle in two; forming a tumbler from the base and a goblet from the top section.

Be sure to stop in during the holiday season and check out this great new line of art!

Thank you!

We want to send a big thank you to everyone who came out for the 2010 Gallery Hop! We had another successful year and enjoyed seeing many familiar and new faces. Congratulations to Verana Barron who won this year's raffle- a $30.00 gift certificate to our store. We hope to see all of you back here again soon!

Sundown in St. Elmo: September 4th

For September's edition of Sundown in St. Elmo, Umbra Essence will be hosting artists Ange Roth and Mary Helen Robert. Enjoy light refreshments from 6pm-9pm on the garden terrace during our reception featuring these two fine Chattanooga artists. During Sundown in St. Elmo visit each participating business for a chance to win a prize basket filled with goodies from area merchants!

Meet Mary Helen Robert...
A native of Chattanooga, Mary Helen designs and created one-of-a kind wearable art that is founded on organic and sculptural designs. She's inspired by her close connection to nature, as well as machinery and the many forms of ancient and modern metalwork she has seen during extensive travels abroad. Mary Helen uses varied techniques and materials including traditional metalsmithing with sterling silver, fine silver, nickle, copper, brass, aluminum; cold and hot patinas; etching in copper, nickle and brass. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Anthropology/Psychology, Mary Helen subsequently studied metalsmithing and jewelry fabrication at The University of Texas at Austin and at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.

Meet Ange Roth...
"My work most identifies with expressionism. With the use of formal elements of art, I attempt to convey a subjective emotional response rather an an objective reality with objects and events around me. During the process of painting I respond to my spontaneous self-expression through the intensity of color with an effort to bridge the universal and personal symbology of objects." Ange is primarily working in oils, but will always have an affinity for pastels. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. While in college she won Best-of-Show in a Juried Student Show and received two Betty Foy Sanders Art Scholarships

Don't forget: Sundown in St. Elmo

For August's edition of Sundown in St. Elmo, Umbra Essence will be hosting an artist’s reception Saturday, August 7th from 6-9pm for painter and collage artist Cat Collier and original jewelry artist Sarah Hiles. Enjoy light refreshments on the garden terrace during our reception featuring these two fine Chattanooga artists.


Cat Collier uses layers of paint and paper to build her distinct mixed media artworks. Her art depicts her own personal interpretation of all kinds of things; she is especially influenced by color. It is the color reminiscent of childhood, the color vibrant in graffiti, the color of light, the color of urban stuff, the color of monochrome. While her work is not symbolic, Collier manages to create personally resonant images that seem uncannily familiar, like the memory of a dream. Her most recent works have focused on the theme of trees, collectively creating a great forest.

Sarah Hiles makes unusual jewelry from precious metals and fine gemstones. She explores many metalsmithing techniques that provide fresh artistic expression for creative design and wearability. Sarah earned a Bachelors Degree of Fine Art in Metalsmithing from Memphis College of Art. She has also studied Metals at The Appalachian Center for Craft for three years. She began her own company, Artizen Metal, in 2005. Since moving to Chattanooga in 2009 she has been inspired by the natural beauty and peaceful environment of East Tennessee.

Other Businesses Participating This Month:

Pasha Coffee and Tea

The Moccasin Bend Brewing Company

The Asher Love Studio + Gallery

Blacksmith's Bistro

Mojo Burrito

Body Wisdom

The Tennessee Bouldering Authority

Kandice Ledford Photography

Visit each business for a chance to win a prize basket filled with goodies from area merchants!

July Artist Feature- Thorn Ridge Studios

Born and raised in Bethesda Maryland, Henry Levine has designed and created vessels since he started classes at Glen Echo Pottery in 1973. At Alfred University, he got bit by the glass bug and did not make any clay pots. Instead, he attended classes in ceramic sculpture, glass blowing and neon art. After graduating Alfred, Henry worked as a neon technician at Vacuform Industries for one year before buying Quality Neon Products. As a neon manufacturer, Henry employed fifteen people and wholesaled neon lights to large sign companies who shipped his products nationwide. Henry owned and operated the neon shop for ten years before moving to southeast Ohio and opening Thorn Ridge Studios in 1999.


"Inspired by ancient roman glass, I strive to create work that is both beautiful and useful in which the color, pattern and shape are balanced. I use a rich medley of colors that glow with translucency and create a sense of depth. Recurring themes in my work are repeated patterns and applied motion. My favorite shape to work with at the moment is the candy dish; the thick bottom and flared lip allows me to create a space in the cone that is intimate and jewel like." -Henry Levine

Sundown in St. Elmo!

We are happy to announce that Sundown in St. Elmo will be taking place again this summer! Sundown in St. Elmo happens the first Saturday of every month; the next one will take place Saturday, June 5th from 6pm-9pm.


Here at Umbra we will be featuring local artist Jennifer Jack who in the founder of Good Fortune. Refreshments will be served out back on our patio.


Among the several happenings at the foot of the Incline is a new marketplace held in the leafy garden and porch of Peaches Edelstein's house. The OH-HO Market will feature new work by artist/designer Aron Alrich; Afro-hippie accessories by Rebekah Mawuko; and the vintage drage and re-realized junque from Peaches Edelstein's vast collection. Also there will be special tastings and verdant slide show located at 201 Mountain Road-just two doors from Mojo Burrito. For more information please refer to http://www.peachesedelstein.com/

Be sure to come out this Saturday! We look forwarding to seeing you!

June Artist Feature- Patrick Meyer Studio

Patrick Meyer Studio, located in San Francisco, California, was started by artist Patrick Meyer in the late 90's. Meyer attended the well known "Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris" where he studied art and design. He has worked alongside famous fashion designers such as Guy LaRoche and Paco Rabanne.


Much of Meyer's inspiration is drawn from modern and primitive art. His aesthetic places an emphasis on pure futuristic and organic lines which incorporate industrial and ethnic styles resulting in a symbolic and original design. He likes to work with high grade lead-free pewter, a soft metal that is easily forged, folded, and cast.


At Patrick Meyer Studio they use only the finest quality pewter, a combination of tin and sterling silver. The pewter is lead-free and food safe. (It is recommended that you wash pewter by hand in warm soapy water, rinse it, then towel dry with a soft cloth).

Introducing NEW Soy Candles!

Yes. They are FINALLY here!

After spending over a year in development, Umbra Essence Candles is pleased to introduce the newest innovation from our candle studio, Umbra Essence Soy Candles.

With double the fragrance of our signature pillars, these richly fragrant candles are made with 100% eco-friendly, clean-burning soy wax, and infused with essential oils. An all natural wood wick burns cleanly with a gentle crackling sound.

The 20 oz. tins feature a tight-fitting lid for easy travel, so you can share your light wherever you go!


The new fragrances are:

Asian Amber: Woodsy and exotic, this sexy fragrant oriental invites adventure and romance.

Frankincense & Myrrh: Spicy and warm with a hint of uplifting citrus, this mystical ancient pairing soothes and calms.

Honeysuckle Jasmine: Breezy and sweet, this light-hearted floral sings the advent of Spring.


We will be releasing our new product Sunday, May 2 at the Chattanooga Market. We are so excited and we look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is nearly upon us! Still looking for the perfect gift for Mom? Right now enjoy 10% off any ceramics purchase when you come in the store and mention this post! But hurry, this deal will only last until Saturday, May 8th!

May Artist Feature- The Porcelain Garden

The Porcelain Garden, located in Irvine, CA, was created in 1982 by artists, Marty Kubicki and Liesa Smith. Today along with a talented staff, The Porcelain Garden has grown into a business that produces some of the finest & most intricately detailed Lithophanes.

Generally credited as being the invention of Baron Paul de Bourguignon, of Rubelles, France, in 1827, the earliest forms of lithophanes were actually produced in China many years before other countries produced them. Chinese potters employed the process to trace floral designs in the delicate walls of eggshell thin porcelain vases. It was the efforts of the Baron de Bourguignon that led to the great popularity of lithophanes during the mid-19th century. His concept was simply this: a sheet of porcelain carved in varying degrees of thickness, when held to a light, would result in a highly detailed picture with the soft image quality of a mezzotint.

The artists at The Porcelain Garden are dedicated to preserving and furthering this extraordinary art form. All of their lithophanes are produced in their studios, using many of the same methods developed by the original artists many generations ago. Of course, some things have changed; they use electric kilns for more consistent heating, and they use electric mixers to blend their porcelain formula. But the entire process of individually casting, finishing, drying, firing, and inspecting each piece, used for centuries before, is still being used.

The fine detail is remarkable. Be sure to come in and check them out!

April Artist Feature- Faces

Sharon Schaffner, the creator of Faces, has been working with metal and designing Jewelry for 30 years. Her current work reveals her fascination with different cultures. Originally inspired by Northwest Coast Indian primitive sculptures; the designs exhibit influences from numerous cultures and many travels. She traveled to Belize to teach a small group of artisans to produce jewelry with Mayan motifs. She is proficient in all metalsmithing techniques!

She works directly in the metal, allowing the material an expression of its own and achieving a greater spontaneity of form. Contrast of textures and shapes and the use of unique stones both precious and non-precious enhance the total design. Her jewelry reveals that Sharon is a lively, compassionate, and highly sensitive woman.

March Artist Feature-Ann Egan Designs

Ann Egan, currently located in Kingston, New York, began her own jewelry line back in 1989. Originally she studied painting in New York City at the School of Visual Arts. One can easily see her background in painting has deeply influenced her work by her use of shapes and colors.




Her jewelry is made from a combination of Italian bakelite-like resin, metals, semi-precious stones and Austrian crystals. Ann draws from her art history roots while using these workable modern materials. Her work is finely detailed and calls to mind vintage jewelry, Scottish Jaspers, ancient gems, and colorful bakelite.




Be sure to stop in this month and check out her work! She truly is an amazing artist.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Enjoy 10% off ALL jewelry!




From now until Wednesday, February 13!

February Artist: Napa Soap Company

Napa Soap Company was founded by Napa Valley local, Sheila Rockwood. Having grown up in the Napa Valley, Sheila wanted to create a product which utilized ingredients made in the Napa Valley. She also wanted to create a product which could truly work - one which others could enjoy and use.

Combining her interest in the environment, aromatherapy and a prolific supply of lavender, Sheila discovered that soap offered a natural outlet for her talents. After researching the therapeutic benefits of a by-product of the local wine industry, cold-pressed grapeseed oil, Sheila decided to use this wonderful ingredient throughout her line. After nearly two years developing the right combination of essential oils and natural ingredients, Sheila started to sell her Napa Soap Company products to select accounts here in the Napa Valley.


Napa Soap is hand made in very limited quanties-less than 50 bars at a time. Each bar of soap is made from all natural ingredients, which means great for the skin! Here are just a few of the many ingredients used and their benefits:

Grapeseed Oil: An antioxidant and wrinkle fighter packed with Vitamin E.

Hazelnut Oil: Rich and nourishing, this oil is full of vitamins and minerals making it useful for treating acne and wrinkles.

Olive Oil: A wonderful, skin-friendly moisturizer which is extremely mild and suitable for sensitive skin. Olive oil is packed with vitamins, minerals and proteins.

Sunflower Oil: A light oil containing vitamins A, B, D and E, sunflower oil is mild and moisturizing.

Be sure to stop in soon and visit us. You must smell these soaps. They are simply delicious!

Happy 2010!

On behalf of the entire Umbra Essence team-Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We are looking forward to another year, here at Umbra and, of course, adding new artists to our gift gallery!

Holiday fragrances are currently 50% off so be sure to stop in a pick some up before they are gone!