But our favorite thing is meeting new and stellar artists and craftsmen - and they were in abundance at this show. For instance ...
... we were wild about Sally Cates (and Lance) of Wildwood Soapworks. Sally is one of these Soapers that spends a bunch of time creating visually appealing soaps. She also had one of the nicest displays at the show. Very talented Soaper.
Then, we were blown away by the enameled brass, copper, and stone jewelry designs of Lisa Schwartz of ICIS Jewelry. It was no wonder that she has adorned famous ladies like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton with her designs. Stunning!
Equally eye catching were the wickedly contemporary copper and silver designs of mother daughter duo, Katie and Jeanne of Wicked Witch Studio. Lots of great metal fabrications and cutout jewelry that grabs attention.
Jenn of Jenn's Random Weaves (pictured) says she's "always weaving in a new direction." Well we concur, and those directions are fresh and beautifully interesting. Whether it be her poinsettias, picnic baskets, or even the fishing tackle box, Jenn has certainly found her niche.
We could really use a quality wood "cutting-board" maker in the Brothers-Handmade store. One I have my eye on is Bob Shaeffer of Bob's Boards. His cutting-board designs of contrasting wood blocks are spectacular. He also makes some equally beautiful (and very reasonably priced) coasters with matching holders. A really great wood craftsman.
Folks, the most unbelievable things are at your local fine art or craft shows if you just have a look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
The Pocono Mountain Arts Council is packed with High Quality Artists, in all the Crafts and many of the Trades. The 50 or so that presented here are the proof of that.
There is a catch, many don’t have web sites. Most don’t sell in stores or shops. They work their magic in a studio and when they have enough pieces they display their Art at a Juried High Quality Craft Show. It is amazing how perfect your dinning room table will look with handmade place settings. All will match but with just the smallest differences. It makes for a good dinner conversation.
The List
The Mud Place: Leslie Nieto. (pictured above) Pottery. In Leslie’s bio she says, “Pottery is in my bones” I’m here to tell you, It Is! Her work is artistic, functional and by the way, very creative. Leslie is a Star in the Brothers-Handmade store.
Art In Wood: Jim Thomas. Wood Scrolling. Last year this guy picked off the Blue Ribbon in Multi Media at Buck Hill Falls. I saw Jim at that show. He deserved it, and then he stepped up his game, or should I say art. Start from a distance and walk toward his “paintings” and when close enough you will find they are cut from wood! AWESOME
Bean's Pottery: Cathleen Repholz.Potter. Cathleen has well built pottery and great glaze colors. She also has some pottery with a sense of humor. One of a kind for sure. Very cool!!!
Mary Kester Jewelry: (picture) Jewelry Mary’s Beadwork has a very classy look about it. She also has the color thing Just Right! Her work should fit in well with casual to formal dress. Very nice Mary.
As usual I have run out of space and have not spoken about the Incredible Fiber Artists or the Furniture Makers or the Glass Blowers or the Soapers.
To see more you have to go to a Fine Art Craft Show. These are America’s Small Businesses. They work hard to bring us the finest in the Craft Arts
David Russell Art Glass:Glass.(Pic above) Russell works with strong Italian and European influence. To me it was the Colors. His color spectrum was vast. On individual pieces, he matched the colors perfectly.
Hammerstroke and Fire: Jewelry. Wendy Edsall-Kerwin. Ok, maybe its because of my Blacksmithing background, or maybe its because Wendy was able to blend multi-media, multi-metal, polished stone and blacksmithing together. All of her jewelry is incredible, but her collar necklaces just stop you in your tracks. Perfect.
Willow Creek Pottery: Rod and Karri produce a full line of functional pieces for the kitchen, bath and home. Their pottery is lead free, and dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. They also create beautiful Raku with deep colors and designs that are well thought out.
J.C. Sterling Fine Furniture: John Sterling. I’m always amazed at the way these Artists create their work and what gave them the idea to make that particular piece. John is at that place. My picture doesn’t do his work justice, but I am trying to get him on the sight. When that happens you won’t believe his work. Hopefully I will own this table by the time this Blog is live!
Check out Quality Craft Shows. Support these Craftsmen, Artists and Tradesmen. They work hard to bring you the highest quality pieces of Art!
Oh well, putting that aside, the SHOW itself was Great. The Reading, Berks Guild of Craftsmen is loaded with top Artists, Craftsmen and Tradesmen. The proof of this is at their shows. Rob and I go to many shows, by all different promoters, in all different states. I have traveled 16 hours to get to a show, and to tell the truth, driving an hour down the road has produced some of the most awesome Artists on our site. Kutztown U. is one of those.
This show also has student Artists in the Crafts. They are Juried the same as everyone else exhibiting at the show. Back in the day, they were referred to as apprentices. But, the plan is the same, seek out the BEST Teachers and absorb as much knowledge as you can! It was quite evident, that was the case with the Student Exhibitors at Kutztown. As would be expected!!!
THE LIST
Trudy Kauffman: Scherenschnitte. Paper cutting. Did you ever cut a snowflake out of paper? Ok this isn’t that except for the scissors and paper. This is one of the crafts you look at and say, “How did they do that?”
DReis Renditions: Deb and Rick Reis. Jewelry, Baskets, Clocks and Picture Frames. The baskets were nice as was the jewelry, but I liked the magnetic picture frames.
GS Designs: Gina Struebel. I wrote about Gina in the blog of the Denver Adamstown Show at Stoudtburg Village. This time I looked even closer at her “Tree Of Life” work and could not find a fault. If you want one, better hurry as she is having trouble keeping them on the shelf.
I’ve written about most of the artists at this show already, so new category coming up. I will contact these Up and Coming Artists and show them all to you in the near future.
APPRENTICES
Cole Hastings: Furniture and Jewelry.
Kelly Grady: Handmade Ceramics and Knitted Apparel
Jenna Snodderly: Lampwork glass and Jewelry Design. Examine Jenna’s work closely, Awesome!
Now Donna is creating these wild steampunk clothes. She buys a bunch of clothes from various sources, cuts them all to pieces and sews different parts together creating an incredibly edgy and interesting new piece (pictured). Oh yeah, and while I was there chatting, the crowds were filing in and buying. We're happy to have Diane and Donna affiliated with Brothers-Handmade.
'tis the time of year to get out there and visit some of the many quality art and craft festivals. Also stop by Brothers-Handmade.com often and
September 12, 2011 - The Yellow Daisy Festival, which celebrates the blooming of the Confederate Yellow Daisy found all around Stone Mountain, has never disappointed me. With 400 Artists and Craftsmen, and an estimated 200,000 visitors over its 4 days, this 43rd year of the Yellow Daisy Festival is certainly one of the largest arts and craft festivals in the Southeast.
And there is a huge variety of crafts on display including Jewelry, Glass, Leather, Metal, Painting, Mixed Media, Wood, Musical, Paper, Games/Toys, and Plants to name a few. And there is strict adherence that all items are created by the artist, who must be onsite during the entire festival.
An interesting pattern that tends to play out is that although the crowds are a little lighter on the first days (Thursday and Friday), the buying is higher. These first visitors are there to buy, according to several artists I spoke with. Lots of yellow bags filled with handmade items were in transit as I walked the series of paved loops through the woods. Also, many ladies were pulling rolling carts to ease the effort. And once again, each year I'm amazed at the number of metal wind vanes decorated with college logos, and other fabricated ornaments being carried out of the festival.
From my observation, Jewelry seemed to draw the biggest crowds, followed closely by brightly colored pet accessories, and pottery. A few standouts for me included:
The pottery of Helen Helwig - Helwig Studio (pictured) - one of my faves! Helen's work is of the utmost quality, with beautiful designs and glaze colors, all decorated with a contrastingly colored dragon fly.
When I mentioned the brightly colored pet accessories, I'm referreing to the very poplular works of three artists I met at this years festival.
Bill and Monica Fulcher - A Hot Dog on a Leash I'm still picturing one lady inside this display tent with about 10 collars in her hand trying to decide on which to purchase. I think she was going to be leaving with at least half of them.
Jill Larrabee - Persnickety Pup had a wonderful collection of accessories. Each one carefully designed and sewn by Jill. I'm hoping to get some of her pieces on display in the BH store.
Leslie and Kacie Hoostal - Posh Pets Sweetpeas I actually blogged about these ladies last year from the Grant Park show.
And I always love the Wood Handmade Puzzles of Dave and Gym Janelle - Creative Crafthouse. the variety of interesting and beautifully crafted wooden puzzles is as mind boggling as are the solutions to these brain teasers.
Folks, the most unbelievable things are at your local fine art or craft shows if you just have a look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
Ulster County Fairgrounds
Quail Hollow Events - Promoter
September 3, 2011 - It's a beautiful day in the upper 80s and I'm heading North. Hurricane Irene is history, but in the back of my mind, I'm wondering???
So I get to New Paltz and wasn't sure where the fairgrounds are, so I ask a mail man and he said "Done the hill, over the bridge, turn left, watch out for pumpkins." I said thanks and down the hill I went, "watch out for pumpkins" what does that mean?
As I proceed down the hill, there in front of me, was an unbelievable site. This whole valley had flooded. The creek had receded but had pretty much wiped out all the crops in this valley. Pumpkins were everywhere, and sunflowers were wrapped around telephone poles and mud was in the trees, 5 feet above the road! Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ulster County!
Fortunately, the fairground was an inch or two above the flood and was in excellent shape. As was the show. As were the Artists.
300 Artists, 9 different entertainment acts and about 15 food concessions. There were 4 wineries and about 24 specialty foods and Soapers. They had Gyros and of course I ate too many and went back, got two more for breakfast on Sunday.
The List
Unique Birdhouses: (Pictured above) Andre Maiwald. Ok, we don't do birdhouses, Until Now! These houses are so cool I would move in to one myself (get out sparrow). Unless you see them in person, the only way to describe them is - They are built as if they were Fine Furniture. These are the most incredible Birdhouses I ever saw.
Designs By Diane: So most of our readers know I am partial to wire wrappers. And everybody knows we are strictly handmade. Diane and her father (a jeweler for 50 years) not only wrap perfectly but also collects and polishes most of their own stones. From Arizona!!! At this show, Diane Dennen wins in the jewelry department.
Norboe Glass: I’ve written about George in the past, and I tell ya, he never fails to impress. His selection at this show was AWESOME!!! Color, shape and size. Man, this guy makes some huge glasswork!!! Jean (pictured with George) is quite a metal clay and glass artist Jeweler in her own right.
I will be contacting all four of these artists to get them in the store so you can see more of their work.
August 26, 2011 - To beat the horrible Atlanta Friday afternoon traffic, I start my 2 hour drive early, to Watkinsville, Georgia, near the University of Georgia in Athens.
It's the Opening Gala Reception and Preview Sale for the 9th Annual Perspectives: Georgia Pottery Invitational - an 18 day event. The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation has amassed about 50 accomplished Georgia Functional Potters.
Over 5,000 functional pots are on display. The wine and beer are flowing, with a light food spread, and a mountain music band - all for the incredibly reasonable donation of $5.
First I peruse the OCAF Main and Member Art Galleries. In a word, "Spectacular." I am reminded that this is a classy art gallery. The uniqueness, artistry, and display settings are captivating.
Some of the Potters whose work I've followed the past couple years include: Marise Fransolino's coil and cutout pots. Also Don McWhorter's beautiful nature infused stoneware. And Triny Cline's landscape decorated motifs whom I blogged about from the Jasper ArtFest (Georgia) back in April.
Although I was fascinated by pretty much everyone's works, space limitations of this blog keep it to a relatively small list. So here it goes:
Also a standout was the beautiful contrast of Gwen Fryer's orange and black elongated teapot, as well as her black carved teapot in the gallery (pictured).
Wow, I was blown away by Sandy Culp (pictured at top) and her phenomenally realistic fruit and nature representations. Her Cantaloupe in the gallery was amazing. Her Birds nest laden teapot caught everyone's eye, as did the face in the tree. Too cool!
AJ Argentina who instructs at the Roswell Clay Collective builds simple yet abstract earth tone vessels. It's difficult for me to explain. Perhaps best said in A.J.'s own artist statement, "Viewers expect statements; I present objects that ask questions."
The deep grooves decorating many of Lora Rust Ceramics pieces were quite fascinating. Big bold textured grooves give some of her pieces this kind of Salvador Dali melting affect.
And although I could go on, I'll end with the flowing and swirling ridges characteristic of Sheryl Holstein's works (pictured left). Very peaceful and nicely textured. She also had some beautiful coffee mugs that would be so wonderful to wake up to each morning.
Pottery lovers in the Southeast United States, you have until September 14th 2011, to check out this wonderful exhibit at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation in Watkinsville, Georgia.
Folks, the most unbelievable things are at your local fine art or craft shows if you just have a look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
August 20, 2011 - I'm in Oaks, Pennsylvania at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for the biggest bead show around. This is a national level bead show going on this weekend. There are people from all corners of the country. Exhibitors and Buyers.
This show cannot be described in a blog. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure a 5-page newspaper article could do it justice!
The short version is, if you wanted to see the incredible, it was here. If you wanted to learn, you could, the opportunity was here. If you wanted tools, they were here. If you wanted to buy materials, aggregates and findings, they were here. If anyone out there was at this show and didn't find what they were looking for, PLEASE contact Joel@brothers-handmade.com. I want to do a Featured Artist article on you! Mainly because you are doing something no one on the planet is doing!!!
Barb and I got there at 11:00am. Oh oh. The place was already packed. I mean PACKED!!! I'm seeing license plates from Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Ontario, and Alberta. We walked in and basically swam into an ocean of the coolest collection of, color, form and art, imaginable.
Over 250 exhibitors and 57 teachers, complete with classrooms. The workshops started at 8:30 am and went to 8:00 pm. Wednesday through to Sunday. They even had a "Meet the Teachers" Friday night till 10:00 pm!
The List…Impossible
The Glass Place: Louise Mehaffey - Louise had plenty of her signature piece "The Window Bead" (pictured) Very cool. Very difficult to make. Louise has some work in the Brothers-Handmade Store. Hopefully more to come.
Succulent Glass: Alice St. Germain (Pictured) Alice has this color thing going on. Even in her earthen colors there are hints of brightness. She introduced a new line at this show also. We will bring it to you in the near future. I think she has sold out of it already. (Alice has a couple pieces on display in the Brothers-Handmade Store.
Diane Tarullo: Diane does an Acorn that is awesome. They are real. They are cute. They are colorful. They were also done in artistic detail. Diane also had this bunch of grapes embedded into a cylinder pendant that had such detail they looked real, except they are about 1/16 of an inch in diameter.
I knew when I walked into the place This was going to be a great show, and it was!!! -Joel
Rob and I know a lot of these Artists. After all most are from Pennsylvania. They are all PA Guild of Craftsmen members. The jury is intense in their selection process. The guild has over 1500 members. To be honest I don't know how many applied. Only 180 made it to the show! One thing I do know is they are the Cream of the Crop. Like I mentioned on Facebook, I would have gladly driven 90 miles just to see Elizabeth's Lace, or Ed Youtz (pictured right) or Stones Throw Pottery, and there were 177 other Winners to check out.
The List
Tel-Tin: Thomas Linebaugh, Coppersmith. Tom's work is incredible! He crafts lights and wall hangings of copper. His work is very clean and sharp. In other words, plumb, level, square. Good lines and dimensions. Nice job Tom!
Lorber Pottery: Paul Lorber Somewhere in Brothers-Handmade is a mention of Crystalline Glazes. It's difficult to do, and expensive to fail. The crystals in his work are stare worthy. Paul has this down pat. In Paul's bio he states, "The evolution of success is a study of the progression over time." Wow how true. (pictured below)
Designs by Lisa Gallagher: Lisa's jewelry is some of the most detailed jewelry I've ever seen! She makes all of her own chains and clasps, does all of the filigree work, and also makes most of the settings and other findings. Even some of the cabochons are handmade. Her intricate work is fascinating. We will be seeing more of her work for sure.
Lorac Designs: Carol Lee Heisler Carol is a Quilt Artist. The kind a lot of people are interested in. Just try to get in her booth! People wait in line to see her work. She has that sense of color that makes for a top artist. Her design is, well, exciting. Rob is more the expert in Quilts. I go with my gut. And how long the line is! My gut said Great, and the line was Long. SUCCESS!
Check out Facebook, Brothers-Handmade LLC where I will post pictures of the show this week. Give us a Like if you like.
Great Job Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. This show will be in our top 10 for 2011.
Blacksmithing, jewelry, pottery, and woodworking are everywhere. Farm machinery from the 1900's are running and sounding good. Every conceivable food that you can - can is here. I have about 10 jars of jelly and jam because this is the only place to get real currant jelly and nobody has rose and gooseberry jelly any more. The fiber crafts were well represented. There were plenty of weavers and spinners.
220 Artist/Craftsmen were on site. And to tell the truth if you count the people making thatched roofs and showing trades-craft and cooking food, the number of artists would be 500 or more.
Before we go any further, to me, Pennsylvania Dutch food is Art!
THE LIST
Stones Throw Pottery: Sandra and Bill Jones. We have shown their work before. We pointed out the perfection of the black glaze work. Her inventory of black was low (no surprise there) and I looked closer at her red ware and wow it is incredible also.
Ed Youtz: I have seen and talked to Ed (pictured above) a number of times and I don't think I ever saw him without his lathe, and with that comes spectators. Always many spectators. Ed is a wood turner and a teacher in the heaviest definition of both!
The Glass Place: Louise Mehaffey. Louise is always at the big shows. Her colors and shapes are many to say the least. Check out her work in our store and on our Facebook page.
If you're looking for the best beads for your jewelry, Louise is the one to go to. Louise even has her apprentice Jenna give her a hand at the fest.
A Natural Alternative: Hedge Sefcovic. Hedge makes the most incredible soap. We've written about her before. She makes many flavors of soap and skin care products without fillers and preservatives. I have been using her soap since I met her, two years ago. She too is in our store and has just put up a sample pack that is a great way to try her art.
"These are my neighbors! Come see what they are making" you will be impressed.
Because of easy access to quality clay and the Ohio river, the pottery industry grew to a point that 90% of the population worked in or for one of the potteries and 40 to 50 kilns!
This little town provided a huge amount of pottery for America - and the world.
The Museum of Ceramics is worth seeing for sure. The half hour video and slide show is worth the price of admission alone. If you get to meet Sarah, priceless. This is where Quality started.
"Come see what Sarah Vodrey's neighbors have made"
Come to find out, the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont was a wonderful place to start. This historic town is an incredibly interesting hamlet with its historic athenaeum or library with spectacular Victorian (French second empire) architecture and magnificent interior woodwork. A must see if you're in the area.
This day's Managing Artist, Carol Krochak of Horizon Porcelain (pictured at top) kindly showed me the exhibits. Carol, along with fellow artist Mark Kilburn create sensational porcelain hanging ornaments. The porcelain base gives these delicate designs a beautiful translucent quality.
Norma St. Germain of St. Germain Clayworks hand throws eye catching continues here...
Loved the quilted Baby bibs, baby quilts, and change purses of Stephanie McCane - Stitching in Striped Socks (pictured above). Stephanie's work is very clean and her color choices are bright and exciting (just like she is).
13th Moon Creations (pictured) makes unique, natural, handcrafted artisan soaps and other luxurious body products. The thing I like about 13th Moon is the look of their soaps. They are masters of design when it comes to the interesting color combinations, forms, and inclusions. Their creative soaps are fantastic as gifts or for your own personal use.
Ben Isaiah - Metalsmith, Artist, Craftsman is one of these "All-in Artists". Ben has a masterful way of combining metal and stone into beautiful contemporary necklaces, bracelets, belt buckles, and more. Ben also resides with a gathering of talented potters, painters, soapers, and other quality craftsmen at the Spruce Forest Artisan Village in Grantsville, MD.
Nice show Ann and Teri. Folks, remember, the most unbelievable things are out there if you just have to look. Visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
Among the really great pottery at this show was Ken Shields. Ken has a really cool technique of throwing a piece, like a bowl, on the wheel, then cutting out a section, and replacing the cutout with a completely contrasting textured piece. The results are a really interesting and beautiful piece.
Q Evon Jewelry Design (pictured below) and her Body Architecture jewelry are indicative of her experience as an American Craft Council member. Q as she is known, creates magnificent earrings and bracelet cuffs. Talk about sustainable designs, Q has a recent line where she takes recycled copper from electrical wire, or other sources, and crafts them into spectacular necklace and bracelet designs, accented with precious stones. Stunning!
Tonya Hedgeman - Love her twisting abstract ceramic forms with beautifully textured beige external surfaces and contrasting solid blues, or green internal surface. Simply magnificent artistry.
Folks, you've got to explore fine craft and art shows. The most exciting, unique, and beautiful pieces are out there if you just have a look. Also find many of those pieces at Brothers-handmade.com, and
Keystone Quilters NQA: We have Blogged about this group before. They create all types of quilting. Small, large, wall hangings, just about anything you could want they either have or will make for you. And the friendliest women you can imagine.
River Otter Pottery: Marian Van Buren, This Potter has her art form down. She has her own style. She’s one of the artists I can pick out from her style. Her vases for non-florists are as close to perfect as you can get. Her pitchers are very cool also and have their own look, almost a signature of her work.
Stony Garden Glass Addictions: Carlos Recker is a local glass blower with an eye for artistic form. That’s important when you are a glass blower. If you make a mistake you don’t fix it, you hammer it! Carlos uses a lot of form and color in his work. Keep your eyes open for Stony Garden Glass Addictions; they will be around for a long time.
OK Now for something different. And the Pick of the Show
Baum’s Custom Log Furniture: You know, sometimes things catch my eye. I’m telling you this one caught my eye. Paul Baum builds furniture to last. It’s heavy, thick, strong, and has a very artistic look about it. Any kind of furniture you could want he creates. I will be in contact with Paul to get an article written by him and maybe a couple of pieces for the store.
I’m running out of space. But I must say the Alpacas (pictured at top) were at this show in force and the kids were wigging out over these critters. That was fun to watch!
Tree of Life Art Works: Kim and Katherine McClelland. Do you know what “Scrimshaw” is? Whalers would scratch a figure or a scene in a whalebone or tooth using a stylus. When the scene was carved they would rub oil and ash into the scene and you end up with an incredible picture. This is a very different and beautiful art form. A family run studio since 1976.
This is American Manufacturing at its finest! Visit a fine craft or art show near you, and visit Brothers-Handmade.com and
Another fine pottery artist that we've seen at quite a few shows now, is John Coburn of Center Earth Pottery. John utilizes some really unique multi-colored glazing techniques on his stoneware that gives some of his pieces a beautiful, sort of tie-dye affect. And now I see from his About Me page that he's an Engineer from Penn State (Go Nittany Lions). Cool, as the Brothers are originally from eastern Pennsylvania.
Finally, a wonderfully creative jeweler who I actually mentioned in a blog from last year, is Valerie of Penguin Arts. I continue to love her swarovski crystal earrings, designed to flow absolutely flawlessly. And her lampwork beads are beautiful as well.
Folks, tis the season to visit fine craft and art shows. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
Diane Kovach of DK Designs and her sister Donna have created some wonderful lampwork jewelry, beaded watches, and steampunk jewelry. And Donna hinted that she is currently designing some steampunk clothing. I can't wait to see that.
Triny Cline of Byrd Mountain Pottery had beautiful slab and wheel thrown stoneware. Triny's home formulated glazes are primarily in earth tones and create scenes of soothing surreal landscapes. She states that all her functional pottery is non-toxic, and dishwasher safe. While Triny was exhibiting in Jasper, her husband Mike was exhibiting at the next show I went to that day in Alpharetta, Ga.
Judy Lynn Hand Thrown Pottery has the coolest plates and bowls adorned with little seemingly happy frog sculptures. I really loved her green matte finished glazes. She also creates some interesting animal bust sculptures.
Wood turner, sculptor, and teacher, Bradley McCalister has some very colorful dyed wood designs. A lot of turned wood designs are beautiful, but simply brown. Not Bradley's. Along with the natural browns of his woods, you will find purples and multi-colored works with a spectacular attention to detail.
Judy Zeigler of Critter Ridge along with her daughter, has taken gourd art to a new level. Her beautifully carved gourds are detailed with a contrasting cord stitching around the edges. Very artistic and showy. It may take you a few minutes to realize you're looking at a ghord. Included in this artistic family is her blacksmith husband John who puts out some very nice iron art implements.
I'm already looking forward to next year's Jasper ArtFest which will likely be an even bigger success.
Now on to the Alpharetta, Georgia show.
Folks, you just can't see the amazing things we see if you don't go to fine art or craft shows. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
Since one of the wonderful Artists, Diane Kovach, who displays jewelry in the Brothers-Handmade store was exhibiting in the small mountain town of Jasper, Georgia, I decided to head there, but first I'd stop and see what was going on in Marietta at this neighborhood "Wood turning and Jewelry Show".
Well how cool was it to find Mr. Chris Burfield, Wood turner, hosting an "Open Shop" single person show. In this personal setting (and I'm mad that I forgot my camera, so no pictures - shame on me), Chris showed me around his wood turning shop, lined with various woods seasoning on a shelf. He had a nice display of bowls, and various wood turned items on tables for sale.
It was really different from the Brothers' normal 200+ Artist shows that we typically attend and blog about.
Chris took his time to show and explain all about his 9 years of wood turning experience. He had some beautiful splated maple bowls, vessels, a sphere (wooden ball), and few other items he had turned.
It was a really nice, quaint, and intersting stop on the day's festival journey. Maybe we can get Chris to display a few pieces of his works in the Brothers Handmade store. We'll see.
A perfect example of why we say at Brothers-Handmade.com:
Jennifer and Kelly McGinithen… Clear over color. Really great and interesting design.
Kebela Design… Vintage with a modern twist
And now if you want to take a little break from the current world calamities, and want to get some air, (and happen to be somewhere around Pennsylvania), check out these upcoming bead and craft shows. They are extremely interesting. You will have to look close, but that’s the fun of it. Take a magnifying glass and look even closer. The detail will blow you away.
March 26-27
Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Spring Show - Kutztown University Field
house, Kutztown, PA
April 8-10
Beadfest Wire - Valley Forge, PA
June 4-5
Innovative Beads Expo - Allentown, PA
July 2-10
Kutztown German Festival - Kutztown, PA
Folks, you just can't see the things we see if you don't go to fine art or craft shows. The most unbelievable things are out there if you just have to look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and
December 11, 2011 - Always love Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Now in its 19th year, it seems more popular than ever. Although there are about a dozen huts setup outside throughout downtown Bethlehem with Soapers, Jewelers, Potpourri makers, and several other craftsmen, the main attraction is under the massive heated tent setup on Bethlehem's Southside near the old Bethlehem Steel, now quaintly called, Steel Stacks. 
Jenn of Jenn's Random Weaves (pictured) says she's "always weaving in a new direction." Well we concur, and those directions are fresh and beautifully interesting. Whether it be her poinsettias, picnic baskets, or even the fishing tackle box, Jenn has certainly found her niche.
November 4, 2011 - One thing I really love about this job is the opportunity to go and see some of the best, highest quality, most artistic handmade art pieces created. Gold and silver in all its wonderful forms was on display at the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show. 
Bernasconi Design - (pictured) Linda's simple yet captivating precious metal woven pieces are show stoppers. I had to wait a while as customers perused her pieces. The contrast of simple smooth metal geometric designs interlaced with weaving is striking. They bring a smile to my face.
Liaung-Chung Yen - Contemporary Jewelry (pictured) - creates stunningly abstract and thought provoking pieces. I love art that tells a story. Liaung showed me a gold wire bracelet with cage like structures that represented rocks on a path through a garden where along the way the observer is presented with diamonds as they make their way down the path. I also loved his oxidized silver bracelet with gold and silver flowers mounted in such as way as to allow physical movement. Mesmerizing. 
October 23,2011 - This was a day of days. The sun was out (that's been rare lately) so I took the long way to Newtown Square, Pennsylvania; 611 south along the Delaware River. I had forgotten how nice a drive that is. An hour and a half later, there it was, Tyler State Park.I definitely picked the right one!!!
Times Gone By: Karen Wychock. Karen does beautiful Shaker Basketry Work. Very precise work. Good color. The prices on her work seemed a little light to me. Must be the recession.
WoodWorks by Tim: Timothy Neal. So I walk up to Tim's booth and I'm looking at these incredible pens he makes and all of a sudden I see this spice box. Holy mackerel look at the detail. He will custom make you a box and I'm sure you will be happy with it. 
October 15, 2011 - What makes for a good Arts Festival? Many of the things present at the Brookhaven Arts Festival, namely: Multiple years experience (8 in this case), so the promoters mostly have it down; the 150 well juried Artists so the quality is consistently at a high level; perfect weather (75 degrees and sunny); Crowds strong and buying (well strong yes, buying - only so-so). 
Steampunk Sisters and DK Designs - My good friends Donna Myrick and Diane Kovach (already displaying in the 
October 8, 2011 - On this beautiful day, we travel through the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania to our first craft and art show of the day. 
Lyle Bush of Pine Creek Pottery exhibited some beautifully contrasting partially glazed, partially unglazed functional pottery. He also had gorgeous floral and woodsy designs on his pieces (pictured at right). 
Michael Nadeau - Metalwork Artist is superb with his metal cut and decorated snowflakes (pictured at top). Michael creates a metal dye (pictured at left), then presses a snowflake design on another piece of metal, cuts out the most intricate snowflake you can image with the finest thin saw you can imagine, plates them in silver or other metals, and finally hand decorates them with stones, and other things. Incredible.
deLyn's Gallery: Ok I'm going to step away from our normal way of doing things. deLyn has a Gallery of handmade works in all the crafts. He also has gadgets. My picture didn't show his teeth lighting up though. He also has Handmade "Green" items for sale in his shop. Very cool deLyn!
October 1, 2011 - I drove from Atlanta, Georgia to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to spend a week meeting with Joel about Brothers-Handmade, and of course attending some quality craft and art shows. 
Mette Bjerregaard Gaardbo of MBGdesign - really was drawing a crowd - and we found out why. Originally from Denmark, Mette has been honing her skills in an Italian clay art form called "Millefiori". Very basically, it involves rolling canes or cylinders of clay that have a design inside, like flowers. Mette cuts very thin slices of these flowers and attaches them to balls of clay (beads), and fires them (pictured at top). Quite unique and beautiful. Hopefully you'll hear and see more of Mette on Brothers-Handmade.
Jane Moyer of Moyers Country Baskets - Intricate and beautiful, Jane's baskets display both colorful and interesting patterns. Holding a Jane Moyer basket, one readily feels the strength of a well weaved basket. Wonderful for decorating and organizing in the home, neatly holding newspapers, books, or hand towels. 
September 12, 2011 - The Yellow Daisy Festival, which celebrates the blooming of the Confederate Yellow Daisy found all around Stone Mountain, has never disappointed me. With 400 Artists and Craftsmen, and an estimated 200,000 visitors over its 4 days, this 43rd year of the Yellow Daisy Festival is certainly one of the largest arts and craft festivals in the Southeast. 
The pottery of Helen Helwig - Helwig Studio (pictured) - one of my faves! Helen's work is of the utmost quality, with beautiful designs and glaze colors, all decorated with a contrastingly colored dragon fly. 
August 26, 2011 - To beat the horrible Atlanta Friday afternoon traffic, I start my 2 hour drive early, to Watkinsville, Georgia, near the University of Georgia in Athens. 
Also a standout was the beautiful contrast of Gwen Fryer's orange and black elongated teapot, as well as her black carved teapot in the gallery (pictured). 
And although I could go on, I'll end with the flowing and swirling ridges characteristic of Sheryl Holstein's works (pictured left). Very peaceful and nicely textured. She also had some beautiful coffee mugs that would be so wonderful to wake up to each morning. 
August 20, 2011 - Calmly, I talk to the talented Artists and Craftsmen at the Piedmont Park festival while I feel sweat collecting on my chin. Inconspicuously I dab, but there is no denying that the dog days of summer are still upon us. 
Ashley Buchanan hand-cut jewelry was the first jeweler to catch my eye. We are drawn to jewelers attracting a crowd. Such was the case with Ashley's finely cut brass and sterling silver metal jewelry. Lovely, unique, and in demand.
Copper Dancer Designs - Julia Benson-Slaughter and Andrea Winkler - I actually blogged about this design duo last year at the Art B Que Festival (June 12, 2010). Beautiful lampwork and chain maille designs. 
Diane Tarullo: Diane does an Acorn that is awesome. They are real. They are cute. They are colorful. They were also done in artistic detail. Diane also had this bunch of grapes embedded into a cylinder pendant that had such detail they looked real, except they are about 1/16 of an inch in diameter. 
August 13, 2011 - On Saturday, I made my way to the Marietta Square (Georgia) Artists Market - www.artistsmarketmarietta.com. The Marietta Square Artists Market (located about 30 minutes northwest of Atlanta) is held the second Saturday of each month from 9am to Noon. 
Within the few minutes I was talking with Brothers-Handmade's newest Pottery Artist Julie Jones, she had several customers perusing and purchasing her pieces. 
Enter Mike Snowden - SnowdenGuitars.com Mike's handcrafted cigar box guitars are amazing. Mike has selected beautiful wooden cigar boxes to craft his 3 and 4 string instruments. They are all electric, and the sound is wonderful. 
July 8, 2011 - Ahhhh, This has got to be one of the biggest folk festivals in the country. Every craft is represented. You know how sometimes we have trouble finding Quilts and Soap? Not this time. Quilts are the backbone of this show and soap is well represented.
Her colors and shapes are many to say the least. 
June 29, 2011 - We are in East Liverpool, Ohio. Rob and I decided to get a little more education in the pottery department today. So what better place than a museum? Not just any museum, but one that is known all over the world. You see, East Liverpool, Ohio was the "Capital of American Pottery" for quite sometime. 
Rob is writing an article about The Museum of Ceramics. He will go into detail and I will skim the surface here.
June 18, 2011 - Vermont is one of those states where fine craftsmen and craft stores abound. 
June 11, 2011 - On this drizzly June day, Joel and I head to ....... Can anyone guess? 
luxurious body products. The thing I like about 13th Moon is the look of their soaps. They are masters of design when it comes to the interesting color combinations, forms, and inclusions. Their creative soaps are fantastic as gifts or for your own personal use.
June 5, 2011 - If you are a lover of fine handmade artwork, you'll love this show. Virginia Highlands is an artsy intown (Atlanta, GA) hamlet. 
indicative of her experience as an American Craft Council member. Q as she is known, creates magnificent earrings and bracelet cuffs. Talk about sustainable designs, Q has a recent line where she takes recycled copper from electrical wire, or other sources, and crafts them into spectacular necklace and bracelet designs, accented with precious stones. Stunning!
May 15, 2011 - Ok, let me try and squeeze in a craft and art festival today. I'll spend an hour, then scoot out of there to take my daughter to her orchestra concert. 
May 7, 2011 - Didn't have much time today as I also play violin in the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and had a concert tonight, so I decided to scoot down the road to a local favorite, the 21st Annual Colors Festival of Arts. Many of the Artists I spoke with really like this show, and come back year after year. 
May 1, 2011 - It's May Day. And what a beautiful day it is. I'm driving down Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, GA, and notice the tell tale signs of an outdoor festival - The White Tents. Slow down - U-turn. 
April 30, 2011 - If you are near the Tappan Zee Bridge at the Hudson River, north of New York City, the week before Mother's Day, check out Lyndhurst Estates. This fine craft and arts show has been going on for 27 years, and it's no wonder. 
April 16, 2011 - Ahhh, the third stop of the day. Maybe I've saved the best for last. It's about 3PM, the sun is shining and the temperatures have warmed a bit. 
Dave and Mindy Spray do wood work. Not just woodwork but very detailed woodwork. Not just detailed woodwork, awesome woodwork. They inlay curved pieces in a seamless manner to create the perfect look.
March 26, 2011 - Alright, if you have been following our blogs, you know we always attend any craft shows at Kutztown University. (Kutztown is a small hamlet of about 5000 people, many known as Pennsylvania Dutch, in eastern Pennsylvania). You might think “same old same old” - Right?
Sandra and Bill Jones of Stone’s Through Pottery I blogged about these two before, and sure enough they did it again. They do very impressive work, for sure. But, to me it is how they do their glazes. The dark glazes are a standout. That's not usually the case as dark glazes usually show any imperfection. Good luck finding any flaws on the Jones' work!
