Decorate an Easter Tree in Your Home!

 

Putting up an Easter Tree in your home is a wonderful way to welcome your guests over this festive Spring  holiday.  The Gallery has many handmade items to decorate the tree with - choose from pastel glass ornaments, fabric hearts, thin stained glass rectangles or soft hued wreathes.  Or give them as gifts for others to use on their tree!

Stained glass color slices by Stacey Betts

More color slices by Betts

Glass ornaments by Fritz Lauenstein

Teardrop glass ornament by Lauenstein

Felt wreaths by Celia Barbieri

Assorted colorful felt hearts by Barbieri

Basket Weaver Joe Bruneau Answers Our Questionnaire

Our featured artist this week is basket weaver Joe Bruneau. Joe creates organic, colorful and useful baskets out of grapevine, bittersweet vine, wisteria and honeysuckle from the surrounding mountains.  Some customers use them for display but each one has a purpose - be it for gathering and holding eggs, potatoes or melons.

We have created a questionnaire for our artists based on the Pivot Questionnaire used on the Bravo TV series Inside the Actor's Studio, changing the focus to art rather than words and acting.  Here are Joe's answers....

1. What is your favorite color?  
         Bright Green

2. What is your least favorite color?  
        A dead yellow   

3. What turns you on creatively?  
         Community spirit

4. What turns you off creatively?  
         "You can't"

5. What is your idea of happiness?  
         Mutual respect with others.

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?  
         On a private beach with my partner and my pets.

7. Who is your favorite artist?  
         The first one.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?   
         Political office

9. What profession would you not like to?  
         Political office

10. Describe your work in one word.  
         Mine

Many of his baskets are decorated with beads, textured yarn and other fabric to create a very unique piece of art that anyone would want to have in their home.

Special Customers....

High school sweethearts got back together and married 16 years ago.  Mrs Bryan was treated to a lovely Willowsong black tourmaline necklace and earrings from the Gallery recently by her beloved husband. True love!!!

Spring is Here with John Mac Kah Paintings

Tablerock 19 1/2" X 16"

Happy Spring to all.  What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than featuring painter John Mac Kah's lovely oils on board.  Bears are rousing, the mountains are greening up and  the air is warming.  Kay captures all these moments exquisitely in his paintings..

Whiteside Mt 23 1/2" x 15"

While studying art, John rebelled against the focus on abstraction and modernists styles.  He yearned to return to traditional realism and as a result he is largely self taught.  Inspired by the Hudson River School and the Tonalist landscape painters of the 19th and early 20th century, John enoys using the "en plein air" technique which means in open air.  John feels the process of painting outdoors helps him to truly capture the fleeting aspects of light and color.  John generally paints on panel or linen using traditional oils and materials.

Lane Pinnacle 17" x 13 1/2"

These paintings are a must see so do stop by! The Gallery also has several matted prints in various sizes  - something for every budget!

Ursa Major 36" x 32"

Matted prints

Lyn Lyndall Answers "The Questionnaire"

Large handbag by Lyndall.

Time for our weekly artist questionnaire based on the Pivot one from Inside the Actor's Studio on Bravo.  The questions have been changed to reflect an artist's point of view.  It is Lyn Lyndall's turn.  Lyn is our talented leather artist who makes all her handbags from beginning to end - beadwork and painting included.  Because this weekend is St Pat's we featured her Celtic themed bags and business card holder.  Now, heeerrree's Lyn!

Exquisite beading detail on the side.

 

1. What is your favorite color?
All, but if I HAD to pick one...golds

 

 

2. What is your least favorite color?
none

 

 

3. What turns you on creatively?
Anything of beauty: nature, music, love, art....

 

 

4. What turns you off creatively?
 Ignorance

 

 

5. What is your idea of happiness?
Freedom and enlightenment

 

 

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Another world, the planet Pandora

 

 

7. Who is your favorite artist? 
Soo many to list... John William Waterhouse, Sir Lawrence Alma-tadema, Freddie Mercury, Lance Lauffer.....

 

 

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Rock Star or Surgeon

 

 

 

9. What profession would you not like to?
Anything in an office under florescent lights

 

 

 

10. Describe your work in one word.
Passion

 

Lyn's smaller leather handbag

Her four leaf clover business card holder

Get Your Green On for St. Patrick's Day!

Walking stick by Steve Duncan

Should you need some green to add to your wardrobe for St. Patrick's Day,  the Gallery has plenty of offerings!  From walking sticks, hand loomed scarves, hats, pins and even entire outfits - we have the perfect item or outfit for you.

Trillium chenille scarf with smaller Peter Lanpear scarf

Feathered wool hat by Janice Keeler

Fabric flower pin by Kathleen Lewis

Our chenille jackets by Peter Lanphear brighten up any room, especially accented with a Karen Atwood ribbon scarf and tiny silk purse by Dana Smith.  Make a statement by wearing all American handmade clothing - not many could say that about their outfits!

Peter Lanphear chenille jacket

An Interview with Elvie Zell

Golden Retriever Pin

 Elvie Zell was the first of the Gallery's artists to respond to a fun questionnaire we made up based on the Pivot Questionnaire used in the television show Inside the Actor's Studio. We will be featuring one artist per week giving you a glimpse of  what makes each craftsperson tick.

Tuxedo cat earrings

Elvie, an Ohio resident,  is a superb copper enamel artist and a great favorite of our pet loving customers.  Some of her exquisitely detailed jewelry is pictured between the questions.

Lhasa Apso pendant

1. What is your favorite color?  

BLACK & WHITE

2. What is your least favorite color? 

GREY

3. What turns you on creatively?  

   OUTSIDER ART

4. What turns you off creatively?  

       AUTHORITIES

5. What is your idea of happiness? 

                  FREE TIME, SIDE PORCH, STACK OF MAGAZINES, THAT BRAZILIAN DRINK I CAN’T PRONOUNCE OR SPELL

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? 

HERE

7. Who is your favorite artist?  

AGNES MARTIN

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  

NEUROSURGERY

9. What profession would you not like to?  

POLITICS

10. Describe your work in one word. 

INSANE

Marmalade cat pin

The Gallery Welcomes a New American Handmade Clothing Line by Christy Fisher

Fisher bubble skirt of vintage fabric paired with her cowl neck top.

The Gallery is proud to announce a new clothing line by Christy Fisher of Arizona.  Her handmade clothing consists of hand-loomed Fabien and fabric from sustainable sources.

Long sleeved cowl neck top by Fisher.

Christy taught herself to sew at age 14, honing her skills as a seamstress.  During her high school years, she began selling her sportswear clothing line to surf shops. Cristy opened her own retail store after graduation and continued designing and making her one of a kind art clothing.  During the 60s and 70s, Christy dressed many famous rock and roll bands, including members of Eric Clapton's band, Frank Zappa's band, and Warren Zevon's band.

Sleeveless cardi wrap.

Throughout the decades after, she created even more line, handweaving and knitting with unusual materials, creating coats and sweaters sold at Marcy's and Burdines.  She also taught design, fiber arts and merchandising at the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Tampa, Florida.  Her home state of Arizona called to her in the 90s and she has been busy producing fine and fun art clothing there since.

Butterfly pants by Fisher with her sleeveless cardi wrap.

Bubble skirt short with cardi wrap.

Her well designed and executed clothing line represents a fusion of craftsmanship and social consciousness.The combination of innovative styling and attention to detail make for one of a kind clothing items that are truly works of contemporary art.  The Gallery carries an assortment of pieces in brown, olive, black and plum.

Fisher long sleeved duster

American Handmade Gifts for Book Lovers

Book stand by Ian Hunter.

Book lovers will covet our exquisitely hand crafted expandable book case and book stand by Ian Hunter. Hunter crafts these pieces using methods from the past century.

The book stand is perfect for displaying your favorite large size book or antique book.  Or place a reference book you use often or use it to hold your cookbook open when whipping up a fun recipe.

Seedling bookcase

This folding book case makes a great gift - it fold down flat to store easily out of sight. It opens wider to accommodate more books to keep you collection close at hand.  Add some Arts & Craft flair to you home with any of Ian Hunter's pieces.