2008 Craft Show Artists

My current work is comprised of an eclectic collection of functional objects in a variety of materials. The pieces demand interaction. Turning a knob rotates 25 gears or pushes a bearing into a slide. I find the actions of simple machines mesmerizing. Using steel, aluminum, brass, Bakelite, acrylic and other materials with precision machine tools I create desktop machines and accessories that compel one to interact.

These wristlet evening bags made of layered colored polymer clay are informed by tiny seed pods and flower buds, but on an enlarged scale. The purpose of a pod is to contain and protect somethng fragile and essential making it an appropriate form for an evening bag. These delicate-looking bags have enough flexibility not to be fragile.

Each of my pieces begins with fallen aspen branches or reclaimed wood. I gather the aspen in the mountains of the southwestern United States. I make at least one trip to the mountains annually to collect the material that I will use over the course of the year. I view this journey as a pilgrimage. Whenever I return to the aspen forest to gather wood I am awed by the strength and the delicacy of the natural world. In my studio I combine the aspen with broken, discarded and distressed materials. I use found materials as visual metaphors, often choosing objects which speak to me of decay and resurrection, cultural trends, history and myth. Through the combination of organic and found elements I allude to the human impact upon the environment, the transience of earthly things, and the process of change.

These hand painted objects are inspired by Renaissance paintings, illuminated manuscripts and botanical illustration. The pieces are constructed out of wood and water-gilded with 22k gold leaf. The paintings are done in acrylics using fine brushes and a magnifier.

Untrained artists and their direct approach to making objects has had an influence on my way of working. I am impressed by their use of materials and the basic methods used to make their work. Another significant influence on my work has been a fascination with toys from the turn, and the first half of this century, especially tin toys. Often, I feel the ingenious design in these toys is overshadowed by the simplistic nature of the toys themselves. I am equally intrigued with artists who make work with sophisticated mechanical movements but choose low-tech options of production over high technology accessible to us all. It has been my preference as well to explore my work through basic means of production. The images presented in my work are derived from objects I encounter and collect, lyrics in music, my life and personal history. The work is often a collage from fragments of all of the above.

Steven and William have been hand crafting objects for the past eight years. They meticulously craft handbags and accessories that are contained in hand-stitched boxes which are then stacked into towers. Their therapeutic process of craft manifests sacred objects. Their work is currently being honored by the Smithsonian Institute: Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum as among the top design firms in the nation. They value purity, light, love, and abundance.

Alabaster stone is a crystalline form of gypsum whose colors and veins are derived from iron, copper and other minerals. My alabaster is quarried from the ancient sea beds found in Utah, Colorado, California and Italy. Using woods from around the world I inlay segmented designs which add warmth and depth to each piece. Stone and wood are fused together and carved on a lathe to 3/16th" thickness and are often translucent.

In all of my ideas the notion of emergence, renewal and birth inform my art through the use of many, often opposing, materials.

As a knife maker I must constantly remind myself that form must meet function. Knife making is one of man's earliest crafts. Even in prehistoric time's knife makers worked to make their blades ecstatically pleasing while never sacrificing the working function of the knife. That is still the quest of the modern maker. Using modern materials and tools allows a wide range of beautiful and exotic manifestations of the art. However we must never forget that what we are ultimately making is a tool with a job to do

I work in female figurative sculpture, working with hand formed porcelain and assembling it with altered wood, metal, fiber, and found object.

Most of my sculptures are a conceptual exploration of inner moral and/or spiritual struggles. They are very personal to me, and creating them often helps me learn more about myself. The use of mixed media and found objects is prominent, but I also fabricate many metal parts, many of which are mechanical pieces that allow parts of the sculptures to move. I find that engaging the viewer in interaction with the piece is the best way to grab their attention and almost force them to learn more.

Inspired by my rural surroundings, I create unique mixed-media sculptures that combine detailed hot sculpted glass forms with stainless steel and wood.

Tom and Kathy Wegman share a unique vision. Their technique is simple. Using familiar objects, they meticulously apply row after row of tiny seed beads to every surface. Nothing is preplanned and the additional colors, rhinestone chain and vintage glass suggest new directions as the work progresses. Phrases written with beads add to the whimsy of their work. The results are spectacular, beaded objects alive with color and imagination.

I assemble one of a kind mixed media pieces using found and collected objects with hand carved wood. Most of my works reflect my interest in distressed surfaces, weird curiosities, broken toys and an unacademic sensibility toward art.

I create one of a kind mixed media assemblages using vintage materials. Old photos, string, seed and pods, and tins are just a few of the many items I utilize in my work.