Craft Show Artists 2009

Geoff A. Buddie and Chris Rom — Swanton, OH   |   www.thebinaryproject.com

We are a husband and wife team currently working in stoneware and porcelain, handfelted wool, recycled rubber, wood, milk paint, and metal. One of the predominant themes that run through our work is the ability for the viewer to interact tacitly with the piece. Many of the parts that we make are meant to be moved and exchanged for others providing a format for the viewer to contribute their own responses and perceptions. Our goal is to furnish an environment in which people may be transported back to a simpler time in their lives. We believe that the ability to be creative is apparent at childhood and play, in its purest form, goes back to our own developments when our minds were supple and elastic. It is the drive that motivates us to learn. Our hope is that engaging people in a visual, as well as a tactile, experience will provide them the opportunity to free their imaginations of adult inhibitions and investigate the way a child does - with curiosity and wonder.

Najee Dorsey — Lithia Springs, GA   |   artbynajee.com

Currently residing in Atlanta, southern splendor and elegance comes to mind when thinking about the artwork of Najee Dorsey, a native from Arkansas with roots in Louisiana Najee loves to express himself in mix media, using acrylic paints, decorative fabrics, inks and handmade papers are used to share the human story. "It's my goal to continue producing art that taps into the depths of my creativity visually, spiritually, emotionally and to celebrate that success with those who love and appreciate the arts".

Bill F. Durovchic — Yreka, CA   |   rocketman.info

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.

Kathleen L. Dustin — Contoocook, NH   |   kathleendustin.com

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.

Amy Gillespie — Arlington, MA   |   amygillespiestudio.com

I work in the two different mediums of fiber and wood. The processes both contrast and complement each other. My background lies in fiber, but I've always been fascinated by wood. My creative process begins at the lumberyard. In order to achieve integration between the materials, I allow the wood to set the tone for the piece. As I use a router to create the channel which houses the felt inlay, my mind is racing with ideas for the color, form and composition the felt will take. My process for wet-felting the wool roving is similar to murrini glass that involves layering and slicing. I further add color and fortify the felt by coating it with acrylic paint and gel medium.

Christina Goodman — Alameda, CA   |   christinagoodman.com

These hand painted and gilded objects are inspired by Renaissance painting. Each piece is constructed in either wood or resin. It is then gilded in 22k gold leaf, often using the traditional water gilding technique. The miniatures are painted using extremely fine brushes and a magnifier. The imagery is based on elements from Renaissance art, the natural world and more recently inspired by trompe l'oeil painting.

Mark H. Hartung — Chagrin Falls, OH

Untrained artists and their direct approach to making objects have had an influence on my way of working. I am impressed by their use of materials and basic methods used to make their work. Another significant influence on my work has been a fascination with toys from the turn and first half of this century, especially tin toys. 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 the fragments of all of the above. My work is typically fashioned from copper, steel and found objects. Patinas and pencils are used for color.

Christine Kaiser — Butler, PA   |   christinekaiser.com

My pieces are fairy tales for the modern world. Like most folktales their story isn't always revealed on first glance. They are (hopefully) engaging enough to catch your eye again and again. Part of their charm is the tension between sweet and not so sweet. I use element of cartoons, animation stills, dreams, and other references to weave my stories. To root the pieces in the world I use a fairly classical visual aesthetic. They are made from basswood that is cut, stacked, shaped and carved. Elements are fabricated from various materials and added to the structure which is then painted with multiple layers of paint, graphite and drawing.

Mike Libby — South Portland, ME   |   insectlabstudio.com

Borrowing from science fiction and fact, Insect Lab customizes real insect specimens with antique watch parts and other technological components. From ladybugs to grasshoppers, each is individually hand adorned, and original - a unique celebration of the contradictions and confluences between nature and technology.

Mark Orr — Pinckney, MI   |   scavengerart.com

I create hand carved and painted wooden sculptures combined with other materials and vintage found objects to create one of a kind non-functional sculptures. The raven and crows I carve serve as symbolic messengers, telling their stories through the various objects they carry and perch upon.

Leslie S. Rachlin — Elmira, NY

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 esthetically 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

Christine Rodrigues-Schukow — Ellenville, NY

Three-dimensional framed dioramas. One of a kind or very limited edition scenes created from clay, wood, fiber and found materials handpainted in shades of black, white and grey to resemble vintage photos. Some scenes are also painted in color but most have a very vintage retro feel about them. All boxes and frames are custom made and each piece is finished for wall hanging or display.

Kirsten Stingle — Alpharetta, GA   |   kirstenstingle.com

I believe storytelling connects us to one another and explains who we are. A fine arts degree in theater strengthened my desire to express common threads of the human experience and honed my use of imagery and gesture as powerful narrative tools. Similar to stagecraft, ceramics is a natural extension of my narrative impulse. Working with clay allows me to create a world in which, if I am attentive, a story can unfold. I work with the human form because while it is instantly approachable, the presentation of its inner psyche can be infinitely complex. To further the narrative, I employ found objects in my ceramic work and extend their implication into a new context. I find the collaboration with different media not only enhances the storyline of each piece, but also highlights the tactile and aesthetic qualities of the materials.

Don M. Williams — Deerfield, NH

The wall pieces and sculptures completed during the past year reflect my long-time interests in both landscape and architecture. They are fragments and memories, distillations of places both natural and manmade. Combining clay with metal and found objects has opened a new door. It has expanded my visual language, changed my working process, and given me a legitimate reason to dump pick and beach comb.

Betsy L. Youngquist — Rockford, IL   |   byart.com

I am drawn to the idea of animals as messengers, as well as the concept that all of nature is interdependent and interconnected. This body of work reflects a fascination with the intersection of humans, animals, and mythology. My mixed media compositions begin as forms that I construct from a variety of materials, and then embellish using a mosaic process. The surface treatment of each piece involves the use of many re-purposed materials including beads, antique porcelain doll parts, vintage jewelry components, and old prosthetic glass eyes. These elements are adhered to each shape and grouted using black tile grout.

Jeffrey Zachmann — Fergus Falls, MN   |   jeffreyzachmann.com

I'm a mechanical guy in a digital world. Ever since I was a child I've worked on mechanical devices and kinetic sculptures. I find fascination in mechanical movements of almost any kind. My moving sculptures have taught me I'm not alone in this fascination. I think it must be some primordial reaction to motion that draws the crowds. It grabs their attention and pulls them in. I love to watch the people watching my sculptures, different people are attracted by different types of motion and different mechanical movements. Most people just watch, some people buy. Whatever it is that attracts them, by the time they leave, they all have a smile on their face. Kinetic Sculpture exploring movement and people's attraction to movement. Welded stainless steel, found metal, rolling balls, gravity devices, motorized lifts.