The ever changing and never ending inspirations found in nature is where Aaron draws much of his inspiration.
Adrianna Morrisette’s career as a potter began by chance after taking a few pottery classes at a local community college in Texas. Her initial success in juried shows propelled her to continue to work in clay. In 1994, pottery became her full-time profession when she opened Morrisette Pottery in Leslie, Arkansas.
Her work reflects an organic chic style that is both bohemian and elegant.
Whimsical designs form the basis for Anita Hajtmanek’s stained glass jewelry, mobiles, and glass ornaments. She draws inspiration from the natural world, creating necklaces that resemble leaves and vines, and ornaments that feature colorful winged insects. Use of glass, beads, and intricately woven wire make each piece delicate and intriguing.
“I paint because I have to. There’s something about creating that brings out the best in me.”
From oil, acrylic and watercolor painting to collages, Ann Snyder uses her passion for color to give energy to landscapes, still life and floral works. “Creating something I’ve never seen before gives me a sense of fulfillment…it’s experiencing a God-given expression. The challenge lies in seeing the world with fresh new eyes.”
Anni lives in the Ozark Mountains at Yellville where she creates freeform stoneware clay sculptures and hand-built pottery. Although her career began in painting and photography, her love of the natural surroundings and clay led her to sculpting and creating art inspired by nature.
Beau Anderson, born in Bellingham, Washington in 1980 was introduced to the torch at a very young age by his mother, bead maker Sage Holland.
I like the traditional quilts, but also like to work with different patterns and colors. I like it all!
I’m currently working in acrylics, but use any medium to make my work more interesting. I particularly love to paint large colorful flowers and stylish ladies from the 20s and 30s.
Each fused glass design piece is individually crafted, fused, shaped three to four times and fired again each time. Each fused glass embellishment is a one of a kind design.
Balance is what I seek to create in my earrings, necklaces and bracelets. All my designs can be customized for each wearer. Colors, choice of stones and styles are created for you to enjoy and feel balanced as well.
Santas take over when Charlie Huie is at work. He cuts and shapes Santas into the handles of old tools, kitchen utensils, and just about anything else that can be carved. Rather than whittle the wood into the shape of Santas, Charlie allows the shape of the handle to dictate the design. He preserves as much of the original handle as possible; if it is painted, he works around the existing color, or if the wood is in good condition, he uses very little paint.
After teaching art in Alaska and Arkansas I needed something to keep my hands busy. I’m not afraid to get funky with all materials and play with a medium.
Working together, Lyla and Cory Allison collaborate from start to finish on an evolving body of silver jewelry. Designs vary from fabricated silver embellished with fine wire and intricate surface detail to semi-precious stones offset with strong silver lines and complementary accents. Sometimes gold is used to make just the right statement. Lyrical silver looped necklaces become the perfect accessory for laid back outings or upscale, formal occasions.
The design element is the most enjoyable part to me, followed by the actual weaving.
Beginning in high school, Dan Butkowski was drawn to clay, and he still follows that attraction. “As I open each piece of clay it is as if it is taking its first breath. Each pot that I throw takes on a bit of my personality.”
“I am interested in how we as people shape our environment and what that says about us as individuals and, on a larger scale, as human beings.”
They now market their work under the name Mountain View Pottery at galleries and shops in Mountain View, Eureka Springs, and Little Rock. They make the Clinton Presidential Logo mugs which are sold exclusively at the Clinton Museum Store. David has received numerous awards for his pottery, has taught workshops at the Arkansas Arts Center, and has work in the permanent collection of the Decorative Arts Museum in Little Rock.
Deborah wrote a children’s book about the Dian Fossey’s legacy of protecting the Mountain Gorilla and wanted to illustrate the book herself. It was then that she “dusted off “ her own artistic talent and began painting mountain gorillas using photographs…
Muscadines and scuppernongs, along with some wild varieties and hybrids are what make Dennis and Linda Kolb’s jellies and jams a true treat for the taste buds. Right from their own Bear Kingdom Vineyard, every berry is lovingly raised and ripened to perfection.
After experimenting with many media, including wood, metal, glass and concrete, I realized that dollmaking was the craft I could stay with.
I, like so many, can easily get caught up in the grandeur of nature: vast sunsets or sweeping views. Often, however, the real beauty is in the smallest detail: a single leaf, water drops on petals. If I can take a picture that captures the joy that nature gives me, and with that image, express it to another, then I have accomplished my goal.
The garden and woods surrounding his home and the Red Fern Glass studio provide Ed Pennebaker with inspiration for his work where he uses traditional offhand glass blowing techniques to manipulate the fluid qualities and interaction with light that glass provides. “I see no need to replicate nature, but I prefer to interpret and reimagine it.”
Farmers, Santas, cooks, clowns, and golfers are just a few of the happy gourd people Elizabeth Scesniak makes with brightly painted faces and clothing, and accessories to match.
Eric is an Arkansas native with over 25 years in the jewelry business. He is passionate about creating unique art jewelry.
The force of gravity and rhythm in motion play a critical role in the process Gary Carter uses to manipulate molten glass and create classic and contemporary art pieces.
I make wood bowls, sculpture, furniture and other things which highlight the natural beauty of wood. Each piece is individually crafted, by me, in my shop in the Ouachita Mountains, just south of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
While following the age old technique of glass fusion, Gregg and Terri Addington are continually learning and experimenting as they combine their artistic skills in such a way as to complement each other’s work.
“If I particularly like a watercolor painting, I move to a canvas. I use a garden sprayer and transparent acrylics to create these paintings which have a watercolor feel. Just as we are not perfect, neither are my paintings, and I continually want to do another which I am sure will be perfect.”
Curvilinear designs in wood are the trademark of Jared Kauffman.
Jeanette learned to crochet from her grandmother when she was eight-years-old and has rarely put down her crochet hooks since then. She crocheted while on the bench during high school basket ball games and in lecture halls in college. “Crocheting helps me relax and keep still while letting my mind work on things,” she said.
For as long as Jeanie can remember, she has been fascinated by handcrafted jewelry and arts from around the world. As an artist her creations are inspired by nature and color.
Judy and I create our designs using our imagination aided by nature with lots of color for inspiration. A computer is used that employs a drawing program where we can work with our designs before they are created in the studio. It has become a great designing tool that allows us to use our colors in unlimited variations.
Through an apprenticeship program offered at the Ozark Folk Center, Jerry learned the old fashioned hand-tying method of broom making. By late 1978, the Lovensteins established the family business, Grassy Creek Handcrafted Brooms. Ever since, the family has recreated the traditional forms influenced by the Shakers and Puritans, and handed down for generations. Continuing with tradition, their son Adrian apprenticed and at the age of nine was making his own line of miniature turkey wing brooms. He is soon to be followed by his son, River, who has already been introduced to the craft at age four.
“As potters, it is important for us to be close to the earth. You’ll find most of us tend to be gardeners and animal lovers in addition to believing in the magic of clay.”
A passion for painting and a love for the Arkansas landscape Jim is comfortable painting in most any media in a wide range of subject matter. Living by his faith in Jesus Christ, Jim finds peace and joy in the living of this life. He credits his Creator with all that is wonderful and beautiful in the universe and gives Him the glory in all things. Beauty is truly subjective to each person. Jim is struck by the abundance of the natural beauty one can find once they are willing to open their minds eye and look. He feels there is no greater part of the world to find it than right here in the “natural” state. “I love this state, its people and its wealth of visual pleasures.
We live, work, garden and walk our two dogs on 40 beautiful acres in the Arkansas Ozarks, a wonderful place for inspiration. We began exhibiting at juried art shows in 1987, and have been members of the Arkansas Craft Guild since 1988.
I started woodworking sitting on my rear. As a kid my Dad would often say “I need your help.” “Sit on this board while I cut it.” I learned so much from my father, just by being around him while he accomplished whatever needed to be done, using his hands and mind. I think of him all the time as I work. Little things “pop” out at me showing he is still a part of me and all of my woodworking
We love making our living using our hands. It is satisfying to start with a lump of clay and produce a piece of work that may last for 5000 years, or more! The work sold here is functional stoneware. We designed it to be used and enjoyed.
JP Rosenquist makes her jewelry using the fabrication process of metalworking using primitive tools and techniques passed down through generations of Navajo craftsmen, a skill she learned as an apprentice to a master silversmith in New Mexico. As a result, each piece is individually hand crafted, created without casting or molding.
Primarily self taught, the challenges of glass provide many “This is what I want. How do I get there?” opportunities for creative thinking.
While I can be impressed by a pattern, the truth is that it’s the fabric that makes my breath catch and my pulse race. About three quarters of the time, my projects are driven by and must–have fabric purchase. I love working with interesting color combinations, and I will drive long distances to shop for just the “right” fabric. My fondest hope is that I live just long enough to use up my ever–growing fabric stash. I’ll be taking the scraps with me!
I love the feel of the metal as I work with it, transforming it into art you can wear and use. I start with an idea, then take sterling silver or solid copper wire and sheet and hand cut, form, shape, forge, fuse and polish or patina each piece as its design directs.
My inspiration comes from the world around me—walks in the woods, sitting by the water and even my sons’ bubbles have driven my designs. They all fuel my creativity, helping me to translate those ideas to metal. My designs are unique.
“I don’t create the tree , so why should I have final say in the final form?” Most of his work consists of wood turned items, but he is beginning to create more sculptures as his work evolves.
I have been interested in photography ever since receiving a Brownie Holiday camera while in grade school. I can still re-live old memories from the pictures taken with that simple camera. For me, this was what photography was about…capturing memories.
Artisan Linda Armstrong creates original, one-of-a kind, hand-built porcelain and stoneware clay sculptures, wall art, and functional artware in her private Porcelain Iris Studio in Flippin, Arkansas. Her artistic expressions began early in childhood and lead to extensive studies in mold casting, and an array of finishing techniques. The natural progression to the free-form process of creating artworks with clay followed, as well as studies in mixing and combining glazes.
Gourd Art
Art doesn’t have boundaries for Loretta. Her art ranges from wildlife, scenery, seascapes, western, to portraits. Paintings also range from oil, acrylic, to watercolor.
Willow says “As we work together on this difficult process, I recognize the significance of the hands to create and express human feelings. May the close relationship between use and beauty make these dishes daily companions to enrich your life.”
Howard Harper and his wife Maggie Lusk have spent countless days and many miles traveling Arkansas recording the state’s natural beauty and wildlife, and discovering its history. They produce images as photographs, note cards, and bookmarks.
From the first time he saw a bowl being turned on a lathe, Mark Cothern was hooked. “Something about the wood spinning and taking shape has a hypnotic effect on me,” he explains.
30 years ago, Marvin Gentry entered into a trade that has turned into art as he has researched and tried different techniques to create beautiful vases and bottles from glass.
Real leaves are the basis for Mary Harbour’s porcelain leaf impressions that are made by pressing individual leaves into thin layers of clay. Each leaf impression is carefully cut from the slab of clay, shaped and dried, and then kiln fired. Stains in fall colors are added and an acrylic sealer is applied to protect the color. These decorative pieces retain the fine details of the original leaf.
“Unlike many artists who can labor over a piece to achieve absolute perfection, I have to move quickly. That often leads to unexpected surprises and pieces that morph from the initial design idea to a completely different final product.”
Her Passion for clay began in elementary school, when she discovered that she could dig up clay form her backyard and make “wonderful creations”. Maura obtained a B.A. in Studio Art and Cultural Anthropology form the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Nancy’s images are photographs, not paintings.
Nikki Bond transformed her early interest in herbs and gardening into a line of products that combine the best attributes of the plants she cultivates with traditional, high quality craftsmanship to create artisan soaps and specialty herb products.
Dots, stripes, swirls and lots and lots of color give Pat Church’s painted ceramic dinnerware its flair. She begins with earthenware bisque, then draws designs with pencil and fills in with colorful underglazes to create graphic and playful themes.
My mission is to create hair accessories and complimentary jewelry which is both functional, fashionable and unique.
I always kept my art close at hand. At the age of 15, I started selling, paintings and wood carvings. Six years ago I found gourds. I still sell paintings and wood carvings, however gourds are my joy! Gourds combine all my creative abilities.
Patricia Levine uses her expertise as a master gardener to grow flowers, herbs, and grasses and combines those with wild botanicals, seed pods and cones to design unique, dried floral arrangements.
He is inspired by his love of the outdoors and seasonal changes in the wild areas in Arkansas known for their natural beauty.
From Blue Mountain Woodworks at Timbo, Paul Gillam works with his father to make custom furniture, cabinets, cutting boards, serving pieces, other products using native hardwoods, including walnut, cherry, red and white oak, hickory, ash, maple, and aromatic cedar.
Although Coyote Clay is formally educated and teaches sculpture and drawing at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas he has chosen a different path from the norm. He and Sharon, his wife of over forty years live in the woods in a cavehouse, make an organic garden and experience directly the Creator’s gentle touch.
After several years of studying and experimenting with fiber manipulation Ramona Buss began weaving what she calls ‘sculptural basketry’ using wild fibers, vines, and branches which she gathers from the woods and roadsides.
Since 1993 Jane and RC have worked together to create works in metal – large and small – and scented candles.
Sleek contemporary and Shaker designs are the hallmark of Rick and Donna Chrisman’s array of boxes, trays, carriers, and specialty wooden pieces made at their Revolutionary Designs woodworking shop.
“A lot of time goes into each item. They are like a little piece of art work to me. It’s fun for me and I hope each piece is enjoyed.”
The Locke’s natural soy candles are poured by hand and made with 100% soybean wax, providing a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional candles. There is an aroma for every mood and palate, from subtle fragrances like linen to a host of fruits, spices, and blends.
“My glass gives me the chance to produce something that people like to bring into their own homes and show off to family and friends. I think it is so cool that people pay me for something that I enjoy doing in the first place.”
“I do enjoy the sound of the tools cutting into the wood blank and watching the ever-changing patterns in the wood as the waste is cut away. The feel of the surface of a well-designed and finished piece can be an almost sensual experience.”
Russ paints a variety of subjects including landscapes and figures, often telling a story with his paintings. His favorite subjects at present are centered on banjo, guitar and fiddle who figures may be human, animal or even insect. This allows room for humor and bright colors and most of all affords him the opportunity to do his work in a satisfying and enjoyable manner.
Natural, sustainable candles and bath and beauty products created to provide a soothing, elegant experience.
Trained as a gemologist, his attention to detail sets his work apart and has enabled him to go beyond traditional shapes to explore ‘fantasy’ cuts, symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes that follow the best attributes of the rough stone.
Sharon Barber has a passion for purses. She sews and paints, glues and hammers, cuts and drills, sands and finishes in the process of making purses that are like no others.
Everywhere I look I see paintings, make them in my head, trap them in my camera, chew on certain ones until the painting gets grabbed and moved out onto the canvas or paper. Whether water color, oil or mixed media, my goal is paintings that flow with light an invite with shadow.
A dabbler at heart, Shawn has tried his hands at a lot of arts and crafts. He has finally settled – at least for a while – on broom making and wood working.
Sue Lukens Creasy has used her interest in sustainable living and a love of herbs and medicinal plants to develop a line of fine handmade soaps, bath salts, and other products to pamper and soothe the body.
What starts out as a raw lump of polymer clay, in the hands of Terri Parson becomes wearable sculpture that looks deceptively like glass, stone, wood, metal, and bone.
I devote a lot of my time to my wood turnings, and every time I think I am at the top of my skills, I add something new… Something more challenging.
From tall vases to expanding bowls with part of the bark still intact, he coaxes sweeping forms from what others might consider ‘useless’ parts of a tree. His turnings often are further embellished with carving or the addition of minimal color or texture, or inlays of contrasting materials.
Cherry Street Leather is a collaboration of Zack and Malinda Folkers. Adding their individual perspectives of style and design, they create quality handcrafted leather items that combine functionality with aesthetic appeal.