Several of the Artists involved with the Artisans' Co-op are preparing for a group show at the Gualala Art Center. The following article will fill you in....

“Many Hands- Many Arts” is the title of the group exhibit coming to GAC on December third. It features 14 of the artists who make up part of the membership of the ARTISANS’ CO-OP in Bodega. On checking out the artist list for the show, you will find four weavers, three artists whose work is two dimensional, two potters, two jewelry makers, one knitter, one bootmaker and one gourd artist.

The gourd artist, Kelly Horan, grows the gourds, dries and prepares them for painting and other embellishment, then finishes with wall hangings that are clever, unique and easily find honored places in the homes of people that purchase them.

Bootmaker Angel Fiorito-Leddy has been shaping boots, shoes and slippers from sheepskin and exotic leathers for 30+ years. She also does custom designs in consultation with the purchaser for which she makes molds of your feet, insuring a perfect fit.I’m sure that she will have some of her custom pieces on display.

The knitter in the group, Edie Nelson, has rarely been seen without her knitting needles in motion. All of her creations, from newborn layettes to sweaters for adult men and women, are her own design. I think Edie is a yarn junkie. Many times I’ve seen her stitching away with yarn that has just come into the shop. She’ll tell any who ask that she is knitting samples for the shop so other knitters can see how the new fiber works up. I think that she really needs a new fiber fix---can’t live without it.

Comparing and contrasting artists who work in the same medium can be interesting and instructive. Consider clay. It is a plastic medium to be sure. Carolyn Horan uses clay for sculptures and pit fired vessels. Vera Van Shaick, who claims she’s been playing in the mud since 1976, produces mostly table ware and serving pieces on a wheel and her embellishments, painting, slips and glazes are beautifully done.

The jewelry makers are definitely a study in contrasts. Carol Sklar creates necklaces and earrings using a knotting technique which is really micro macrame. Her work is accented with semi-precious stones. She does have several styles that she uses as a basic pattern for her pieces but, in truth, none are exactly the same. Deborah Jacobson designs and creates jewelry with a wide range of materials: fossils, pearls, seeds,art glass, wood, shells, semi-precious stones and even Mah Jong tiles. Deborah creates pieces of striking originality, allowing the the materials to dictate the design.

The two dimensional artists all produce art that hangs on the wall. However, each works in a different medium. Blanca Harnwell is a photographer who has spent much of her free time catching interesting scenes of Sonoma County with her camera. Diane Price amuses us with her witty and extraordinary pen and ink drawings. Annie Murphy Springer, one of the Grand Dames of Sonoma County artists, is well known for her pleine aire watercolors of western Sonoma County. Watch for her soon on your local PBS station as she teaches “The Wonders of Watercolor”, a new art series she is creating.

One would think that four weavers would be too many for even a group show but, even though each of the women work on looms, they all have different foci which differentiates their work. Martha Cant focuses on the yarn. She is a superb spinner and has her own flock to supply her with wool. Her weavings highlight the beauty of the fiber she is working with. Ina Stess has a wonderful sense of the dramatic and so do her creations. She tends to use bold colors and chunky yarns, occasionally embellishing with Asian nomadic jewelry. Linda Cannefax is very interested in surface design and embellishment and, to that end, she paints her warps before weaving and screen prints designs and/or adds beading after creating a garment from her material. Judy Fisher enjoys weaving complex patterns in her yardage and then constructing clothing and accessories using her handwoven material combined with commercial fabrics.

As a community of artists, these artists not only produce their own work but give verbal and visual stimuli to each other. Come see the show and see which pieces stimulate you. You will experience many pleasant surprises and you can acquire wonderful, unique one-of-a-kind pieces.

The show opens with a reception at the Gualala Art Center on Saturday evening, December 4th and continues through January 2, 2011.

In the meantime,as you cruise through Bodega, stop at the Gallery and see the marvelous selection of art and craft created by over 40 local artists. We are open every day from 11AM to 5PM and, on the first Saturday of each month, free hands-on demonstrations are presented. A free knitting clinic happens on the “teenth” Friday of each month, too. Call for more info- 707-976-9830.

November Artist of the Month

Carol Sklar has been making tiny half hitch knots for a long time. What sets Carol apart is that she uses slender nylon cord and forms intricate designs with that cord. Her finished products are high end necklaces and earrings with semi-precious stones embedded in the design.

The Co-op always has a selection of her pieces for sale and, many times, you might find Carol minding the store as she ties her tiny knots.

Come by and check it out.

November Artist of the Month

Ina Stess has a long history in fiber arts. At the present time she is mostly known for her weaving and for her knitted "cupcake" baby hats. As this month's artist, she is showcasing her embellishing skills. Ina does a line of jackets where she starts with the iconic jeans jacket. she then dives into her fabric stash and finds wonderful fabrics, usually unusual prints, to applique to the jacket's surfaces.
Ina has an excellent eye for style and balance. What was once a lowly work jacket becomes an item of art clothing that can go to chichi places with aplomb. Come by the co-op to check out her work as well as that of around forty other Sonoma County artists.

News from the Co-op

Fourteen of the artists associated with the Artisans' Co-op have taken on the challenged of mounting a group exhibit at the Gualala Art Center which will open on Dec 4, 2010 and be there for the entire month.

Participants are: Kelly Horan-gourd artist, Bootmaker Angel Fiorito-Leddy, Edie Nelson -knitter, Carolyn Horan and Vera Van Schaick -potters, Carol Sklar and Deborah Jacobson Jewelry makers, photographer Blanca Harnell, watercolorist Annie Murphy Springer, Diane Price who specializes in pen and ink drawings, and four weavers-Martha Cant, Ina Stess, Linda Cannefax and Judy Fisher.

As members of a community of artists, these artists not only produce their own work but give verbal and visual stimuli to each other. Come see the show and see which pieces stimulate you. You will experience many pleasant surprises and can acquire wonderful, unique one-of-a-kind pieces.

October Artist of the Month

Vera Van Schaick claims that she "has been playing in the mud" since 1976. Apparently her affinity for mud has been very educational, for from this basic ingredient Vera creates works that are beautiful and quite functional.
Her place settings are beautiful and calming and her serving pieces manage to be both practical and witty. Come by to see what charms you about her work

October Artist of the Month

Judy Fisher is a weaver who loves to cut up- her fabric, that is! She was an accomplished seamstress long before she learned to weave and has no fear about cutting into her yardage.
For years she has tailored and shaped her handwoven fabric, but lately she has acknowledged the strong affinity handwoven cloth has for traditional garments such as the cape, the ruana, the Japanese kimono and the nomadic chapan from the steppes of Asia. These garments and others like them require a minimum of cutting and rely on simple closures to keep them in place. So lately Judy has been playing with these shapes. Her goal is to combine the best attributes of these classic shapes and her finishing techniques to fashion classic and wearable styles.

September Artist of the Month

Linda Cannefax has been doing Art to Wear for many years. Most of her clothing and accessories are handwoven and she specializes in dying her creations and spending many hours on finishing and embellishing her garments.

Linda, a longtime member of the Artisans' Co-op, has also participated in Sonoma County ArTrails for several years. ArTrails takes place this year on October 9 and 10 as well as the 17th and 18th. Therefore, at this time of year, Linda is in full 'creation mode', making sure she has a large and new array of items for her visitors to see and purchase.

Linda's traditional color palette has been the use of primary colors , lots of red, navy and black with intense saturation. However, this year I've noticed a small change to softer colors.

Linda's garments are all her original designs and each one is unique.

Come by the Co-op to see her work and, if you want to travel the ArTrail, pick up the free ArTrails publication available at many stores, the library and on line.

September Artist of the Month

Deborah North is one of our newest members. Deborah grew up on a dairy farm in western Sonoma County and has always had a passion for the outdoors. At the ripe old age of thirteen, Deborah picked up a camera and fell in love with the magic of photography.

Her first love was black and white photography and developing her own images. Soon she added color to her repertoire to capture the incredible variations of tints and hues found in the flora and fauna that surrounded her.

Deborah has a varied selection of landscapes of the county as well of close ups of flowers and wildlife -think butterflies and hummingbirds.

Come see her work!

August Artist of the Month

Angel Fiorito-Leddy is featured again as artist of the month. Angel is our boot, shoe, sandal and slipper maker extraordinaire, a craft she has been practicing for many decades. The Co-op has many return customers who have purchased her handiwork and who have been very satisfied-- and why not?!? Angel's products are washable, she will resole when necessary, and she will do custom designs if that is your pleasure.

In her display this month, she is featuring newborn baby moccasins, probably the cutest footwear for a baby you will see. The are deerskin and lined with fur and have moccasin styling. How cute can it get?

If you don't own a pair of Windwalkers, or even if you do, come by and see what's new and try some on. You'll love the comfort!

August Artist of the Month

Marcella Castro-Laughlin is a weaver. She makes household linens and wearable accessories, but what she is most noted for and what she offers for sale at the Co-op are her rag rugs. These are NOT the rag rugs that are made in third world countries for export and tend to be very limp and sleazy. Marcella's rugs are thick and solid and have beautiful colors. She does rugs using tapestry techniques with well placed patterns and with overshot patterns which are a joy to look at and admire. She occasionally does rugs using a twining technique which gives the rag rugs a completely different look and feel.

When you examines Marcella's rugs, you will realize what a superb craftswoman she is because the the rugs lay flat and form a perfect rectangle, the selvages are straight and true, and it is obvious that she thought about the colors and their interactions with each other.

Come by and check out these rugs.

July Artist of the Month

Carol Covey is a prolific and talented watercolor artist and this month we are displaying a selection of her paintings featuring yellow flowers. No matter what the scale, Carol manages to convey a lifelike quality to her paintings that almost make the viewers think that they can smell the scent of the blossom.
Carol has a good selection of her art for sale at the Co-op. She has pieces that are framed and ready to hang on your wall as well as blank note cards. Her cards are all original watercolors, not prints, that are suitable for framing.
Come check out Carol's work and take home a bouquet today.

July Artist of the Month

Martha Cant has had a long love affair with fiber, especially those from her own herd of sheep. She has spent years breeding and cross breeding sheep to find those that produce fiber to her standards for handspinning. Some of her lovely handspun yarn is now on display at the Co-op, as well as as pieces she has woven from it.
Martha sells her handspun and also wool roving at the Co-op. She frequently gives spinning demonstrations there and, will gladly help you with your knitting problems.
Come see her works and her work at the Co-op.

June Artist of the Month

Annie Murphy Springer is well known in the area for her watercolor paintings as well as her painting classes. Last year was the inaugural for "Watercolors for Guys" which was so successful that she's had to repeat the workshop several times. One of those times is coming soon.

Her latest endeavor is putting together a watercolor painting series for PBS which is now in the development stage.

For more information on Annie's art, classes and a YouTube video of her talking about her art, check out her website at anniemurphyspringer.com or click on her name on the home page of the Artisans' Co-op website.

June Artist of the Month

Christine Schreier is our doll maker and one of our June Artists of the Month.
She has taken this opportunity to set up a 'Nature Tableau' complete with Mother Nature, ( who is knitting no less,) Flower children, Earth children and Ore gnomes.
Christine suggests that setting up such a scene is a wonderful way to celebrate and connect with the seasons through the year.

Among the charming figures, Christine has scattered seeds and flowers, rocks and stones, driftwood and crystal-anything that reminds her and you of the secrets of Nature.

To view more of Christine's work, return to the web page and click on her name.

May Artist of the Month

Randy Snyder is an Alchemist! He has mastered the technique of turning mud into money. He does this by designing and constructing RAKU pottery, a Japanese inspired form of low temperature firing of the pots that yield a matte black finish. The finish may be enhanced by glazing and multiple firings to get sophisticated yet subdued coloring. He also seals the inside of his vases so that they are waterproof and are capable of handling flowers in water.
His pieces take many forms. He has vases and bowls as well as table ware. However, his latest works are his fish which hang on the wall and swim through the atmosphere. They are tropical in flavor and they all seem to smile.

May Artist of the Month

Darlene Barr's Art quilts have jumped off the wall and landed on some aprons! These charming aprons are reversible as well as beautiful and will garner many compliments for the wearer, so come in and check them out.
Darlene is an admitted fiberholic, but has worked out a system of organizing her stash so she can find the colors and textures she needs for a given project. She finds her inspiration within the fabrics so it is important that she be able to take in her stash at a glance. after designing and sewing her quilts, she hand embellishes them with stitchery, beads and metallic thread.
Although she usually does wall hangings and small objects such as pillows and lap quilts, she has done bed quilts as well.
Another addition to her line are watercolor note cards - also charming.
To see more of her work , go to her website, bodaciousde.com , and come to the Artisans' Co-op.

APRIL ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Dorothy Stone Inouye is Artisans' Co-op only basket maker. She learned basketry under the watchful eye of her Indian grandmother and has built on this knowledge to produce baskets that,
while paying homage to her ancestry, reflect her esthetic and design sense.

On display this month are three of her baskets. Each is different size and shape, however, they each share certain design signatures. They are all double-walled baskets. The inside has a different look and many times a different color from the outside. They are all original designs with embellishments that fit their shape and size, and the color comes from Dorothy dyeing the materials with natural dyes that she forages for and makes herself.

Also on display are smudge sticks made from sage that Dorthy has grown. Traditional smudge sticks were lit and used in purifying ceremonies. However, they can placed in areas and used as air fresheners and they have a reputation as a bug repellent. They also have a delightful scent.

April Artist of the Month

Edie Nelson has some of her newest creations on display this month. One piece is a vest knitted in a bulky yarn and featuring a new stitch pattern which creates alternating blocks and bands of pattern and is embellished with antique buttons which compliment the knit pattern.

Also on display will be a child's sweater using 'Mirage', a multicolored yarn that we carry in the co-op and, also, another sweater featuring a new pattern called 'Descending Squares' which Edie has recently developed and will also feature no seams.

She is in the process of writing the pattern for the 'Descending Squares' sweater which will soon join other patterns which she has written and are offered for sale in the Co-op.

Edie is a prolific knitter who is inspired by the yarn and thinking about how best to highlight that yarn's potential with the interesting stitch combinations and she is always ready to advance the love of creative knitting by helping others do the same.

April Demonstration

Carol Covey will be demonstrating watercolor painting on Saturday, April 3 at the Artisans' Co-op. Carol became intrigued with watercolors in 1994 and has taken many classes and painted many a picture since then. She especially enjoys painting flowers, and roses will be her subject for her demonstration. Come see Carol and observe her at work inside the Co-op building between 11 and 3 on April 3.

March Artist of the Month

Ina Stess is intrigued by color, texture, and bright, shiny beads. She has collected examples of these elements for years and she has perfected the art of combining them into something more than the sum of their parts.

Take a look at her handbags. She has woven a small rag rug, folded it and added a handle. What sets it apart is her use of color, her sense of scale and her embellishments. All of these bags have a piece of nomadic Asian jewelry sewn on the flap. The resulting bag can be worn with jeans and your little black dress.

Ina also likes to make denim jackets into an art statement. She does this by appliqueing motifs from her fabric stash onto the jackets' cuffs, lapels, pockets and/or back panel. In theory, anyone can do it. In reality, it takes a creative eye and an artistic sense to make it work.

To see more of Ina's magic, go to the Artisans' Co-op website and visit her web page or come to the Artisans' Co-op and enjoy the color, texture and beads first hand.

March Artist of the Month

Nancy Roberts has always used here artistic interests and talent to balance her business oriented professional life. She tried many media and seemed to be most interested in ceramics--until she took a course in fusing glass at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2000. The course was her defining moment. She knew that she wanted to work with glass and explore the techniques that could change shards of glass into objet d'art as well as beautiful and functional pieces.

Now her art is her profession and she is currently exploring ways to add dimension and depth to her pieces. To get to her goal she is using multiple layers and firings and different temperatures in her kilns. Her latest pieces highlight her success . She is currently offering a selection of plates and serving pieces with flower motifs that are raised but still integrated into the glass. She also has textured pieces that show off her mastery of her craft.

Nancy's color palette changes with the seasons and she is a prolific artist. Therefore, it is almost always possible to find the perfect piece that will work well in your home.

February Artist of the Month

Judy Fisher is a fiber artist whose primary medium is handwoven material. She is intrigued by fibers, yarns and fabrics and how they can be manipulated. She enjoys the process of weaving, but feels that the cloth produced isn't, nor should it be the end product.

The question she asks herself is,"how can I make this fabric look even better?" Searching for answers is the fun and creative part for Judy. To this end, she cuts up her hand woven fabrics and combines it with other textiles. She uses commercial fabrics as well as coordinating hand wovens. She may layer , embellish and/or distort her fabric to add a new dimension.

Since many of her pieces are wearable and functional, Judy works hard to make sure they are solidly constructed to withstand the stress of being used.

February Artist of the Month

Carol Sklar has been tying tiny knots that transform nylon cord into incredibly beautiful necklaces and earrings for seventeen years. Prior to that, Carol was an artist who painted. However, a move to Sonoma County, a need to find employment and a chance meeting with an artist already doing knotted jewelery changed her focus.

The artist Carol met was looking for an apprentice/assistant to help make her pieces and Carol was eager to take on the position and learn how to manipulate cord into the intricate designs of high end jewelry .

After a few years, Carol decided to move on, developing her own line of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and pins using the intricate knotting technique she had perfected as an assistant. Her pieces are beautifully done and incorporate semi-precious stones for accent. She even dyes the cord if she can't find the exact color she needs for a piece.

The Artisans' Co-op always has a selection of her work for sale. To see more, go to Carol's web site: Indivijewelry.etsy.com

January Artist of the Month

Vera Van Schaick is a potter who has been working with clay since 1976. She was living in Santa Barbara then when she happened to see a neighbor using a potters' wheel. She was intrigued so she signed up for classes and soon became hooked.
She has worked steadily in all phases of potting from mixing the clay to throwing, coloring and firing her pieces, and even giving classes. This experience shows in the quality and design of her finished pieces.
Vera does many functional pieces: cups, bowls, place settings and platters. However, she also likes to sculpt and she has many playful decorative pieces in the Gallery, also. My favorite is the oval platter with the sculpted asparagus looking very edible on it.

January Artist of the Month

This month Linda Cannefax, one of the doyennes of the Sonoma County weaving community, is a featured artist at the Artisans' Co-op. She has been weaving for over thirty years. During that time she has produced a body of work she can be proud of. She has had her garments featured in magazines and books and she wears her own jackets and vests frequently. She has developed patterns that are flattering to most of us and she loves using colors.
As well as weaving and sewing her creations, Linda continues to adorn them with hand beading and screening on surface motifs. This adds to the "Illusion of Fantasy" that she is striving for in her work.
Linda also likes to paint her warps before weaving them. This, again is another layer of care and interest and color play that make her weavings collectors items.

Resuming By Hand--November and December 2009

Your faithful blog mistress has been on an unplanned sabbatical for a few months, but now I'm back! I've missed telling you about our featured artists for November, Linda Jacobs and Angel Fiorito-Leddy.

Both of these women use leather as their main medium. Linda designs baby moccasins and baby tams of the softest of leather, sometimes burning designs on their surfaces. She also creates women's hats and accessories in luxurious fur. However, the items that spark the greatest interest among our shoppers are her line of hats made from locally harvested and spun fur from many pet dogs! Each hat is labelled with the name and breed of the pampered pup who donated his coat.
Linda's creations are always on display and for sale in the Co-op.

Angel is our bootmaker. She crafts beautiful, comfortable and durable leather boots and slippers with outdoor soles and fur inside. They make you feel like you're walking on a cloud! And- if your feet are hard to fit or you need corrective insoles, or if you want a special design, she will custom fit and make just what you want and need!
When spring rolls around, she also makes sandals.
Angel has been designing and crafting footwear since 1977 and has perfected her craft.

When December rolls around our Co-op becomes a wonderland for Holiday Shoppers. Not only do we have our regular stock of of unique items in yarn, clay, basketry, wall hangings, cards as well as fine art paintings and photography, we also sell handcrafted ornaments.
We have everything from wooly sheep to hang on the tree, tiny knit Christmas stockings, quilted angels and ceramic balls and anything else our artist can dream of and construct to celebrate the holiday season.
Artisans' Co-op is the perfect place to find gifts for everyone you know as well as to treat yourself to something special.