By Hand

Happy New Year

2012-01-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

Bodega view:

Almost full moon over St. Teresa's Church

January blues group display

Artists of the Month:

Linda Cannefax, weaver

Annie Murphy Springer, new watercolors on YUPO.

December

2011-12-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

November

2011-11-11T09:34:00.001-08:00

November display featuring reds.

Artists of the month

Vera Van Schaick

and Ina Stess

New member Carol Adams creates

ceramic mugs, vessels, and hanging planters

New member Jo Benwell offers her handmade brooms-

many sizes for many needs.

October Oranges

2011-10-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

October arrives bringing us the Fall spectrum of colors. Orange is most prominent with pumpkins gracing front yards and store displays. However, Mother Nature doesn't work with just one color. The vineyards turn color, purple-brown to red ,orange to yellow, and soft beige depending on the variety of grape, and our landscape becomes a beautiful patchwork quilt of color.

The co-op is echoing those colors in its display. come by and see how well we've done.

Our Artists of the Month are echoing theses colors, too.

Angel Fiorito-Leddy has displayed sandals and slippers in purples,blues, buff and brown as well as a leather vest made cozy with the fur inside.

Libby Kirk, one of our newest members,

has a display of Holiday Ornaments
and serving pieces done in glass. They sparkle
nicely in the sunlight streaming through
our window.

Come visit us and start shopping for the upcoming Holidays.

September 2011

2011-09-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

September marks the change of seasons

and a change in the quality of light.

It is time to leave the clear primary colors of summer

and explore the more muted palette of secondary and tertiary hues.

Check out the display by the Artists of the Month

Carol Sklar and Judy Fisher.

Judy's handwoven coat

is in the soft colors of coral, green, and beige.

Carol's necklace and earrings echo those colors.

Other items in the display play off those colors, too,

and act as grace notes for the whole.

August

2011-08-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

August display features

new yarn arrival.

Great colors, fibers, and textures for fall.

We have yarn in the new Pantone colors:

"Bamboo, Emberglow,

Honeysuckle, Phlox,

Cedar, Deep Teal,

Coffee Liqueur, Nougat,

Orchid Hush, & Quarry"

Edie Nelson's display features her own new designs.

Her new leaf pattern neck warmer and hat will keep you cozy as the weather cools.

Martha Cant's

Starbuck Station Wool

is from her own sheep.

It is hand spun and hand dyed

with natural plant dyes.

Her scarves are hand woven with fine detail.

July at the Co-op

2011-07-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Co-op has accentuated the colors of July -- Red, White and Blue with a sprinkling of Stars!

Come a check out the summer wares and sparkling additions we now have in stock. Light weight silk scarves and cozy shawls for the evening, Embellished denim jackets for the cooler days and Windwalker sandals for the beach excursions in your future.

As always , we are to go to place for gifts and one of a kind objets d'art.

Carol Covey is one of our honored Artists this Month. She creates beautiful watercolors and her favorite subjects are flowers. She also produces two lines of cards. One line features her watercolor originals and the other line is a selection of collage creations.

Randy Snyder , one of our potters, is our other
Artist of the Month. Our customers and visitors are amazed by the beautiful and colorful finishes Randy produces in his line of Raku pots and wall plaques. Come see for yourself and select one for yourself or a friend. His work will compliment almost any decor.

June

2011-06-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

Bright colors in the Co-op displays welcome the arrival of warm and sunny June. Splashes of bright pinks, corals, and turquoise--with a slight leavening of yellow--grace the display tables.

The Artists of the Month are Darlene Barr. whose picture quilts raise quilting to a fine art form.

Quilted Images by Darlene Barr

She is joined on the podium by Annie Murphy Springer
whose watercolors of scenes around Sonoma always enchant as Annie sees the world through a palette emphasizing all shades of her favorite color--purple.
Come by to see Annie's newestpaintings and Darlene's exquisit quilted hangings.

Watercolors and cards by Annie Murphy Springer

May at the Co-op

2011-05-04T12:30:00.001-07:00

Our May displays highlighted BLUE. The thought was to emphasize the color of the Pacific Ocean when it is, in fact, peaceful and to reflect the beautiful clear blue skies overhead.

May, the month, is usually glorious. Instead, May proved to be contrary this year and gave us cold and rainy weather reminiscent of Winter. This, in turn, made the artists staffing the Gallery blue. Blue with the cold weather and blue because of the lack of many customers.

Our Artists of the Month were Ina Stess who has just introduced her line of embellished jeans jackets in childrens' sizes and Vera Van Schaick, one of our most illustrious potters, who featured her Fish Dishes, which were also blue, and other serving pieces inscribed with a fish--or two.

Now that the weather has turned truly spectacular, you have no excuse to not come by and see what s new at the Co-op.

April at the Co-Op

2011-04-11T18:44:00.001-07:00

Spring has arrived! The Co-op is celebrating -not only Spring, but their 15th year of being a brick and mortar business. To honor the occasion, The Co-op had a 15% off sale on most of the items in the store during the 15th, 16th, and 17th of this month. It's hard to know if being in conjunction with tax day hurt or helped our sales, but it seemed very successful for those who purchased during that time.

Since April is the month of Easter this year, the colors highlighted in our displays this month are those of spring and rebirth: clear yellows, pinks and greens with touches of heavenly blue.

Our Artists of the Month are Libby Kirk and Linda Cannefax.
Libby displayed many of her pieces-all with the same lovely green hue. Linda used the space to showcase her hand dyed and handwoven articles highlighting many of the other spring colors.

The Grand Finale for April will be the Members Potluck Celebration on the 30th. Wish you could all join us.

March in the Co-op-The Colors of Spring

2011-04-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

If you visited the Artisans' Co-op during our rainy , cold and blustery March, you know that inside the cozy premises was the promise that spring would really come to Bodega.
Artists of the Month Judy Fisher and Carol Covey displayed woven pieces and watercolor paintings that picked up the colors of spring- the blues, lavenders and greens of new growth with punches of of rust and purple as accents. The every changing artists' tableau that is prominently displayed at the front of the store was arranged in shades of green with accents of salmon and rust. Throughout the shop, pieces in these colors were brought to the front of displays, giving a look of unity to the space.
Our display space is revised monthly. come see how artists work with color.

The Wonders of Watercolors

2011-03-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Co-op member Annie Murphy Springer made headlines in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat recently.

Columnist Chris Smith wrote that "Retired chief Springer sets canvas afire,"referring to Annie's previous position as Bodega Fire Chief and segueing to her most recent project, WOW.
WOW, an acronym for the Wonders of Watercolor, features Annie as an instructor in the techniques of watercolor on PBS. Currently, two minute snippets are being shown on KRCB and other PBS stations while fund raising goes on for the money and sponsorship necessary to produce half-hour instructional programs.

Annie's current mantra: "I aspire to inspire before I expire!"

photo by Les Kammens, 2010

A New Look for February

2011-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Ah February! The shortest month of the year has more than its share of special days to celebrate. Valentine's Day comes first with it theme of love and its accent on the color red. This is followed soon after by Presidents' Day which adds the patriotic colors of white and blue to the predominant red. Our shop comes alive with its new color scheme!
On entering, you will see a display featuring several of our artists' work celebrating the color red. Then, look to your left and you will see the Artists of the Month, Randy Snyder and Martha Cant, have arranged a counterpoint to all that red with a display featuring blues and gold and underlined by black.
Then explore the rest of a tiny jewel box of a store. The celebratory colors of red, white and blue will catch your eye throughout.

The Changing Space

2011-02-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

The 500 square feet that make up the interior of the Artisans' Co-op gets rearranged on a monthly basis. The holiday colors that predominated through the month of December, segued into more muted and tertiary colors in January.
January's artists of the month , Edie Nelson and Angel Fiorito-Leddy, set the tone with a display featuring muted purple and green footwear by Angel and sweaters in calming blue/green tones by Edie. The colors were picked up by displays throughout the shop. First seen upon entering is a display in the neutral colors of beige, brown and mushroom with accents of soft greens and blues. The windows have glass work in blues, greens and an occasional purple which play well with the color theme.
The artists who design the shop change on a monthly basis, depending on their availability, and the color palate changes at the whim of the designers.
Re-evaluating the displays on a monthly schedule allows all the pieces in the shop to take center stage at some time during the year.

2010-11-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-06T05:14:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

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

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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

2010-01-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

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.

October Artist of the Month

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Ina Stess has been immersed in fiber arts since she learned to sew at a very young age. She has a long history of trying out and then mastering needlepoint, knittting, quilting, bargello, crewel and macrame and then teaching these techniques to others.
A few decades ago, Ina received a loom as a birthday present and, although her other textile skills are still practiced, weaving became a major focus. She now creates a line of woven purses, ruanas and scarves as well as knitted baby hats.
Ina's use of color is what sets her work apart from others. She likes and uses bright primary colors and lots of black. Her work definitely stands out and makes one smile!

October Artist of the Month

2009-10-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Edie Nelson learned to knit at her mother's knee and has taken the basic stitches to new heights. She is always knitting. She designs her own stitch combinations and drafts her own patterns and produces sweaters for men and women and also hats, gloves and scarves. Baby sweaters hats and booties as well as gloves and mittens are also part of her output.
Edie is also very interested in passing knitting skills on to others and to that end, offers a knitting clinic monthly at the co-op. She will help, advise and encourage novice knitters as well as those who are stumped by directions in a knitting pattern. She will even give a knitting lesson to those who have never knitted.

september artist of the Month

2009-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Darlene Barr quilts, but her quilting transcends the ubiquitous bed cover. Darlene used to paint with watercolors, but then quilting caught her eye and her imagination. Fabric can be pulled, distorted, layered and it is movable.
Darlene confesses that she doesn't follow directions well and, because of that, approached quilting as an extension of painting rather than sewing. She likes
the texture and the ease of moving components in a quilt design. She has an affinity for graphic art and enjoys playing with shapes and negative spaces.
She taught herself what she needed to know about quilting and the results are stunning.Along with her art pieces, she also produces table runners and pillows. Come by the Artisans' Co-op and see what she has to offer.

September Artist of the Month

2009-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

Adriane Hatkoff has spent her adult life as a professional artist. First as a children's book illustrator, then as a textile designer and now, following her deepest passion, painting with water colors that celebrate the Northern California landscapes and seascapes.
She is a prolific painter and her palette is vibrant with luminous colors. Her art cards and giclee prints of her pieces are available in the Artisans' co-op.
Adriane also teaches watercolor painting through the Santa Rosa Junior College and most recently is teaching a class at the Russian River Senior Center in Guernville.

2009-08-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Randy Snyder, has recently joined the Artisans' Co-op as a potter specializing in RAKU. Raku translates to mean enjoyment, contentment, pleasure and happiness according to Randy and that is what you will feel when you first view his elegant vases and containers with their sophisticated shapes and their matte to metallic finishes.
Randy got hooked on throwing pots while in high school and kept throwing them through his college years and part-time while trying various career avenues. He finally decided that the thing he loved to do was pottery and has been a full time artist for the last 15 years.
He also teaches at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and in Rohnert Park.

2009-08-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Christine Schreier is also a new member of the Artisans' Co-op and our only doll maker. She was born and raised in Germany and was engaged in "handwork" from an early age, however the genesis of her doll making started in 1976 when she created one for her child for Christmas. Her style and technique improved and soon she started selling in Zurich. The family moved to California and then to Florida and Tennessee and back to California with other adventures in between. During this time, Christine continued to perfect her art and sell it.
Christine has has several styles of dolls on display and ready for new homes at the Co-op. The dolls include gnomes, finger puppets, forest folk and the sweetest cuddly dolls you will ever see.

2009-07-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

July Artist of the Month

Judy Fisher is a weaver who usually deals with yarns and looms and fabrics. However, when the lavender is in bloom, you will find Judy harvesting it and transforming it into lavender wands, lavender sachets and lavender bouquets which she brings to the co-op to sell.

Lavender wands are made by taking a fresh bunch of lavender and tying it tightly right below the flower heads. Then the bouquet is turned upside down and the stems around the flower heads are carefully bent over the flowers and ribbon is woven through the stems to form a tight basket. This allows the lovely aroma of lavender permeate the area, but keeps the flowers contained.

She has found out that these have been woven since at least the Middle Ages. They were used to tuck in between stored linens to keep the bugs away. Judy puts lavender among her weaving yarns for the same purpose, to keep the bugs away.

Judy will be demonstrating lavender wand construction at the co-op on July 23 ( it is a Thursday) and you are invited to join her and make your own. Bring about 2 yards of your favorite ribbon and join the fun.

2009-07-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

July Artist of the Month

Carol Covey is one of our newest artists and we are very impressed with her watercolor and pen paintings and note cards. Carol tells us that her daughters got her interested in painting when they asked her to join them in art classes at Santa Rosa Junior College. She found her passion and has been enjoying painting for friends and family, for charity events and for sale for the last fifteen years.

Carol's palette is inspired by the colors, hues and textures found in nature's garden, which is very appropriate when you see that most of her paintings are of flowers and foliage.

Another thing of note, all of her cards are hand painted originals and could be easily framed.

2009-06-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Judy Lange is the other Artist that we are honoring this June. Judy is one of the original founders of Artisans' Co-op and has been a valued member who is always available for input, brainstorming and the hard physical labor that is sometimes involved. Judy has been educated in science as well as the arts. They way she tells it is that she earned a degree in chemistry as a young woman and, when she was ready to return to the workforce several years later, she looked into getting a teaching certificate at San Jose State. She got sidetracked and a few years later left SJSU with a BFA and an MFA.
Judy focused on pottery first. Then came the sheep. What started out as lawn mowers and lamb chops segued into breeding sheep and goats for their spinnable fleece. Along with the fleece came exploring the art and science of dyeing with both vegetable and chemical dyes, spinning and needle felting. Judy has and will teach all of these things. She sells her wool and mohair fleece and needle felting kits and supplies at the Co-op. If you are lucky enough to visit while she is staffing the shop, you will find her knowledgable about almost all craft techniques .

2009-06-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Annie Murphy Springer, one of the artists we are featuring in June, has been using watercolors to capture the scenic beauty of Bodega and environs for many years. A prolific artist, she has exhibited in many area shows and is active in the area art community as a teacher and promoter.

On June 6 and 7, Annie hosted a free, hands-on demonstration at the Artisans' Co-op that encouraged everyone to try their hand at various watercolor techniques and discover their "inner artist."

Annie loves teaching and is always exploring ways to engage different segments of the population in the making of art. Her most recent class was named "Watercolor for Guys." I am the wrong gender for that class, but I understand that the guys loved it and it was so successful that she will be offering it again soon. I also heard that the men got to paint with hammers and screwdrivers!

Annie's art is on display and available for purchase at the Artisans' Co-op.

May Artists of the Month

2009-05-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

EDITH B. NELSON award winning knitter
Edie remembers learning to knit when she was three years old. Her mother was knitting scarves and bandages for soldiers in WWII and Edie was fascinated by her mother's work. She soon was knitting on her own projects and her interest has never diminished. She went on to socks and sweaters and to developing her own designs.
All Edie's pices are originals and the fiber usually inspires the piece. He sweaters are widely sought after and, with proper care, will become treasured family heirlooms.

May Artists of the Month

2009-05-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

Martha McMurray Cant- Shepard, Spinner and Weaver

Martha moved to acreage in Sonoma County in the 1970's and soon found a need for "living lawn mowers" to keep vegetation in check. These mowers--sheep to city folk---needed to be shorn yearly and one thing led to another. She soon was developing a breeding program and STARBUCK STATION WOOLS was born to produce superior fleeces for hand spinners
Martha's sheep wear coats most of the year to protect the wool from dirt and vegetable matter. She sells well skirted whole and half fleeces "in the grease" from the ranch in Freestone and processed wool roving by weight at the Artisans' co-op.
Martha is also a fiber artist of note. Displayed this month are skeins of handspun yarn, knitted and woven accessories and a hand spun, hand dyed, hand woven rug with a turkish knot pile which took Best of Show a few years ago at the Sonoma County Fair

2009-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to BY HAND, the blog of the Artisans' Co-op located in Bodega California.
We will be spotlighting our artists and their works,upcoming events and demonstrations, and the unique pieces that are available in our gallery.
We will go behind the scene and find out how art is crafted.
We will explore what is involved with being an artist
We hope to publish essays by our artists
and
We will post lots of pictures