July News

Artists of the Month  in July

 

Alan Bourgault

Wood

Woodworker Alan Bourgault loves the grain and the satiny feel of well-finished wood products. His cutting boards and cheese boards in maple, cherry, and walnut feel like silk to the hand and come in various sizes and shapes. He thoughtfully chooses the wood for each project, carefully selecting the color and grain of each piece of wood in order to craft cutting boards and other items that are both practical and beautiful. In addition to cooking spoons, pie servers, and chopsticks, he makes well-designed bread knives for right- and left-handed use. His graceful, small clocks are a useful and ornamental addition to any desk.

Linda Bryant

Soft-Sculpture Animals, Illustrated Greeting Cards, & Photography

Each soft-sculpture animal by Linda Bryant has its own personality. The owls in small nests, the frogs, raccoons, dogs, bears and other animals have quiet charm that is irresistible. She sews each animal carefully, partly by machine, with hand-sewn details added later, and dresses each animal in the sweater and pants that she makes. Linda views the animals as a form of three-dimensional illustration. The eyes are always safety eyes, so they are very secure; the stuffing is new polyester. Her illustrated cards have animals and people as the subjects, as well as actual houses, which appear on her annual calendars. The multi-talented artist also does photography, playing with light and dark patterns, textures and interesting details.

Idyll Ink

Fiber

Real flowers and leaves transfer their delicate colors and shapes onto Idyll Ink scarves in a process called eco-printing. These textiles are a way for Pinal to exploring the creative possibilities of natural materials, botanical dyes, and patterns. They are a statement about making locally and sustainably–the product speaks directly about the environment in which it is made. Driven by a passion for handcrafted textiles, Pinal has had experience that spans printing, weaving, dyeing, quilting, crochet, and traditional Indian textile crafts. After many years in the fabric design and manufacturing industry, she is now focused entirely on handmade, unique textiles. Ever exploring, she is now hand embroidering animal images that are set in small round wooden embroidery hoops that are perfect for hanging on the wall.