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Vincent Leman
Vincent grew up building fine quality custom cabinetry and woodwork for
the family business in Indiana. After completing his degree in
mechanical engineering at Purdue University, Vincent returned to
furniture building after realizing a strong aversion to cubicles and
deskwork. He has developed a very distinct, quirky style which could be
described as a revolt against straight lines. Vincent combined his
knowledge as a fine woodworker and his engineering skills to create
gravity bending furniture with personality, while leaving function
fully intact.
The finishes are just as unique as the designs. The painted finishes
are artist grade golden fluid acrylics and highlighted with various
glazing and distressing techniques. All paints and stains are protected
by a high quality urethane finish, which is a tough, environmentally
friendly waterborne finish. The furniture is constructed of Baltic
Birch Plywood, which allows the flexibility required by Vincent’s
designs.
Vincent is committed to great design, beautiful colors, quality
construction, environmentally friendly finishes and functionality.
Vincent’s strives to responsibly produce creative pieces of furniture,
that can be enjoyed for its personality & design its function &
craftsmanship. His furniture can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in
Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Harry Leaf
Despite
the fact that art has always been Harry’s calling, he earned a law
degree in 1989 and immediately upon graduating asked himself, “What was
I thinking?” At that moment he became a painter and sculptor.
The goddess series emerged from Harry’s heart, hands and mind in 1997.
To this day, they take on every imaginable shape, size and color, each
one unique.
Harry’s goddesses can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Fred Conlon
Looking at Fred’s creations, you’d think he was raised by negligent parents out back of a junk yard with 18 pit bulls and a make-believe friend named Krull. Quite the contrary: Fred’s mom and dad brought him up in a small ski town nestled in the stunning mountains of colorful Colorado. Both parents are retired English high school teachers, who instilled proper grammar in their son.
Upon graduation from the University of Utah with a degree in Public Communication, Fred’s dream was to open up a pottery shop. With his family’s support and about 15 credits in pottery classes under his belt, Fred celebrated the grand opening of his studio in 1998. In 1999, after the first army helmet turtle was created, Fred headed in the direction of full time metal work. A change of location and the addition of a separate metal facility brought about many new additions to the metal series of creatures as well as custom projects for both functional use and the purely artistic.
Fred’s metal creations can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Kelly Colleen
Kelly is a native of New Orleans, immersed from birth in a city filled with culture and the arts. She credits her design skills to her inventive father. She remembers being daddy's little helper, watching him work at his drafting board and helping him build his projects.
All of Kelly’s designs focus on a balance of color, shape and texture. She seeks harmony and beauty in each design she creates. Her love affair with color has lead her to the beauty of Swarovski Crystals. Being the highest quality Austrian crystals, her work centers around the many possibilities these stones provide.
Kelly’s stretch rings can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at www.harmonyisle.com.
Michael Mikutowski
Mike’s father, an architect, and his uncle, a painter, gave Mike his appreciation for art and design. While in high school, Mike began working with wood, metal and plastics. His first business venture was constructing custom-fit goalie masks out of fiberglass. He received the commission to make the mask used by the USA Olympic Goaltender Marc Behrend in the 1984 Olympic Games.
In 1980, Mike graduated from UW-Stout with a degree in Industrial Design and Industrial Education. Following his graduate work in wood technology, he worked as an industrial model builder. In 1986 he decided to devote his energy to full-time woodworking.
Mike has written articles for Fine Woodworking magazine, won 2nd place in the international box competition in Seattle and was commissioned by Xerox Corp. to design and make the memorial urns presented by President Bush to the families of the victims of the 9/11/01 attack on the Pentagon.
Mike is committed to raising environmental awareness and minimizing waste. He designs pieces which integrate his small left over scraps. And any wood that is determined to be unusable is donated to the local schools for art projects. Mike’s woodwork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Michael Michaud
Michael’s jewelry and table art collection is a combination of his love for nature and his exceptional knowledge of jewelry making. Starting as an apprentice mold cutter in 1973, Michael soon became a master precious metal caster and mold maker. In 1976, Michael moved on to the Rochester Institute of Technology’s prestigious School of American Craftsmen. While studying under designers Hans Christenson and Gary Griffin, Michael mastered many of the techniques he uses today to capture the beauty and exquisite detail of nature in metal. After graduation in 1980, Michael returned to the jewelry manufacturing community and worked for some of America’s leading jewelry designers.
In 1991, Michael moved to the Connecticut countryside and worked near New York City’s flower district. This is when his love of nature began to combine with his love for jewelry and he began creating his own jewelry and table art collection, which he calls Silver Seasons.
Michael’s jewelry and table art designs can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Rex Maruca
Rex was exposed to and learned about fine fabrics long before he ever started designing handbags in 1991. His father was a fitter of fine men’s clothing and Rex’s first job in the field of fabric was as an upholstery salesman. Next, he started his own business offering furniture reupholstery and window coverings. One of his clients suggested that he make a tote bag for carrying fabric samples, instead of carrying a bundle of fabrics into someone’s home. The process of creating that bag out of tapestry fabric was the seed that later became “Maruca Design”.
Once Rex found Lida King, a master seamstress, the business of making handbags became a reality. Rex’s mission, with his unique line of purses, is to offer fabrics of richness and presence, to cultivate his team’s craftsmanship and to provide a quality handbag in a joyful and harmonious way.
Rex’s design studio is based in Boulder, Colorado. His handbags can be found locally at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at www.harmonyisle.com.
Michael Macone
Michael was headed for a career as a painter when his high school art instructor introduced him to clay. Thirty years later he is still passionate about pottery and passes on his enthusiasm every chance he gets.
Nestled deep in the center of the country, in northwest Wisconsin, Michael and his wife Rebecca have established The Potter’s Shed, an art gallery and clay studio. Here they create one of a kind pieces as well as their cheerful series of wall tiles and garden stakes.
Michael has won numerous awards exhibiting in the nation’s top art and craft fairs and his work can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Sharmen Liao
Sharmen’s first love is knitting. The thrill of shaping textures and forms out of a single continuous line fascinates her. She surrounds herself with fibers, yarns and textiles. “I love to combine unexpected materials, or experiment with unconventional methods. My goal is to transform the functional object from the ordinary to the special.”
Her love of combining unusual materials led Sharmen to create her knitted and crocheted wire jewelry. She uses traditional textile techniques to form unconventional structures for her jewelry. She knits the silver-plated wire with gemstones and pearls to form soft and feminine structures.
Sharmen believes that the best in fashion defies all trends and boldly asserts itself. Her creations are functional objects, yet sculptural in their own right. Due to the hand making processes involved, no two finished objects can be exactly alike. “I want those who acquire my works for their utilitarian purpose to know that they carry artistic expressions of texture and beauty.”
Sharmen’s knitted wire jewelry can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Chuck Castro
For most of his adult life, Chuck has been a full-time artisan. Whereas his formal education is in social sciences, he explains that his working education has been all self-taught, resulting in what he calls a “Degree of Understanding from the School of Trial and Error”.
Chuck began his artisan years devoted to pottery. After fourteen years, he turned to wood as a medium.
Chuck attempts to present the intrinsic beauty of nature’s work in an understated form. As an artist, he seeks to combine and juxtapose complimentary materials that accent and enhance one another. As a craftsman, he builds each piece as an heirloom. Some pieces are steamed and bent, others inlaid, others laminated and carefully cut; all feature fluid curves and precise attention to detail of fit and finish. For Chuck, technique is the means to an end, not a statement in itself.
Chuck’s fine wordwork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Jamie Cassavoy
Jamie received her formal jewelry training at Rhode Island School of Design. With an MFA in metalsmithing, she spent two years working as a model maker for a large manufacturer of precious metal jewelry. She then embarked on her journey to design and handcraft her own jewelry series.
Each piece of jewelry is handmade by Jamie, using sheet metal: sterling silver, fine silver, 18k bimetal (sterling fused to a thin sheet of 18k) and 18k gold. Her influences range from nature to Art Deco to African Tribal jewelry. At the root of all of her jewelry are clean lines, negative space and the use of textures with accents of color.
Jamie strives to create beautiful jewelry that is a pleasure to wear. She hopes that her gratefulness for being able to make art for a living is conveyed with each and every piece of her jewelry. Her jewelry designs can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Jason Probstein
Jason is a lampworker, manipulating glass tubing with a bench torch to first heat and then shape his work. He uses Corning Pyrex, a strong and durable glass.
Jason received a degree in scientific glassblowing from Salem Community College and has studied Venetian technique from Cesare Toffolo at the Penland School of Crafts.
His spirited, passionate commitment to consistency and perfection make each of Jason’s pieces an original, unique signed work of art. His glass work can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Lewis Olson
Born in a small community in New Zealand, Lewis began working with glass in the mid 1970’s. During the 1980’s, Lewis’ talent and passion for glass took him to Australia, Africa, Canada, England, Scandinavia and Italy. In his years of travel, Lewis developed and exhibited his wide range of skill, technique and aesthetic. He continues to challenge his abilities and the dynamics of glass itself, working in his own studio in New York State.
A storyteller by nature, he is attracted to the endless possibilities in using glass as a medium for communication. His pieces embody his fascination with the sculptural, sensual, optical and functional properties of glass, whether they are representational of the human figure, or exotic animals, whether they are explorations of surface pattern or of architectural form or whether they are inspired by controlled design or by spontaneous humor.
Lewis’ glass art can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Alan and Brenda Newman
Alan and Brenda are full time craft artists, working in porcelain since 1978. In their small studio in Oregon, they use traditional production methods and clays and glazes of their own formulation. Drawing their inspiration from the plants and flowers that surround them, each piece is designed and crafted by the two of them.
Their work has been shown in various exhibits, including the Strictly Functional Pottery National Exhibit and has been featured in several publications on ceramic design.
Alan and Brenda live with their family on 14 acres of land in Oregon, which they have reforested with native trees and plants. Their ceramic works can found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Jeffrey Alan Nelson
It all began as a hobby of 3 friends working together in a small loft in San Francisco. Today, they are one of the few groups of skilled craftspeople practicing the art of marquetry. Jeffrey is the principal designer or chief marquetarian.
The first step in making a marquetry piece is to create an original, fine line illustration. Choosing the woods and arranging the grain directions is an integral aspect of designing. Planning a marquetry piece often requires several months.
Once the design is complete, artisans begin the craft stages of the artwork, which can take anywhere from 2 days to 3 weeks. Cutting: Hand cutting tools are used for certain elements and an original laser cutting method enables them to create elaborately detailed inlaid artwork. Assembly: The artisans hand assemble the parts just as one would piece together an intricate mosaic. Finishing: The entire art piece is glued onto a substrate and pressed in a hydraulic press for up to 3 days. Finally, the artwork is sanded and finished with either teak oil or lacquer and framed.
Jeffrey suggests that you avoid placing it in direct sunlight. If desired, lacquered pieces may be occasionally buffed with furniture paste wax. Smaller pieces, which are not lacquered, should be treated with lemon oil twice a year.
Jeffrey and his partners care about the natural resources that go into their works of art, so a portion of every sale goes toward reforestation, through the Hardwood Forestry Fund.
Jeffrey’s marquetry artwork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Jim Mullan and Victoria Rhoades
Jim and Victoria try to capture the feeling of our past, present and future in their creations. Their use of hearts and antique time-pieces reflects their idea of the way time seems to shift and bend according to our emotions.
Open windows in their designs are “dream windows” - places to put hopes and dreams for fulfillment. The use of fossils and animals in their designs is how Jim and Tori try to show the importance of watching over our fragile earth.
Their pieces are made with recycled metals such as copper, brass and steel. The metals are hand stamped with various patterns and then oxidized to achieve an array of colors and finishes.
“Ultimately, our goal is to give people something to think and smile about.” Jim and Tori’s creations can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Nawal and Karim Motawi
Together, the sibling duo of Karim and Nawal, along with their team of skilled local craftspeople, design and create one of a kind ceramic tiles.
Nawal is the artistic director, drawing inspiration and designs from a wide range of historical decorative traditions. Her early influences were Celtic art, Art Nouveau and 20th Century American art potteries. Nawal studied sculpture, ceramics and glaze chemistry at the University of Michigan and tile-making at Pewabic Pottery. Nawal develops glazes, tile designs and installation concepts.
Karim, also educated at the University of Michigan, develops glazes and experiments with process improvements. He is an adept mold-maker and kiln fireman.
“I believe we are all better off when we give our eyes a daily dose of beauty. Artistic beauty should be in our houses as well as the museum.” Nawal and Karim are thrilled to create pieces of art that people welcome into their own home.
The tile art of Nawal and Karim can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Elise A. Moran
Elise spent much of her childhood traveling and draws her inspiration from this experience. She is also heavily influenced by nature, science and religion. She often takes a natural object and creates her own interpretation of it – giving the piece a refined elegance and simplicity.
Many of her designs have been a sketch years before they become jewelry. She likes to consider all aspects of wearability before creating a new design.
Elise began her career working on production jewelry for other designers, but soon designed her own line of jewelry pieces. Her designs are created in either silver or gold and are generally done with a satin finish, which emphasizes the form of the object and enhances the color of the metal.
Elise’s jewelry can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Lara Moore
Eight years ago, artist Lara Moore began selling her work, forming exquisitely patterned bowls from paper scraps and a handful of flour. Today, Lara applies her cut-paper technique to a variety of surfaces and forms to create beautiful furnishings that can be used and enjoyed every day.
Lara uses 95% post-consumer use recycled paper and even the bases for her tables are made from recycled wood. Although the materials may be recycled, each design is an original.
Lara is inspired by natural motifs, simple geometric shapes, Persian and Byzantine patterns. No two pieces are alike.
Lara’s table and wall art can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Eduardo Milieris
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, the now New York based artist cites long time influences as Calder, Pollock, Miro, Kandinsky, as well as the circular stories of Jorge Luis Borges. These modern masters have served as an inspiration since his first viewing of Calder’s work at age 10. Immediately upon returning home after the exhibit, Eduardo set to work painting the face of his first watch. Though the markers have long since worn off the top of the glass, the seed was sown, and the original photo book accompanying the Calder exhibit sits on his studio bookshelf to this day.
Eduardo’s watch collection with its antiqued brass, copper and silver bands and hand-painted faces, creates the feeling of a one of a kind piece long lost, now found. The metals are not sealed so that they may evolve with the watch’s owner, suggesting the reality of constant change and producing a piece that is truly the wearer’s own. Fine Japanese quartz movements are housed inside every one of Eduardo’s time pieces, which are signed and individually numbered. Only 1,000 are made of each style.
Eduardo’s watches can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Heath Paley and Maria Egger
Heath and Maria began creating their mobiles in 1995 using driftwood, seashells and bits of beach glass. As time passed, their passion quickly turned into livelihood.
Following their desire for sounds and colors of glass, they slowly introduced more and more glass into their work.
From their studio in Maine, Heath and Maria handcraft a series of wind chimes using frosted glass, PVC, birch and acrylic. All chimes may be hung outdoors, although Heath and Maria advise placing chimes with wooden frames in a sheltered area like a porch to protect the wood from the weather. All glass in the chimes are durable under normal weather conditions, but should be moved to a protected area if high winds are expected. The line is made from woven polyethylene and is designed to withstand years of UV exposure.
Heath and Maria’s wind chimes can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Barbara Harris and Sandy Cies
Together, Barbara and Sandy create unique and one-of-a-kind ceramics from fine earthenware clay. They utilize original hand built and slipcast forms, combining hand-painting and airbrush techniques. They are continually experimenting and expanding the boundaries of this creative medium.
Barbara and Sandy’s artwork has been widely exhibited and is part of several private collections. They both received degrees in sculpture from The University of Massachusetts, where they both were awarded Ford Foundation Grants.
Barbara and Sandy reside in New York. Their ceramics can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Loretta Fontaine
With a Masters Degree in Architecture, Loretta enjoys working her plans in metal on a small, intimate scale. Found objects, gemstones and her own miniature photography play a part in her thoughtful, whimsical and meticulously crafted jewelry.
Loretta’s new collection is made up of reversible pendants and earrings in sterling silver with original miniature photographs sealed in durable, clear resin with semiprecious gems and freshwater pearls.
Loretta showcases her jewelry at various exhibitions and galleries throughout the country including Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Travis Berning
Travis’ childhood experiences on a farm led him to love the combination of hands-on physicality and sensitivity to nature. The strength required for the physical act of throwing clay and glazing and firing is very appealing to him. The leaf images on the pieces reflect his connection to the natural world and his love for it. Even the earth tone glazes that he uses are infused with wood ash, making the circle complete: trees into ash into pottery with leaf images.
Travis received a BFA from Wichita State and did his graduate studies at the University of North Texas. He now works as a full time studio potter, all the time increasing his mastery of clay forms and techniques.
Travis’ pottery can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Thom and Sue Kellam
In a county without a traffic light, a mile and a half from the nearest pavement and neighbor, Thom and Sue built their homestead. Returning to the West Virginia hills to become full-time craftspeople after a decade of living in Germany, California and Florida, Thom and Sue have gone from no phone and solar electricity to the Internet age.
Each box is designed and crafted by hand and then signed and dated. The primary wood used is a locally grown hardwood, American Black Cherry.
In order to maintain the hand rubbed natural oil finish, polish your box occasionally with a soft cloth and a good wax. Remember to also keep the wood out of direct sunlight.
The inspiration for the designs grew out of Thom’s years of surfing and pursuing photographic images in nature. He has a BFA degree in Photography and is a self-taught woodworker. Sue started as a studio potter in 1979, producing wheel thrown functional stoneware until a health issue intervened. Since then she has a been a full time woodworker, finding time to pursue her passion for quilting.
Thom and Sue’s fine wood boxes can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Alex Kalish and Trish Dalto
Alex began blowing glass in 1986 and Trish in 1989. They met as students at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. For several years after graduating, Alex and Trish worked for another glassblower, fine tuning their skills. By 1996 they completed construction of their own glassblowing studio. Since that time they have been creating a wide range of decorative and functional glass, which are shown at galleries across the country. Alex and Trish are juried members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen.
Their glasswork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Stephen Kitras
Stephen began glass blowing in 1988. For five years, he and his wife Elke ran their studio out of their home. In 1994, Kitras Art Glass was formed and by 2001, a studio was built to accommodate the increased demand for their glass work. Today, Stephen continues to create the original designs and oversees his 40 artists.
It is Stephen’s mission to design and produce beautiful glass objects. It is his belief that beautiful things enhance the enjoyment of everyday life. “Surrounded by beauty, the spirit is uplifted.”
Stephen’s blown glass sculptures can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
David DeSalvo
David received his Master of Arts degree in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied with the renowned potter Don Reitz. Upon graduation he apprenticed with Raku potter, Russell Kagan, where his ceramic pots were sold in galleries throughout the US. In 1988, David received his Master of Fine Arts. His artwork has been featured in Ceramics Monthly and he was chosen as a Wisconsin featured artist for Milwaukee Public Television.
David learned functional attributes by producing traditional salt-glazed ware for Rowe Pottery. He established his own studio in 1990, where he has been producing various wonders in clay and traveling the national show circuit.
David’s works are featured in galleries around the country, including Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Mary DeMarco
Mary’s unique, whimsical and elegant style has been inspired by her extensive study in both jewelry design and in the fine arts. Each handcrafted piece reflects the shapes and rich colors of nature. Her pieces are made of brass and pewter underneath and then plated a 14k gold antique plating or a sterling silver antique plating. She them embellishes the pieces with Austrian crystals, fresh water pearls and semi precious and faux stones.
In an effort to extend the life of your jewelry, Mary recommends not wearing her jewelry in the bath, shower or pool and to put on any perfumes or hair sprays before you put on her jewelry.
Mary’s creative jewelry and service ware can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Thomas Davin and Mary Kesler
Thomas and Mary have been woodworking together since 1979. Their professional training began during their college years, when Tom studied cabinetmaking and design and Mary began woodworking to help pay her school expenses toward a Bachelor of Science degree. Following college, they began their personal and professional life together.
Working out of a nineteenth century mill in the countryside of Rhode Island, Mary and Tom utilize the beauty of their surroundings to create objects that are simple and elegant in design. The hallmark of their work is its combination of artistic expression and utilitarian design.
The woodwork of Thomas and Mary can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Mark Brown
Mark makes fun, one-of-a-kind mixed media sculptures and clocks in his backyard studio in Massachusetts. “Most people see common objects in their daily lives and take them for granted. I see them as opportunities to create characters. In the endless stream of metal containers and jar lids lie a wonderful array of color, textures and forms. These are the “ready mades” that deserve to be used. It is my thinking that acknowledges their value and transforms them into something more beautiful.”
Mark was trained as a painter and worked on canvas for 25 years. This interest in color, pattern and figurative imagery can be seen in his current body of three-dimensional work. Each of his pieces are unique, stylized and engaging characters.
Mark’s sculptures can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Kathy Bransfield
Kathy began her art career as a child painting along with the late TV artist Bob Ross on PBS. She quickly became a master of instant pine trees and snow-capped mountains. In 1984, at the age of twelve, Kathy met her frizzy-haired mentor. Emotionally overwhelmed, it was at that moment that she knew she wanted to devote her life to art. Actually, Kathy began her jewelry career nearly fifteen years ago, while following the band, The Grateful Dead. She made and sold beaded bracelets and necklaces to support her gypsy-like existence. Primarily self-taught, with many classes along the way, she began working more and more with sterling silver. She now creates a line of uniquely meaningful jewelry.
Her designs are strongly visual, with affecting images often coupled with words from many of history’s most brilliant visionaries. Almost every necklace she makes opens to reveal a hand-stamped quote that is certain to touch, inspire or simply remind one about some of life’s most important aspects.
Kathy’s jewelry can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Bill Campbell and Kent Follette
Bill and Kent combined their creative energy, talent and imagination to establish a unique line of pottery. Besides being best friends, it also helps that they are both really great potters. The idea for their line was hatched on a warm summer day, in a gently rocking boat with fishing lines trailing out into the calm water. The beer was cold, but the fish weren’t bitin’. That is the moment Flambeaux Art Pottery was born.
Flambeaux glazes are known for their subtle color variations, random occurrences and impressionistic appearance. This surface infuses each piece that it touches with a mystery and power that capture the unpredictability of nature. Your imagination will find floating galaxies, frosty windows, rare gemstones or exotic flowers. No two will ever be alike. Each piece is a singular and original work of art to be enjoyed for many generations.
This piece is safe for the service of food and in microwaves and dishwashers.
Bill and Kent’s flambeaux art pottery can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Laura Zindel
Laura’s work is inspired by the Victorian obsession with nature and the art of collecting and displaying one’s passions. Laura believes that some objects can carry a personal history through a family from year to year. Her goal is to create pieces that will become one of these meaningful family objects.
All pieces are handbuilt from low fire white earthenware and glazed with non-toxic glaze. The images are original pencil drawings drawn by the artist. The images are silk screened and printed with enamel and then collaged onto the finished glazed piece and re-fired. The image melts permanently to the surface of the object.
Laura attended the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Massachusetts receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States, India and Asia and can be found locally at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Paul Willsea & Carol O’Brien
Collaborating since 1984, glassblowers Carol and Paul have been creating unique works in glass. They have achieved national recognition for the timeless beauty and elegance of their Pyramid Series, hand-blown in a wide variety of rich colors with cast-glass pyramid bases.
Paul and Carol’s educational backgrounds in history and fine art combine with their continuing interest in architecture and the effects of time and wear. They currently live and work on nineteen acres in upstate New York. They are motivated by the never ending search for the right color, the perfect proportions and a profound gratitude that they can support themselves doing something they love. Each piece is made by them, a product of their willingness to learn the potential of their material.
The glasswork of Paul and Carol can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Warner Whitfield
Warner uses the ancient lampwork technique of glassblowing, a method of making glass objects that dates back thousands of years.
Warner is inspired in creating his original designs by the forms, shapes and textures found in nature. Many of his designs, are reminiscent in feeling of the Art Nouveau pieces created during the Arts & Crafts Movement of the late 19th Century, yet with a cleaner, more contemporary approach.
He creates each piece by melting and manipulating clear and colored glass rods or tubes of various diameters over a gas-oxygen flame. He also works with specially formulated colored glass rods, and shapes the glass at temperatures in excess of 2800 degrees F.
Warner began working in glass in 1972 and established his own studio in 1976. He studied art at the University of Maine and has pursued studies in glass at two of the world’s most renowned schools, The Haystack Craft School, Maine and The Penland Craft School in North Carolina. He apprenticed with master glass artist Fritz Bachman from Hamburg, Germany for four years.
Warner is continually creating and developing new ideas and designs. Each piece is designed by Warner himself. His glasswork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Cynthia Webb
Cynthia is influenced by her creative family and her world travels. Her grandmother was a costume designer and artist, her uncle an architect, a cousin a fashion designer and another relative a drama professor. During her childhood, Cynthia lived in Acapulco, Australia, Singapore and London. “I am very fortunate to have grown up experiencing so many different cultures, lifestyles and creative people.”
Cynthia received her Bachelor of Architecture degree at the University of Houston. She then spent several years in her profession in Texas. In 1992, she began her career as an artist and applied her artistic talents to her love of collecting and creating ornaments.
Cynthia’s pewter designs begin as a sketch. The idea is then carved in detail into jeweler’s wax. The piece is signed and titled on the back, before the master is cast. A mold is then made from which several ornaments can be made. Each piece is then hand finished, oxidized and polished.
Cynthia’s pewter pieces can be found in galleries throughout the country, including Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Jennifer Walsh
Jennifer studied jewelry design at the Art Center in Los Angeles. She now lives in Bozeman, Montana with her husband, three daughters and the occasional bear wandering through her studio from the nearby woods.
Jennifer fabricates contemporary jewelry using ancient techniques and materials. Her work reflects a fascination with the natural world and often includes stones gathered from local rivers.
Jennifer’s jewelry can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Caramia Visick
Caramia has always been busy making art. She worked in painting, sculpture, metals and ceramics and eventually began to make and study collage art. It was through her love of collage that she created her first pieces of jewelry. The overwhelming response to her jewelry, prompted Caramia to establish her own studio in 2000.
Each piece of jewelry is hand made in Caramia’s California studio. She uses hand carved black resin, which is tumbled and then becomes the frame for an image set in clear resin. All of the parts and pieces (chain, clasps, etc...) that Caramia doesn’t make in her studio are made in the United States from sterling silver.
Caramia’s jewelry can be found in select galleries and museums throughout the country, including Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Milon Townsend
Milon is a self-taught artist. His exceptional glasswork is influenced by both his sculptural study of dance and his background in classical music.
Milon explains that his current work focuses on the human figure, exploring themes of transition, passage and relationship. “I create visual metaphors by arranging figures in concert with one another, illustrating some of the myriad aspects of the relationships which so powerfully shape the reality of our lives.”
Milon creates his perfume bottles, wine goblets and ornaments using the technique of flameworking. This process of heating rods, tubes, and sheets of glass in a highly specific torch flame allows him to include an extraordinary level of detail.
Milon has created works for President George Bush, Arnold Palmer and several corporate clients. He has also taught at several institutions, including The Studio at the Corning Museum.
Milon currently resides with his family several miles outside a small village in upstate New York. His glasswork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Caryn and Susan Kinzig
Caryn and Susan’s lamps incorporate highly designed, proprietary elements with vibrant, hand blown glass and solid brass and copper accents. The glass is blown to their color and shape specifications by two well-regarded glass studios. The richly colored shades are handmade by Caryn from embroidered silks and other elegant fabrics and topped with Susan’s distinctive finials.
The lamps reflect many of the techniques that Susan has perfected from her background as an accomplished jewelry designer. Each lamp is individually finished in a style that incorporates oxidized metals and the warm, rich colors and surface textures that can be obtained through controlled processes and accidental circumstances. The nature of these processes makes each lamp distinctive and no two lamps will be exactly alike.
Caryn and Susan’s lamps can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Ananda Khalsa
Ananda’s work is inspired by Asian art, natural forms, the cool sleekness of metal and the vibrant luminosity of natural gemstones. She strives to maintain a quiet grace in each of her paintings, and to choose subjects that are rich in cultural symbolism. It is Ananda’s hope to create jewelry with clean lines and simple elegance, while maintaining evidence of the human hand.
Ananda’s process involves composing a tiny painting, which she sets behind hand ground glass in fine silver or 22k gold. Because she paints each piece individually, they are all unique due to slight variations. Many pieces are then accented with pearls or semi-precious stones. Finally, each piece is oxidized and buffed to a satin finish.
Since each of Ananda’s pieces contains an original painting, submerging them in water is not recommended. To maintain the oxidized finish, gently rub the area with fine gauge steel wool. Ananda advises against using silver polish.
Ananda’s tiny original paintings can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Janet Chico
“My concept for handbags and totes came from seeing so many individuals carrying plastic and paper bags to work, for traveling, shopping and going to school. So thirteen years ago, I decided to expand on the concept of carrying totes and make it a fun, attractive and useful item that can be used as an accessory item on a daily basis.”
All the materials used in Janet’s handbags are made in the United States (fabric, trim, cording, eyelets and the inside base). The quality of craftsmanship is intense. The shape of Janet’s handbags and totes are uniform. She constantly uses creative fabrics and trims that will make the handbag an appealing, eye-catching and sometimes dramatic statement.
Janet hand crafts each handbag herself and sells them to boutiques and galleries across the country, including Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Zoe Chicco
Zoe first began making jewelry as a child using found objects. Buttons, old keys, shells and beads were held together with glue or string to make brooches or bracelets. In high school, an art teacher, introduced her to metalsmithing. It wasn’t until then, that Zoe realized how many different techniques were available in metal and the endless potential for creativity in adornment.
Zoe pursued her dream to be a jewelry designer, attending Skidmore College in New York, studying at Studio Arts Center International in Florence, Italy and graduating with a BS degree in Studio Art and Metalsmithing. After some time as an apprentice for several jewelers, Zoe decided to settle in Los Angeles.
“I enjoy creating a cohesive collection of jewelry, as well as unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Over the years I have developed a passion for working with many types of gemstones. I find beauty in simplicity and try to build pieces around the stones I choose. I often use hollow forms in my work, because they lend a solid look and feel to my pieces, at the same time allowing them to remain light and wearable.”
Zoe works with any shape, cut or color stone that catches her eye. She tries to make a bold statement with each piece. Zoe’s jewelry can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Janet Tobler
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Janet has spent many years traveling the world, including Guatemala, North Africa and Turkey. She studied at South Connecticut State University and performed her apprenticeship with a Norwegian Artist in Oslo, Norway. She believes that her designs are inspired by experiences and encounters made on her travels.
Janet creates original designs that she interprets to be similar to natural patterns found in the cultures of indigenous people from far away and many years passed.
Her tiles are made of terracotta clay, rolled on a slab and then individually carved by hand. She uses a combination of handmixed and commercial glazes. As a final design element, Janet applies 22K gold to her tiles.
Janet’s hand carved tiles can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Frank W. Stofan
Frank has enjoyed the art of pottery making for twenty three years. While completing undergraduate studies at Edinboro University of PA he interned at Campbell Pottery. The experience compelled Frank to stay with Bill Campbell a few years after formal education. In 1986 he took the position of Master Potter at Westerwald Pottery located in Scenery Hill, PA. Frank opened his own studio in 1998. Today, Frank designs and makes a unique line of ash glaze items. Frank’s pieces are hand thrown white stoneware and glazed with a wood ash glaze formulated with ashes recycled from the wood stoves of neighbors in his community.
Frank’s pottery can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at www.harmonyisle.com.
Elaine and Bill Snell
Elaine and Bill have been married for 18 years and work as a team to create their metal artwork. Elaine studied Fine Arts at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and enjoyed teaching art to middle and high school students for over 20 years. Bill studied Architecture and Building Sciences at Auburn and Clemson and has worked in various capacities as a carpenter, designer, engineer and metal fabricator since the early 1980’s.
Elaine and Bill’s work is done using mild steel and a plasma cutter. A piece begins with an idea and a sketch that explores form, composition and detail. As the idea is refined, the sketches are combined into a single line drawing that ultimately becomes the pattern for the final piece. The intricate detail that characterizes their work must be carefully planned in advance to survive the intense heat of the cutting process. Too fine and the detail burns away or too coarse and the delicacy is lost. It is maintaining this balance between the material and the torch that shapes the final piece.
Elaine and Bill’s metal artwork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Douglas and Renee Sigwarth
Douglas and Renee met in 1993 and have been blowing glass together ever since. In 1995, the couple transferred to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, where they completed their training in glass. In 1996 Douglas and Renee married and discovered their unique heritage while traveling to Venice for their honeymoon. A ticket agent in Chicago brought their attention to the name of a glass studio in Hergiswil, Switzerland called Sigwarth Glass Factory. It turns out that glassblowing had been a Sigwarth family tradition for generations and Douglas and Renee revived it in the United States. Their glass studio is located in rural River Falls, Wisconsin.
Douglas and Renee’s “Silver Leaf Series” combines rich color depth and fluid form. The surface of each vessel is layered with sheets of delicate silver leaf melted into the glass to create a soft satin finish.
Douglas and Renee’s glasswork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Melissa Scott and Spencer Thackray
Melissa comes from a family of artists. Her great grandfather was a brass sculptor and her mother, an accomplished painter, began her career in ceramics when Melissa was a young toddler. Melissa remembers hunting through ceramics studios and potters workshops, searching for that special piece to take home and work on. At an early age Melissa had aspirations of becoming an architect. A trip to Europe became a pivotal point in her life. Seeing the architecture up close, walking the corridors of castles, the cobbled streets of small towns, and sharing the beauty of history was one of the most influential moments in her life.
In 2001, Melissa met her now fellow entrepreneur Spencer Thackray. At that time, Melissa was designing lines for her family’s ceramics company and Spencer was creating custom installations using resin and plaster. They recognized the possibilities of working together. Today, Melissa and Spencer create a series of hand cast, hand painted historically inspired wall décor. Each stone is sketched, sculpted, then molded using gypsum cement and then completed with a number of painting techniques and colors.
Melissa and Spencer’s wall tiles can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Mark & John and Emil Schlabaugh
Emil began his career in woodworking building homes and custom cabinetry and passed his knowledge on to his sons, Mark and John. Together they established a studio and named it Schlabaugh & Sons. Emil retired in the mid-90’s and Mark and John decided to continue the tradition. Although Mark and John share the same studio and equipment, they each have unique designs that they create.
Mark enjoys designing and creating items that he takes to juried art shows across the country. He incorporates a variety of retro components into his one-of-a-kind pieces. The items that have a striped pattern are produced by taking different types of wood and laminating them together. Items are finished with two coats of sanding sealer, then hand sanded and finished with two coats of finish top coat.
John has always gravitated to the design and manufacturing of woodworking jigs and fixtures. Numerous designs by John have been incorporated into ideas used by Better Homes & Gardens Wood magazine. John also designs pieces for juried art shows.
Mark and John’s woodwork can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Duane Scherer
Duane designs eclectic time pieces out of his studio outside Detroit, Michigan.
He connects and finds joy in a variety of materials and loves to explore the endless expression hidden within them.
Duane’s handmade wall and table clocks can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Carol Roeda
Carol didn’t always work with steel. In the 1970’s, Carol had a passion for macramé, making money by knotting around everything in sight. In addition, she was forming clay beads, plaques and bowls to adorn the macramé. Her interest in clay led her to drop the knotting. After ten years of making functional pottery, she started to draw. Her drawings of trees, words and women took over. Eventually, she decided to cut her silhouettes from steel and paint them.
“I love to make stuff”, says Carol. “At the end of the day, I love color. Color looks great against black, but it’s more that that. It is knowing that where there is color, there is light.”
Carol’s colorful series of trees and words can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Leonie Lacouette
Leonie was born and in Manhattan, the daughter of an artist and an actress, both heartily supporting Leonie’s creative pursuits. Their encouragement led Leonie to the High School of Art & Design, then to SUNY New Paltz, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics.
“All my life my parents have been collectors, says Leonie, “Not of anything specific, they’re just into amassing stuff.” The clutter at home and the bombardment of stimuli that lay outside her apartment door near Times Square, led Leonie to assemblage. Many of the clocks were crowded with the flotsam and jetsam of life – found objects, charts & diagrams from encyclopedias, miniature reproductions of common items, toasters or classical busts or violins – often topped with a pediment of corrugated steel or scrap metal.
Today, Leonie finds herself “moving toward a more basic geometry”. Her more recent clocks are a construction and combination of various shapes (squares, circles, rectangles, triangles) made primarily out of sheet copper and various metal leafs, which, she says, possess an inherent warmth. “I’m into simplifying my life.” Though materials and forms may have changed, the feeling of assemblage – of different elements pieced together, applied and layered – is ever present. What has been traded is a sense of agitation and action, replaced now by quietude and serenity.
Leonie’s handcrafted clocks can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Rich Kolb “Yardbirds”
Rich and his father created the first “Yardbird” in August of 1991 in Jamestown, Kentucky. Rich’s father spent most of his career making things from metal. The first bird came about from them talking about and tinkering with scrap materials. That’s how “Yardbirds” got started. Today, Rich and a group of artisans handcraft a menagerie of birds, critters, dogs and cats. The designs have grown from one to over one hundred and continue to grow.
When people ask Rich about his creations, he smiles and says that things in life that bring us the most joy are those which are fun and unexpected, not the mere necessities. “It is pretty simple: Yardbirds are really just about happiness”.
Rich’s Yardbird creations can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Matt Bezak
Matt has been a practicing jeweler for sixteen years. He began his career with a degree in Dental Lab Technology, where Matt learned to create and combine function and aesthetics. His technical skills were readily transferred to the art of making jewelry and consequently he attended the Gemological Institute of America. Following his studies, Matt spent several years teaching at the same institute.
Matt‘s vision for his art is dominated by the lost wax cast glass process called “Cire Perdue”. Rene Lalique is one of his major influences. “I am greatly inspired by nature forms, particularly sea life and flowers.”
Matt’s jewelry designs can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia or on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Scott Bisson
Scott received his first taste of glass during a high school chemistry class doing tubing bends. On that day Scott began his serious studies of glassblowing as an art form. Following years of training at Pilchuck School and observations of master glass blowers, such as Dante Marioni, Scott established his own studio.
The technique used by Scott is called flame working. It allows him to produce the intricate pieces that come alive with action, such as his frogs, skinks and snakes. The glass used for this process is a borosilicate product, more widely know as Pyrex.
Scott works at a high level of intensity when producing his art. He believes energy and excitement always create the best work. “I put a little bit of myself into every work of art I create. That is how I breathe life into each piece.” Scott’s creative glass creations can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery in Lewisburg, West Virginia and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
Mark Titus Diebolt
and
Sharon Lea Diebolt
The handcrafted woodwork of Mark and Sharon are original works of art. A husband and wife team, the Diebolts have been creating beautiful boxes, clocks and furniture since 1980. Each piece is meticulously crafted incorporating specially selected hardwoods and veneers. The natural beauty of these woods is further enhanced by a hand-rubbed oil/wax finish.
To care for your piece, Mark and Sharon recommend, to wipe periodically with a soft, clean, dry cloth and not to use a furniture polish or other topical agent. Remember to keep your piece away from direct sunlight.
The woodwork of Mark and Sharon can be found at Harmony Ridge Gallery and on-line at harmonyisle.com.
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