78th American Crafts & Historic Homes Tour
Original folk art paintings are done on gessoed board using acrylics. A series of glazes seal the paintings and a shrink coat is applied to create cracks (the aged appearance). Oils are rubbed in to define the cracks. When dried, the shrink coat is washed off and a series of varnish coats are applied. the paintings are then placed in hand-grained and frequently lettered frames.
Wood
Kara Wood Designs has been creating wonderful woodwork for over 20 years. All of the shapes and patterns are original designs done by John Kara. The business started in the early 1990’s and consisted strictly of collapsible baskets. Years later, John got the idea to angle-cut different shapes such as angels, trees and crosses. We work in an individual studio where we use hardwoods and laminations of hardwoods to make the artwork.
Darr’s products are handmade from start to finish using original recipes. The soaps and lotions contain no animal fats and are scented with plant essential oils or cosmetic grade fragrances. Each hand cut bar weighs at least 3.75 ounces and is wrapped in cotton fabric with a recycled paper wrapper. The vegetable oils are non-GMO certified; fragrances are phthalate free, and palm oil is RSPO sustainable. Parsonage is a multi-generational family business based out of Lovettsville, VA that has created soaps, lotions, and other scented goods since 1997. Parsonage has a penchant for botanicals, and curates each soap variety to provide well-balanced, complex scents inspired by our natural world.
Handmade of wood, each birdhouse is painted in a variety of colors ,using long lasting exterior finishes. Solid brass hardware is used, both for the “clean out” door and the hanging hooks. Each is adorned and “folk” decorated and roofed with solid roofing copper, which is hand held torch or snip cut.
These birdhouses are meant to house a variety of nesting songbirds and are a particular favorite of Bluebirds. They will last outdoors for years and years, as welcome bird habitat.Each is an original.
My love for gourd art stems from my horticultural interests coupled with my desire to produce a functional as well as decorative product. To briefly describe my work, I pencil a design onto a gourd surface which is used as a template to carve or wood burn the design. To carve, I use woodworking tools, called gouges. By varying the size of the gouge and the position and length of the cut I achieve different designs. On occasion I relief carve with a power carver. After carving I embellish with dyes, acrylics, metallic rubs or patinas. I also use pine needles, sliced walnuts, brass knobs.
I am originally from Lancaster, PA. After receiving my Ph.D. in Biology from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, I moved to VA in 1988 to conduct research at the UVA, Charlottesville, VA and subsequently at a VA Tech Research Station in Winchester, VA. In 2004 I left research to start Gourds by Suzanna LLC . I am currently self-employed and work out of my home in Toms Brook, Virginia.
Watercolor Painter Andy Smith has been a full-time watercolor artist for 36 years. He loves painting antiques and the 1800’s time period and finds his subjects by traveling and sightseeing at historic areas. He loves light and the way it transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary. Andy’s paintings start with a hand-drawing which gives them an intimate feeling. He paints every day, creating fresh paintings and only prints two pieces a year, which retains the integrity of his original paintings. “Scherenschnitte”, or scissor cutting, is not very well known in this country. The art was introduced here in the 1700’s by immigrants from Switzerland and Germany. Like much of our art during this time, the style changed and American cutwork became very primitive in style. Today, only a handful of artists in this country practice the original, intricate, European style of scissor cutting – my specialty. In my art, I use acid-free white, text paper or imported black French silhouette paper. Most of my scissor cuttings are cut freehand, from one piece of paper, using European surgical scissors. Occasionally, I will also add multiple layers of sculpted paper on top or below the base cutwork to add focal points of color or to achieve a dimensional effect. My work differs in one important element from the old European and American cuttings…I never completely attach the cuttings to the back mat. Rather, I float them on the mat to create shadows and a 3-dimensional effect that I feel is important to the final composition. Kid Friendly! Watch as a cutting is started then take it home and finish it yourself. Learn about the history of this almost lost art. Unique and one-of-a-kind mixed media folk art is created primarily with gourds. Many of the gourds are grown on the PA farm where I reside with my husband and co-artist, Bob. The shape of the gourd is studied to determine what it wants to be. No two gourds are alike having various shapes, sizes and textures. Sometimes a piece is created by individually hand-painting a gourd with it’s original unaltered shape using layers of acrylic paint with meticulous attention to detail. Other times mixed media work is created with paper clay hand-sculpted onto or over the gourd altering its shape and then hand-painted. A multi-step, hand-rubbed aging technique using an umber wash finishes each piece before sealing and adds to the old fashioned charm. Most of the pieces are whimsical and holiday themed. The simplicity of country life on the family farm, the changing seasons, an affinity for treasures from a bygone era and holiday traditions…these things are all celebrated in my work.Smith, Andy
Grabman, Marie-Helene
Gladfelter, Kimberly