81st American Crafts & Historic Homes Tour
My work is comprised of primarily hand forged steel, and wood. I use a combination hand finished metal, and natural patina to create a rustic, yet refined aesthetic. My focus is to use traditional techniques and construction methods to create kitchen cutlery, and home hardware.
Jackson Foster is a maker and painter of trade & tavern signs in the tradition of 18th and 19th-century artisans. His research of historic people and places is the rationale for the majority of his signs. His background in history, design, lettering, and woodworking provides the basis for creating authentic interpretations of early American signboards. He uses reclaimed wood–some boards date to the 1700s–and period-style hardware including
blacksmith-forged hanging irons, nails, and hinges—all making for unique signs in which no two are alike. He continues to refine his craft through research of early American artisans, typographic styles, painting practices, and joinery techniques. Each sign purchase comes with a framed, historic description providing research and background information.
Square of the Bone
Jewelry
I cut each design completely by hand using a traditional jeweler’s saw, then they are fabricated, formed, textured, and patinated. I also use the technique of Champlevé with vitreous glass enamel with sterling silver, rose gold, 14k yellow gold, and nickel free copper sourced from foundries specializing in recycled precious metals. I heavily reference biology and natural sciences such as entomology with textures, patterns and motifs. Because of my quirky sense of humor my work rides the line of peculiarity while also being dainty and precious. I create my jewelry to be highly expressive for a wide range of aesthetics.
Honoring the vast botanical realms of the Appalachian bio-region, each platter, plate, vase, mug, bowl, or jewelry piece is handcrafted and as unique as the plants that were impressed into it. This technique has been passed down from a university level trained father to son, and is inspired by visionary art, indigenous mysticism and the powerful magic found in the lush forests of the Blue Ridge mountains.
This unique form of ceramics is created from hand-built stoneware clay slabs designed with tedious impressions of local plants set delicately into patterns and mandalas that are highlighted by iron-oxides and various glazes. Using refined hand building techniques, our pottery is created by impressing flowers, ferns, leaves and tree bark delicately into stoneware clay. After the piece is formed and plants are pulled out, it is bisque fired. After a thorough sanding process, an iron-oxide stain is applied and wiped off negative space tediously to leave the stain in the impressions. Occasionally glaze is painted into leaves to mimic natural color. After a final glaze firing, the piece is vivid and functional.
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.
We are a couple who live and work together. 42 years ago, we formed a business venture, an on-going partnership, when we chose to create traditional hand-tooled kitchen utensils and wooden vessels.
Our deep appreciation and reverence for trees are reflected in our approach to making long-lasting, functional art pieces.
We refined our skills, techniques, finishes and our artistry challenged us and guided us to making custom commission furniture.
Working over wooden molds, in the method of the Shakers, Wychock’s baskets are traditional in shape and materials. She weaves both Shaker reproductions in ash and traditional, utilitarian baskets of reed. Native hardwoods such as ash and oak are used to make the rims and handles, and all of the baskets are lashed using ash. Each basket takes on its own character as it is woven in a quadrifoil, twill or fancy lace pattern to appeal to both eye and touch.
