78th American Crafts & Historic Homes Tour
Withnell is passionate about fiber arts and particularly enjoys spinning yarns from animals she has bred, delivered, raised and cared for. Weaving allows her creative needs to explore color and texture, while designing unique items. Susan Withnell was the 2020 Waterford Fair Artisan of the Year!
Van Hart is a sculptor that focuses on undulating and textural surfaces. Asymmetry and kinetic features lend surprising grace to the larger scale of this narrative work: each piece develops as a tribute to a hero, a meditation on place, a plea for strength in times of adversity. The Heart Armor are based on an inverted milkweed pod. Botanical portraits are pierced, forged, reticulated, granulated, fabricated repousse body and architectural adornment. A constant voice in this work is the supple technique of diminished diameter forging. Sterling, 80/20 silver, 14-18 K yellow or rose gold, and copper are occasionally combined with rare gems and Akoya pearls. Historically significant botanical symbols, people and stories are conceptually interpreted with contemporary flair using classic techniques.
The Ray family has been participating in the Fair for more than 38 years, and are pleased to be joined by their son, Dennis, who continues the family’s tradition of creating natural botanical wearable art through a unique copper electroforming technique.
Dennis says “My art has been my sole vocation and my passion. Every year, I travel around the world on a mission to collect samples from nature, historic trees, vineyard leaves, noteworthy plant cuttings and return to my studio where I capture them in copper. Often finished with lush patinas and accent paint, each piece I create is one of a kind just as in nature.”
They have been honored to work on special projects with the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the World Wildlife Fund. Their work is also featured in Madeleine Albright’s book Read My Pins.
May’s jewelry is created by hand weaving 14 karat rolled gold wire, and occasionally other noble metals. The focus is pre-Columbian techniques using simple tools such as wire cutters and pliers, and most importantly, her fingers. She does not employ solder, casts, or guides. The focus is on filigree and nautical braided rope patterns.
A Contemporary Adaptation of a Traditional Craft
Each porcelain ornament or egg features colorful raised detail, providing both visual and textural elements. Piazza strive to convey an emotion with every piece, the response being unique to each individual. Memories of holidays, family, history, or whimsy may all come to mind, the ultimate goal being the creation of future heirlooms to be passed down through generations
Piazza has chosen porcelain as her medium, as it is smooth and refined in texture but also extremely strong. This clay body is most appropriate for the intricate raised artwork, the signature of her work. The pieces are cast from original molds
Technique: This is a modification of the historical slip trailing technique used by potters throughout the centuries. The contemporary adaptation to the use of syringes provides the method for capturing the tiniest of detail.
All pieces are signed and dated by Anne Piazza, and include a certificate of authenticity.
2021 Artisans of the Year
Steinhagen’s work draws heavily on the redware pottery produced in the 18th century by potters in England and by the Pennsylvania German tradition. They create forms that mirror the everyday plain mugs, bowls, and plates used in homes across the American colonies, and take special delight in reproducing unusual and decorative forms – puzzle mugs, harvest jugs, pierced double-walled pieces, sculptural posset pots. They conduct ongoing research (both here and in England) to gain a deeper understanding of the breadth of work produced by early potters. Steinhagen often uses their findings as a springboard to create original works that speak to the traditions of the past and connect them to the present day.
Erich’s been a potter since he was in high school. We met in college in western Pennsylvania when we were both art majors, 45 years ago. He kept up with the pottery as a side gig through three kids and 30 years in a 9 to 5 job, but it wasn’t until about 20 years ago that Janice finally gave in to his encouragement to try sgraffito on his pottery. That’s when our work really took off. All the wheel and sculptural work is done by Erich; Janice does the sgraffito, and also makes slump-molded plates, brooches and ornaments.
We enjoy collaborating to create an interplay of the clay forms and the inscribed motifs, which freely borrow from both Pennsylvania German and British folk pottery traditions. And the use of text (again, a traditional design element for both German and British styles) speaks to Janice’s 40-year career as a journalist and wordsmith. One of our favorite current projects is creating mugs with quotes from our founding fathers and mothers, ranging from George Washington and Alexander Hamilton to Abigail Adams and Black poet Phillis Wheatley. Their words resonate even more deeply today, and we love engaging people in history through stirring words that speak to the present moment.
Clay
Judy Rorhbaugh’s pottery features a combination of clay and pine needle basketry. The basketry is done using a coiling technique with long leaf pine needles, gathered from the forest floor in the southeastern United States. Needles range from ten to sixteen inches in length. Raffia, which comes from palm trees, is used for the stitching. Rohrbaugh uses raffia and needles in their natural state, and also hand dyes them to use in various colors. The pots are wheel thrown stoneware or raku, decorated with engobes and glazes that she formulated and mixed. The stoneware is fired over 2300 degrees for twelve hours; raku is fired outside in a primitive kiln. Each piece is an effort to incorporate the two mediums in a complimentary way. The end result is nature inspired pottery, influenced by being created in the United States.
Continuing in the slip trailing traditions, Steve has developed a line of stoneware work that bridges Old World traditions with a contemporary sensibility. His functional and decorative forms have an elegant calligraphic style that is uniquely his own. From stately urns to serving platters, his inspirations come from a melding of cultures and a personal design aesthetic to create work that is beautiful to use and to look at.