80th American Crafts & Historic Homes Tour
I create fine art in watercolor using Winsor Newton watercolor paints on 300 pound hot and cold pressed papers, I specialize in landscapes, old barns, animals of all kinds and pet portraits.
Everything in life is art. That has been true in my life ever since I can remember. Currently, I am working in mixed media—acrylic paint, vintage paper and, sometimes, found objects. However, for years I worked in textiles, specifically I hooked rugs
and am the author of Hooked on Words, published in 2018 by Ampry Publishing.
Once in a while, some textile form appears in my current work—an actual piece of wool or an image of a quilt or a rug or a sheep. I am drawn to antiques and images
of anything vintage but my great love is for Windsor chairs. I’m very lucky to live in Williamsburg, Virginia, with inspiring history all around me, but I once lived in Waterford which will always be in my heart.
We have been crafting timeless, quality woodcraft furniture and accessories for decades. Using local Virginia Hardwoods and a discerning eye for detail, each piece is thoughtfully designed and made in our Southwestern Virginia woodshop.
Maureen Anderson, teacher, goatherd, beekeeper, shepherdess, soapmaker, mother of 8 and grandmother of 13 has had a lifelong interest in farming, homesteading and herbal medicine.
She began this journey of learning when she was a child, taught many of these skills by a grandmother who instilled a love of herbs, family life and wildcrafting.
Maureen hosts workshops and classes at her historic Home Farm on sustainable living, herbal medicine making, wild food foraging and cheese making.
In March of 2020 she created the Toano Open Air Market in response to the community’s need for a safe and reliable place to shop and local farmers’ and artisans’ need for an income during the Covid closings.
Maureen is the creator of The MotherVine radio program and owner of Tasha’s Own Goat’s Milk Soap and The Home Farm.
We grew up in a home that fostered a love for the handmade. So much so, dad
insisted that craftsmen training came first in our lives. With a heritage of
accomplished inventors and tradesmen, who could blame him?
Our parents took us along on frequent visits to antique stores, galleries, and
other places that sold fine furnishings. Mom always reminded us at the door,
“Look with your eyes, not with your hands.” For us boys, that wasn’t always easy.
Learning traditional methods of artistry—blacksmithing, woodworking, and
leather crafting—was never a chore for us. As teens, we didn’t just apprentice
with master craftsmen, we built our own forge and workshops in the backyard.
Today, we thrive on creating beauty in our lives, and the lives of others. By
transforming natural, raw materials into quality home and lifestyle goods, we
write stories to tell for generations to come. If you love the smell of leather, the
warmth of real wood, and the heft of metal, let us help write your story, too
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.