Anne Marie Papineau

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Anne Marie Papineau is a fine artist living in Litchfield, CT. She received her BFA in Printmaking with a minor in drawing. Subtle drawing detail and layered texture developed through the printmaking process  continues into her other art media.  Papineau Studio distinctive glassware is created by first etching, then painting in multiple layers on crystal glassware in nature inspired designs and artistic themes. They are small works of art with a functional purpose, appealing to discerning customers who appreciate the artistry. The glassware can be found in select fine shops in New England.

Birch Trees Crystal Bourbon Glasses with bittersweet berries, acrylic paint and etching paste

Life Size Pheasant Feather Crystal Vase, acrylic paint & etching paste

Seashell Crystal Wine Glasses, acrylic paint & etching paste

Mary O’Connor

Portfolio Categories: Prints.

Say Yes to Your Creative Self by Mary O’Connor, paperback, 132 pages, Three Chairs Publishing, Branford, CT

“Say Yes! to Your Creative Self” is an invitation to creativity. Written by Old Saybrook author, poet, painter and lover of nature, Mary O’Connor, this full-color, self-help book is filled with tips and prompts, photos and inspirational writings on ways to boost our ways of being creatively stimulated.

Intrigued by the magic of the commonplace, Mary seeks to capture its delight through her paintings and writing. Her joy-centered books include Passing Shadows – Images and Words of Inspiration; Life Is Full of Sweet Spots, as well as Dreams of a Wingless Child, a collection of award-winning nature and inspirational verses. She often complements her work with photographic images as well as paintings in watercolor and acrylics.

Her paintings have been exhibited by area art associations, and her people and pet portraits are treasured by individual owners. A former instructor of poetry at the York Correctional Institution, Niantic, she currently serves as a docent at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme. O’Connor’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Sandra & Whitney Huber

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Eventide Pendant

Sandra and Whitney Huber are lampwork artisans located in Essex, Connecticut. The Hubers built their lampworking studio in 2011 at their home in Essex and founded Huber Glass Bead Makers to offer their work for sale.

Sandy has had a lifelong interest in many art forms; her educational background is in art education with a concentration in crafts.  Sandy’s extensive knowledge of flower gardening is a source of inspiration for her beads.  Whitney, an award-winning architect, has a fascination with the functional and artful use of glass everywhere.

Sandy discovered lampworking in 2008; she introduced Whitney to it soon after. Since then, they have been studying and exploring lampworking techniques and use of the extensive palette of soft glass available for bead making. They have studied lampworking under the generous guidance of master lampwork artists. The Hubers seek to master their skills and expand their lampwork bead offerings. Their work is inspired by patterns and images from nature, and the work of other bead artists from the United States and abroad.

Sandra & Whitney’s lampworking is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Ann Carney

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Pine Needle Basket w Painted Bird and Handles, long leaf pine needles, wooden center w. painted bird, raffia, string, 9in h x 11in w

After thirty years of management in Human Resources and technology, Ann Carney and her husband retired from Connecticut and Pennsylvania jobs to twenty-three years of Florida living.   They spent winters exploring Florida and the southern U.S. coast and then went RV’ing through northern U.S. and Canada in the summers.

The beauty of the foliage, the birds, the Gulf of Mexico inspired Ann to try her hand at painting.  That was the beginning of a new, challenging endeavor.  The beauty of the western U.S. made camping and painting the mountains, lakes, trees, sky a never-ending delight. Additionally, the variety of baskets made by Native Americans using natural materials became a second inspiration and challenge.  Baskets from Long Leaf Pines, found in the Dakotas or Georgia, lend themselves to artistic renderings of animals, containers, decorations, etc., so, when Carney wasn’t painting, she was creating with pine needles. However, knitting, needlepoint, sewing and gardening fill any remaining hours now that Ann is living in Connecticut.  Carney’s Baskets are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Vivian Zoë

Portfolio Categories: Paintings.

Brooding, oil on board, 14.25in h X 14.25in w

Vivian F. Zoë is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and the Ohio State University with degrees in studio art, arts education and administration and theatre design.  She has served as the director and curator of several museums including the Slater Memorial Museum in CT.  Since retirement, Vivian has focused on her own artwork which has enjoyed inclusion in juried exhibitions at galleries including the Lyme Art Association (CT), Spectrum Gallery (CT), Five Points Center for the Visual Arts (CT), the Bristol (RI) Art Museum, D’Art and Floyd Centers (VA), Modern Visual Art (PA) and CT Women Artists.  She will present a solo exhibition in 2024 in the gallery at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT.  She works in her home studio in Gales Ferry, CT, USA.

Sarah Watson Anderson

Portfolio Categories: Festival Artists.

Sarah Watson Anderson has always had an eye for creative photography even as a child using her first Brownie camera.  While in high school, she had formal instruction in photography and more recently through an online course called iPhone Photography School.  She loves to photograph nature, sunsets, beach scenes, seasonal scenes, mountains, and people. As a travel buff, she photographs cityscapes, flora and fauna, wild animals, and birds.  Zen oriented photographs and videos are increasingly becoming part of her repertoire.

In 2022, Sarah exhibited her photography at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, Connecticut. She is excited to show more of her art to the public. Her photography is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Sarah has a master’s degree in social work from the City University of New York at Hunter College School of Social Work. She worked for a service dog organization for ten years where she earned her certification to become a service dog trainer.  Sarah is now retired and enjoying her love of photography. Sarah is currently a featured artist in Spectrum Gallery’s Autumn Art Festival on the Town Green in Madison Connecticut.

Beware of the jack-o-lantern, fine art photograph, 14in h x 11in w

Classic New York City, fine art photograph, 14in h x 11in w

Fun Transportation, fine art photograph, 14in h x 11in w

Sharon Mullen-Reynolds

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

Glistening Lavender Headband

Sharon Lee Mullen-Reynolds knew in High School that she was to be an Art teacher.  That is exactly what she did; for 36 years she taught Visual Art in the city of New Haven.  Her career hi-light was teaching 22 years at the Betsy Ross Arts Magnet Middle School.  During her tenure there she was a published Fellow at Yale N.H.Teachers Institute for 2 years, the  Department Chairperson for 8 years and creator of As Far As The Eye Can See a school-wide art exhibit.

Since her retirement in 2016, she has been attending numerous art exhibits and installations locally and in NYC, specifically Frida Kahlo’s exhibit at the Brooklyn Art Museum which led her to create Frida- inspired floral headpieces. In 2017 she started The Kindness Rock art installation at the Branford Festival.

Sharon is an artist who believes that art can heal your soul.  In 2022 she sold her headpieces at the Ukrainian Roman Catholic church for the benefit of Ukraine’s War effort and donated 5 Ukrainian Strong “Petals for Peace” paintings to raise additional funds. These paintings were showcased on Channel 8 news.

In addition to her headpieces, Sharon works in mixed-media, crafts, collage, and watercolor landscape en plein air. Sharon’s artwork has been exhibited at City-Wide Open Studios, The ARTS Council, Calligraphers Guild, and is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Megan McNivens

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Dragonfly Ripples Vase, stoneware clay, glaze, underglaze, and silkscreened design

Megan McNivens is a ceramic artist hailing from Old Saybrook, CT. She received her Bachelors in Studio Art from Central Connecticut State University, under the direction of Vicente Garcia. Upon her graduation in 2022, she started her business Knollwood Pottery and committed to working as a full-time ceramic artist.

Megan creates a wide variety of forms with both functional and decorative elements. She draws inspiration for her forms and designs from the textures, colors, and patterns of her shoreline upbringing. She is passionate about growing as a ceramic artist by learning and experimenting with different techniques to create complex and compelling pieces. Some of the techniques she employs in her studio practice range from carving and sgraffito to the use of silkscreen printing and the application of vibrant glazes.

Megan is excited to have the opportunity of working in the studio every day and to have the pieces she creates bring joy and comfort to those who invite them into their homes. Megan’s ceramics are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Donna Spencer

Portfolio Categories: Photography.

NY Minute, fine art photograph on metal, 10in h x 14in w

Donna Spencer lives in Higganum, Connecticut, and is a full-time radiologic technologist.  She began her creative art journey many years ago with photography, expressing her passions, animals, flowers, and other nature.

“Photography is a way to share a vision as you see it, and painting is a way to take that to another level”.  She loves versatility of acrylic mediums for creating the mystery and open interpretation of abstract and semi-abstract works. Spencer values the simplicity and starkness of graphite and charcoal for landscapes and animal portraits.

Donna’s photography has been displayed at Gallery 54 in Meriden, CT, and her paintings have been displayed at Pat Russo’s music studio in Wallngford, CT.  Spencer’s artwork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Thomas O’Connell

Portfolio Categories: Glass.

Funny Turquoise Bird

Tom O’Connell, a 50-year advertising veteran, lived many years in France, Italy, and Germany.  It was particularly his eight years in Italy that developed a keen interest in stained glass.  This ultimately led him to take practical courses back in the States under the direction of Fabio Pizzolli, a world-renowned stained-glass artist who specializes in glass restoration. Tom then took an extended apprenticeship in Siena at the studio Vetrate Artistiche Toscane under the direction of owners Gianni and Massimo Bracciali.  There he fine-tuned his skills in cutting, painting, and assembling stained glass panels, which had been commissioned for the Villanova University in Philadelphia.

Passionate about his glass work, Tom works to create relatively small objects, sometimes whimsical and abstract, but mostly practical, to help bring the beauty and fun of glass to people’s homes.

His business and studio operate as Siena Stained Glass LLC, which was formed in 2019, located in Stonington CT. O’Connell’s glasswork is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Dawn Lombard

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Swirls Pendant

After earning her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing (and a Studio Art minor), Dawn entered the workforce in Consumer-Packaged Goods as a market research analyst. Flash forward 17 years and an MBA later, she was doing rather well in business and in her career but always felt as though something was missing. On a whim, Dawn’s sister asked her to join her and their mom at an introductory lampworking class.

Since that class in 2006, Dawn has been refining her technique and learning the intricacies of working with glass. She attended more classes by leading artisans including: Cynthia Liebler Saari, Nancy Tobey, Lauri Copeland, and Joanne Conant. To enhance her glass work, Dawn learned metalsmithing with Pauline Warg and Joy Raskin. Her work has been featured in ‘1000 Jewelry Inspirations (Sandra Salamony 2011),’ ‘Creative Lampwork (Joan Gordon 2011),’ ‘Creating Glass Beads (Jeri L. Warhaftig 2011),’ and ‘1000 Beads (Kristina Logan 2014).’

Lombard’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Larry Reitz

Portfolio Categories: Ornaments.

Euro (Mont Blanc) Pen, wood and acrylic resin

Over the past decade since starting pen turning Larry has progressed to the point of offering exceptionally high quality writing instruments for sale. To him it is an enjoyable and intriguing process which starts with selecting the piece of wood or resin to use. With wood, burls or highly figured grains are the preferred raw materials and with resins a pleasing color combination and pattern is the goal. The vast majority of all resin blanks used are made by Larry. Whether wood or resin, or a combination of both (hybrid) all are carefully turned on the lathe giving careful attention to the fit and finish. The turned parts are then paired with the pen hardware to arrive at a one of a kind pen the owner would be proud to use and show to interested observers.
Larry’s Pens are currently exhibited at Specrtum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Jeni GrayRoberts

Portfolio Categories: Glass.

Orange & Yellow Rays of Sun Earrings

Trained in a variety of fine arts media Jeni Gray-Roberts is an emerging artist working predominantly in kiln-formed glass.

Her glasswork evokes the movement of light, air and water.  She is inspired by all things in nature but is especially fascinated by moving water.  Her work is a reflection of the ebb and flow of the rivers and oceans she has experienced throughout her travels.

Jeni studied journalism at Moravian College and fine arts at Sam Houston State University.  Her initial artistic career included radio, fashion and photography.  Following that, Jeni spent 8 years at various New York City advertising agencies and a Manhattan art and events gallery.  Through the Art Students League of New York City, she practiced silversmithing and then found fused glass. That is when she finally discovered her artistic purpose.  Later she went on to study glass fusing and kiln work. She is a member of the Glass Art Society and her pieces can be found in private collections throughout the US.

Jeni moved from New York City in 2006 and lives and works in Deep River.

Gwendolyn Grant

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Rainbow Himelli Suncatcher, genuine quartz and glass crystals with brass, 19 x 5 inches

Gwendolyn Grant of Ivoryton, Ct has been practicing arts and creative endevours for most of her life. Her love for the arts led to her become a stylist in California, while practicing drawing, painting, and crafting as a hobby. She was trained to be a stylist at Marinello Schools of Beauty, and worked with various beauty, music, film, and clothing companies on creative projects for the last ten years.   Her new collection of home decor is inspired by traditional Nordic Himmeli design, and the energetic beauty of crystals. She’s also creating soft hand-woven dream catchers of yarn, linen, ribbon, and crystal accents. Each piece has been designed to bring a display of light, rainbows, and shadows into any room. Gwen finds inspiration in nature, traditional and modern styles, and loves working with a variety of mediums. Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Eric Ambler

Portfolio Categories: Ceramics.

Antique White Salt Pig

Eric grew up in rural, Northern New Jersey graduating with a BS from Southern CT State University. He finished his Masters of Education at Sacred Heart University, with more Master’s work at Yale University. He is a science teacher in the Madison public schools, teaching genetics, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. Eric is on the Board of Trustees of the historic Adam Stanton Museum house in Clinton.

Eric lives in an historic house on Clinton’s Liberty Green that was constructed in 1663. He restored the interior of the nine-bedroom home with period finishes. His home was featured in, CT on the Shoreline, Best on the Shoreline, Fall 2019.

Eric primarily works on wheel thrown pottery and enjoys various combinations of glazes and firing techniques. He had work in several galleries such as the Fresh Ayer Gallery in Old Lyme, the Old Lyme Art Association, and continues to win Best of Show, and blue ribbons at local and state fairs.

Eric’s pottery is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Jillian Nielsen

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

 

Amethyst Necklace

Jillian has a background in art and has taken classes at the Art Center Killingworth, the Guilford Art Center, Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, New England Fashion and Design Association, and Bard College at Simon’s Rock. She enjoys fashion and costume design and has won awards for her costuming for the Baroque Equestrian Games. As well as designing and sewing costumes she sews bespoke horseware and equestrian clothing. When she’s not sewing, she can be found riding her horse Maverick at dressage competitions.

Jillian’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Anna Sidorow

Portfolio Categories: Note Cards and Notecards.

Blissful Bloom, pressed botanicals on cardstock

Anna Sidorow is a self-taught artist working in mixed media: collage, printing, painting who primarily creates small works of art. Her paintings are semi abstract, and more than just the subject, the colors, shapes, movement and the paint itself gives the image a strong visual aesthetic. She uses pressed botanicals in her collaged note cards – every petal, leaf and stem has been picked and pressed by her. She has been experimenting with marbling paper and monotype printing, using gelatin as the plate surface.

She works at Yale University in the Anesthesiology Department business office.

Michele Kleiman

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Lavender Flower Power Earrings

Michele Kleiman is a native New Yorker, coming of age in gritty lower Manhattan. Since then, she has lived in Philadelphia and Boston, before exchanging city bustle for the beautiful and scenic lower Connecticut river Valley 30 years ago.

Michele has always loved tactile forms of art expression- including ceramics, woodworking, metalworking, collage, and bead work. Kleiman has been beading with increasing fervor over the past 15 years- attending classes, workshops, and retreats. she most enjoys utilizing various found, natural and interesting components to her bead weaving and bead embroidery creations.

Over the years Michele has explored music, playing piano and guitar as well as varied dance forms. She shared these enjoyments with her brother, an abstract painter who has autism and now lives in a group home. Michele’s close relationship with him has led her to pursue a 30-year career in healthcare, working with children that have developmental and behavioral disabilities.

Kleiman’s jewelry is exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut, and the BSK Gallery. Kleiman is a member of Connecticut River Valley Artisans.

Valerie Owens

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

Blushing Baby Moccasin

Valerie Owens, influenced and guided by her mother, began sewing doll clothes at a very young age and then making clothes for herself. This was the start of her love of taking a piece of fabric and creating something both beautiful, and useful. Over time, Valerie stretched her talents by creating one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, and discovered her love of wire weaving and wrapping. The characteristics of the wire and its ability to stretch, bend, and twist allow her to highlight the natural gemstones in her unique creations. Now retired, Valerie worked as a computer technician for 25 years and holds a BA degree from Southern Nazarene University. Her works have been featured in gift shops and home shows in her state of Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Old Lyme, CT.  “Sweet Pea Boutique” is Valerie’s design name.

Valerie’s Jewelry is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Kristen Owens

Portfolio Categories: Decorative and Fabric-Fiber.

Little Raincloud

Kristen Owens began crafting at age 10 and sold all the items she displayed at a neighbor’s holiday boutique. Often relocating, Kristen developed her sewing skills making pillows, curtains, and decor, with her mother’s long-distance instruction, as she redid each home. Now retired, Kristen worked in public education 15+ years as a secondary French teacher and an adult education administrator in WI, KY, and MN. Her experience with ESL, and developing education/business partnerships, led to her next 15 years as a manufacturing Training & Development manager in MN, MA, and CA. In 2017 Kristen began making contoured burp cloths and bibs for friends of family, and then for boutiques in Old Lyme, CT, and Monmouth, NJ.  Kristen strives to mix patterns and make each unique. With her focus on baby and children’s items, Kristen enjoys using wool felt and embroidering by hand. Having lived a year in Provence (France), Kristen loves growing lavender in her backyard that she harvests and dries. “Kri-Kri Unique” is Kristen’s design name.

Kristen’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Hayne Bayless

Portfolio Categories: Pottery.

Treble Clef Teapot

Hayne Bayless is a self-taught ceramic artist who established Sideways Studio in Ivoryton, CT in 1990. In 1992, after 10 years at a perfectly good job at a newspaper, he quit to make pots. He abandoned wheel-throwing early on, preferring the freedom of handbuilding afforded by slabwork and extrusions.  Bayless uses silkscreens and stencils with slips to finish the surfaces of his mostly functional work.

Bayless has received awards at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C. and the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. He teaches workshops all over the country and abroad.

Casey Hartley

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Atlantic Cod, hand carved basswood sculpture, acrylic painted and stained, taxidermic glass eyes, 38 1/2in w × 15in h, 5lbs

Each fish is hand-cut and hand-carved from 2” thick planks of basswood. Because no templates are used, each one is a true original. The tail is flattened and the body is shaped using a rasp, and further definition is given to the gills, eyes, mouth and tail using a variety of carving tools. The end result of the woodworking process is a true-to-size fish “plaque” somewhere between 2D and 3D.

Several layers of pigment are then hand-painted to create an accurate, detailed, patina finish.
The coloration is determined by the approximate size and life stage of the fish. With custom orders, reference photos (of the trophy catch) are ideal, and insights are welcomed to achieve the perfect hues and ensure that the ‘catch of a lifetime’ is given it’s due.

Next, the fish gets ‘weathered’ in one of two ways. If it was painted with acrylic, it gets two coats of sealant and is allowed to dry overnight. A crackling medium is then applied and allowed to dry and ‘age’ the paint for a minimum of 24 hours. Stain is rubbed on, giving the fish a cracked, weathered appearance. If it was painted with milk paint, it gets coated with furniture polish, wiped down, then buffed and ‘dirtied’ with steel wool.Finally, a glass eye is added and the fish is complete.

Catherine Stebinger

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

Mini Grecian Urn, felted wool

Creating with her hands has long been part of Catherine Stebinger’s life as a pastry chef. Now retired from the kitchen, that need for tactile expression has been translated into fiber.

Catherine layers, rolls, kneads, and dyes various types of wool, silks, and vegetable fibers to create pieces that range from soft shimmery vests and scarves to firm, taut vessels, wall hangings, and sculptures. Just as simple ingredients such as eggs, sugar, and flour can create airy mousses or crispy bread sticks, so can the various fibers be combined and manipulated in infinitely diverse modes to produce stunning pieces of art.

Catherine began her fiber studies with international fiber artists Katia Mokeyeva, Natalya Brashovetskaya, Lisa Klakulak, Renate Maille-Moskowitz, and Lena Archbold. Her sculptures, wall hangings, and wearable art have exhibited and sold at The Hygienic, Maple and Main Gallery, and Wesleyan Potters and her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Mary Anne Sherman

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Figure 8 Bracelet

Mary Anne Sherman has been creating jewelry since 1989, starting with earrings made from seashells. She soon began taking metalsmithing classes at Rhode Island School of Design and Brookfield Craft Center to create more permanent and intricate pieces.  In 1996, she founded her business, Mary Anne Sherman Jewelry Designs. She teaches jewelry classes and has sold jewelry at galleries throughout the United States.

She now works in Argentium Silver which has a higher silver content than regular sterling and is much more tarnish resistant. Much of her work explores the equilibrium of chaos and order in nature, especially the ocean.

In addition to her jewelry, she works at creating communities of artists, artisans, and the public. She is a former president of the Artists’ Cooperative Gallery in Westerly.

Sherman’s Jewelry is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

 

Yessenia Gerace

Portfolio Categories: Ceramics.

Fire Flow Mug

Yessenia Gerace, Art Teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in the Consolidated School District of New Britain, CT. She holds a K-12 Art Education certification and a B.A. in Ceramics and Business Marketing from Central Connecticut State University. Yessenia has been working in ceramics for 15 years and has taught learners of all ages in numerous locations such as Wesleyan Potters, Kids Art space and Elmwood Community Center.  Her work has been exhibited locally and throughout Connecticut. “My works portray the essence of transition and transformation in its many states. Much of my inspiration comes from the qualities we see in nature. I explore how spaces, planes, colors, and shapes balance and interact with one another to convey emotional experiences. Strength and fragility are physically and metaphorically represented as recurring themes in my work”. Gerace’s ceramics are currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Terry Van Heusen

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Kitties Garden Wall Vase

Terry Van Heusen earned a BFA in Illustration from RISD. Her career in the commercial arts afforded various opportunities including advertising, design, and sculpture for the giftware industry. As Art Director in the Creative Services Department at Hasbro Inc., the toy company, she designed packaging for Play-Doh® and other global brands.

Now retired, Terry works in her home studio, mainly hand building in clay. She finds it the perfect medium for story telling- combining color, texture, line, and sculptural accents. Her objective is to create work that delights the eye.

Terry’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Joan Weir

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Blue Scrolls Bowl, fused glass

Joan Weir began working with glass in 2003. After a 10-year hiatus during which she concentrated on getting her Master’s in Deaf Education and PhD in Curriculum & Instruction. She has returned to stained glass and the design of unique and whimsical creations with a emphasis on picture frames and contemporary suncatchers. She has shown previously at the Shoreline Arts Center and Art Essex, and she is currently exhibiting her work at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Don Carter

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Heavens All Star Jazz Band

Don Carter is a creative director, designer and illustrator. A graduate of Paier College of Art in Hamden, Don has over thirty years of experience designing and art directing for Connecticut ad agencies.He has been awarded for art direction, design and copywriting from organizations such asBoston’s Hatch awards, New York’s ADC, and many more.The illustrator of seven picture books for children, he has also created two Disney animated short-form series, Happy Monster Band and Dance-A-Lot-Robot. Don’s first book, Wake Up House! by Dee Lillegard was named one of the New York Public Library’s “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing” in 2000. Get To Work Trucks has been named a “Best Book of the Year” byChild Magazine and a “Top 100 Book of 2002” by the New York Public Library. His Heaven’s All-Star Jazz Band celebrates the pioneers of jazz and has received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. Most recently, a life-long love of birds and illustration have come together in recreating Audubon’s Birds of America series in a simplified, graphic style under his fine art pseudonym, Edgar Allan Slothman.

Holly Walker

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber.

Belle the Bunny

Holly Walker is happily retired and now finally has the time to enjoy her love of gardening, crocheting and creating a variety of crafts.  Holly learned to crochet in her early twenties, and through the years made items for family, friends, and Church fairs.  She has always had an interest in designing, whether it be a new garden, or toys for children like “Dexter the Dinosaur.  She enjoys the smiles and appreciation her creations have brought to so many people. Holly shows her work at Spectrum Art Gallery in Centerbrook, CT.

Lyn Harper

Portfolio Categories: Ceramics.

Blue Pear #2

Lyn Harper’s ceramic work is inspired in part by the design aesthetic of Scandinavia. The houses of Iceland, the fabric prints of Sweden and Finland and the clean lines of everyday objects. Her work is not limited to one clay or firing process; stoneware, porcelain, terra-cotta clays along with high fire gas reduction, soda, wood and electric firing all are used where needed for the surface effect desired. Lyn worked as a graphic designer in the frantic world of television news for 30+ years and that has given her a real appreciation for making art that takes weeks to produce.

Lyn’s ceramic work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Dale Gardner Fox

Portfolio Categories: Fabric-Fiber and Jewelry.

Amethyst Beaded Ribbon Necklace

Dale grew up in a farming community where crafting handmade items was expected and valued.  She’s been knitting and crocheting since she was a child and her mom taught her how. She states  “The yarns available these days provide a perfect canvas for me to explore color and texture.  I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy beautiful things so I try to keep my prices as low as possible.  Mountain To Seas Knits came into being when I had exhausted my family and friend’s need for hand knit accessories.  I grew up in Vermont and travel to see my sister in the Bahamas or Florida and I knit or crochet wherever I am.”  Having now retired from a career as a Physical Therapist and co-founder of the CCATT assistive technology center with the Collaborative in Northampton, she is now enjoying even more time to design and create items from the fabulous fibers available.  She shows in a number of craft fairs in Western Massachusetts including the Mattoon Street Fair, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Holiday Fair and the Old Deerfield Holiday fair.  She also has a number of items in The Boutique in Easthampton.

Jennifer Gibson

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

How Many Lines in a Limerick, children’s book of poetry

Artist Jennifer Gibson lives in Trumansburg, NY.  While she has illustrated two children’s books and continues to develop her portfolio in commercial art, in recent years she has increasingly gone deeper into traditional painting.  Growing up in Penn Yan, NY, she was encouraged from a young age to pursue art by her teachers.  After winning a Scholastic Portfolio Award in high school, she studied Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA.  She continues to show her work in galleries and participates in plein air festivals throughout the Northeast and Canada, at times winning awards for her pieces.  Jennifer enjoys painting at these various festivals due to the spontaneity of plein air painting, and the camaraderie of meeting other artists.  Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Sharon K. Lewis

Portfolio Categories: Glass.

Paisley Bottle Tray with Cheese Knife

Sharon K. Lewis has been using fused glass as a creative outlet for the past 12 years. She enjoys the forgiving nature of the medium (Don’t like it? Turn it into something else!) and having a right-brain alternative to her left-brain career of Business Coaching. She enjoys developing her glass skills with classes at Corning Glass Museum and Snow Farm- New England Craft. In addition to fused glass art, she enjoys hanging out with her daughter, gardening, keeping track of a surprising number of pets, and supporting her community on the boards of The Ivoryton Library, Greater Old Saybrook Chamber, Ivoryton Village Alliance and The Rockfall Foundation.

Sharon’s Fused Glass is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Robert Kelsey

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Ginkgo-Biloba Pendant

Robert grew up in Branford, CT, a beautiful coastal town. He was a regular Tom Sawyer loving fishing, birding, and nature in general. He also knew from an early age, that he was mechanically inclined and chose vocational training as a machinist which he followed for the entirety of his working life. While at a Craft Fair where his wife indulged her love of earrings, he realized he could make those for her, and so began his journey which included taking metal smithing classes. He now uses many of his machinist skills on a smaller scale – cutting, shaping, pressing, rolling, deburring, etc.

Interpretation rather than duplication of natural phenomenon is his goal. Copper is a very expressive medium through which he communicates the inspiration Nature offers. Sawing, hammering, bending, twisting and forming it into his own visions. For color he uses patinas, natural oxidation, dyes and heat to name just a few.

Kelsey appreciates the creative inspiration of his wife whose love of hand-crafted jewelry unknowingly inspired the direction of his retirement. Robert shows his jewelry at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, CT.

Joanna Biskupski

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Good Morning Moon Necklace

Joanna Biskupski earned an MFA in graphic design from the Institute of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland and was awarded a Fellowship from the Polish Association of Artists; and a grant from the Polish Ministry of Art and Culture. She has worked as a book designer and illustrator and has executed designs and illustration projects for numerous organizations, including the Hartford Courant.

She has participated, over the years, in art shows organized by the New Britain Museum of American Art and Hillside Museum and several Open Studio Hartford exhibits. Joanna currently creates unique pieces, big bold designs with surprising elements: fringed tassels, pieces of lamp, door knockers, leather straps, carved animal faces.

Joanna is inspired by Native American art, as well as Tibetan, African and Mexican art. Her work could be easily called wearable miniature sculpture. Each piece is unique, and she doesn’t want to repeat anything. Joanna additionally is a docent for the Museum of American Art in New Britain. Biskupski’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Beverly Waters

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Pocketful of Berries

 

Beverly welds, fuses, solders, hammers, brazes, enamels, and cold connects metals, while often integrating silk, paper, paint, and organic materials into her pieces. Beginning with separate, distinct, and individual entities, she builds and compounds each segment to form a cohesive whole. Using any number of finishing techniques (sand, polish, paint, grind, file, patina, etc.), she works to enhance the natural beauty of metal, integrating all of the pieces so that the disparities fuse to become a unified structure.

Beverly was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She has been a metalsmith since the early 1990’s, when she began making jewelry and small metal items. Her jewelry has been sold in the Against His Will Gallery and Studio in Siler City, NC. In the last several years she has studied welding (in CT and in New York) to design and to build larger metal sculpture and wall art. Beverly’s work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

Ceil Rossi

Portfolio Categories: Decorative.

Golden Chopstix

Ceil Rossi lived in Arizona for over 26 years and it was during this time she discovered gourds, the magical art form of the southwest. She learned from the best, taking classes from well-known gourd artists in the Southwest. Ceil became a respected member of the gourd artist community.  She then opened her own gallery, The Carefree Gourd Gallery and teaching studio in the quaint town of Carefree, Arizona.

Ceil’s work can be seen at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Ct as well as several gallery’s around Massachusetts and Connecticut. She has participated and won honors in several Fine Art shows, and she also teaches in Avon, West Hartford, Windsor, Ct, Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Ct, and at her studio in Agawam, Ma. She is a member of many art organizations in Western Ma. and Ct.  She also lectures on the history, art and culture of the gourd, From Field to Fine Art.

Samantha Barlow-Beamer

Portfolio Categories: Jewelry.

Lobstah Dinner Earrings

Samantha spent her life Exploring rocky beaches and daydreaming in the lush forests of New England. A family trip to Monhegan Island in Maine sparked her love of Fairy Houses. Samantha forages for bark, leaves and shells in Connecticut, Vermont and Maine to use for building her sculptures. Samantha later added jewelry and beaded accessories to her portfolio utilizing an assortment of freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones.

Samantha originally studied performing arts as a vocalist, actress and dancer in Hartford and later shifted her focus to marketing and business at the University of Phoenix online. She combined her interests and catapulted herself into New York City after competing on American Idol in 2011. For nearly ten years Samantha used her creative thinking and fearless approach, while working with executives in the Fortune 500 working as a Consultant for a UK Based company with an office in New York City. Samantha focused on growing small business by introducing them to her clients which included leaders from IBM, Amazon, Converse, Citi, Google and Ipsos. After developing and launching software for a consulting firm in Iowa, she moved back home where she met her now husband who acknowledged her lofty dreams of creative expression through art. Since 2020 Samantha has tinkered her way through the early days of homeownership and motherhood with her bark, leaves and shells in tow. The “Falling for Fall” exhibition at Spectrum Gallery is Samantha’s premier into the Art Community.

Guy Veryzer

Portfolio Categories: Ceramics and Servingware.

#1-Cat Playing with Blue Thread

Guy Veryzer has an interdisciplinary career as a ceramic artist and collage mixed media painter. He calls his ceramic world: Archeology of the Imagination. As an artist Guy’s work steps easily across the waking world from the land of dream into the boundaries separating realism from haunted surrealism. Viewers become voyeurs looking through to the unexpected world on the other side of that portal. His work is steeped in the rich symbolism of myth, shadow magic, and imaginings. He is part of the Tribeca Potter Studios in New York City. Guy’s ceramics recently were on view at Red Bluff Gallery, California, Tamarack Gallery, Michigan & J.F. Chen in Los Angeles, CA.

He has at BFA in ceramics and painting from the Center for Creative Studies College of Art and Design in Detroit where he won the CSS Venice Study Award and four CSS Merit Awards. His paintings, collages, and ceramics have been exhibited in New York (CFM Gallery) and London (Christie’s Education Center) His work can be found in private collections in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and in Indonesia. As an illustrator his work has been reproduced in The Village Voice, After Dark and Christopher Street Magazine. He has designed book covers as well as CD covers.

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