Participating Artists
For a fun art experience, take an autumnal drive to visit the studios of Alan and Sue Arnson in Bittinger (Garrett County). It is a 30 minute drive from Cumberland through the beautiful countryside of Western Maryland. Alan will be in his workshop demonstrating how he turns natural-edge bowls and other wood items. He will explain how he makes drawer boxes, knob boxes and other practical items. His workshop is housed in an old barn that dates back to the 1890s.
Sue's studio is in a unique rural setting. Her studio is a separate building that houses her work space and a small, comfortable gallery space. She began painting with watercolors later in life and paints (or creates) most days. Sue now works in several medium including monotypes from gelatin plate, collage, and recently alcohol inks. She will be demonstrating how she makes art throughout the weekend. To visit her studio is indeed a wonderful art experience. She loves showing folks how art is made.
Creating nature-inspired functional and sculptural ceramics is Alexandra's passion. Her specialty is using botanical illustrations to create 3D reliefs on handmade pottery. She also has been diving into insects and birds, which has been challenging but fun. Alexandra graduated from Frostburg State University in 2012, starting her first ceramics class in 2006. After a hiatus, she now works full time between her studio and downtown shop, creating work for retail and wholesale. Also, she hosts a variety of classes. She lives in Cumberland with her husband and two kids. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and meandering around her gorgeous city.
Josh Brown creates functional, lead-free and microwave/dishwasher-safe pottery in his studio near Frostburg, a former miner’s cabin cozily situated in an old railroad switchback. The garden and outbuildings are adorned with colorful sculptures and pots, while the studio is filled with pottery in many shapes and colors: salad bowls and platters, crystalline-glazed jewelry jars and bottles, and Josh’s signature mugs. Josh will gladly show you his kilns, including the large outdoor gas kiln he built himself, and explain the process involved in his full-time job and life’s passion.
Mary Bode Byrd, former Hallmark Card artist, will be a guest artist at Spruce Forest Artisan Village, (next to Penn Alps), Grantsville, MD., the month of October. Mary will be exhibiting and demonstrating acrylic painting with mixed media. The papers used in mixed media are painted and hand altered by Mary for use in the paintings. Watercolor landscapes and florals will be filled with bold colors. Colorful abstracts and abstract representational are her specialty.
The available work includes abstracts and realistic pieces utilizing canvas, collage, acrylics and spray paint. The primary focus is an exploration of techniques used in an intuitive fashion. You'll see what I'm up to if you drop by.
Patricia Crossland is an art teacher and artist. She has worked professionally in the school system since 1991 and and has taught the last 24 years at Frankfort High School, where she enjoys teaching advanced art as well as graphic design. As a child she enjoyed nature and attributes her artistic acumen to the time spent outdoors. The freedom and vitality of growing up in the 70's and 80's led her to investigate her home town of Frostburg and surrounding parks. She is always up for a hike or a bike ride relishing over the beautiful surroundings of western Maryland and West Virginia. Her art has migrated from painting and drawing to printmaking where she pushes boundaries of what makes an artwork have deeper meaning and investigatory properties. Creating meaning in art represents the difference between beautiful decorations and a communication between artist and audience. Her goal is for the viewers of her art to become "caught up" so to speak and enjoy each unique and deliberate print she has created. Firmly believing that artwork should not be replicated for the masses, each piece is a one of a kind, and should be revered for its individuality.
Chayo De Chevez is a painter, printmaker and lecturer. She has maintained Graphics Atelier, a gallery and studio in Cumberland, for the past 15 years. She was one of the leaders in the "go green," revolution that transformed printmaking studios worldwide into non-toxic, safe environments. She presented these ideas to workshops statewide and abroad including Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Australia, Jamaica, and India. In addition, she has exhibited her works in these countries. Locally, she was one of the artists selected to participate in the new Western Maryland Hospital, where over a hundred of her prints hang in hospital rooms, diagnostic center and historical wall. She considers herself a multi-media artist as she details her work in etching, encaustic, photography and digital manipulation. She received an MFA from Instituto Allende, Mexico and a BFA from University of Houston. Further studies include Santa Reparata, Florence, Italy and multiple workshops in the U.S.
Arnold d'Epagnier is a furniture designer and woodworking artisan. His craft uses traditional woodworking skills and techniques, traditional and modern machines, and computer technology to produce objects of quality that will endure the decades. Located in Cumberland, his studio has produced functional art for customers across the US, Scotland, and Australia.
The world of music taught Hilmar form, composition, color, and space. His ideal painting would be equivalent to a Mozart Symphony, seemingly crystal clear, optimistic and uplifting. Without showing any trace of the invested effort, struggle, and agony, the accomplished opus lives on its own, independently. Choices of his subjects are decided by circumstances very often beyond his planning. He is an instrument and tries to be open to receiving information about events around the globe. He tries to search out positive elements that are not decadent. He chooses building blocks for future enlightenment. This is why he paints.
A life-long resident of Allegany County, Angela Hedderick has been painting commissioned works since 1998. Her artwork is a reflection of a lifetime spent in the agricultural community. In the studio or painting plein air, oils provide the slow working pace and rich color she needs to capture local landscapes and rivers, still lifes, and portraits. She has been commissioned to do quite a few ‘home portraits’ of both contemporary and historic homes, including Evergreen Heritage Center, where her paintings show a historical reconstruction of the farm’s 18th and 19th century arrangements.
For many years, Patricia Hilton has enjoyed plein air painting—the challenge of it, and the presence it requires. In an environment where winds quickly emerge and disperse, and patterns and colors expand and contract at a dizzying speed, she endeavors to depict a moment that describes why one might pay attention. She often paints outdoors, yet also enjoys figurative work. “Whatever elements initially strike me become the focus of a painting, as I explore various methods to create textures or colors. I strive to keep my work fresh and lively; to remain present to opportunity; and to engage viewers in creating their own narratives.”
Metamorphosis happens to every one of us, we change in our thoughts, words, and how we do things. Recently Penny has been manipulating her nature photographs and printing them on canvas and metal. Yet, her interest is more in a photojournalist direction, which explains why she often has people in her works and why her most recent awards have been for black & white traditional prints. Penny enjoys capturing a bit of humor and sharing knowledge by teaching her Art of Photography Workshops, Photo Scavenger Hunt, and private sessions. Photography still delights her, especially when she creates a unique piece of art.
Growing up during the boho sixties and seventies, Lois McManus has been making jewelry as an expression of that very free artistic time when the unique and hand created aesthetic was clearly preferred over machine made. Nature- inspired themes and printmaking techniques have led to textures and embossed patterns in the surfaces of the metals (usually sterling and some mixed metals), and she incorporates gemstones, lamp worked glass, and other sparkly things in her creations.
Entirely self-taught, Connie fell in love with metalwork very soon after discovering a talent for jewelry making. As she learned, jewelry led to larger items: ornaments, mobiles, small figures & scenes. Sterling and copper are her favorite mediums, along with other metals or metal “found objects” such as vintage flatware, horseshoe nails, hardware, coins. She also likes to add in natural elements like pebbles and driftwood, creating one body of work with a rustic, whimsical, nature-inspired feel. Inspiration comes from the outdoors, usually along one of her outdoor walks: trees, branches, mushrooms, plants & weeds, animals, but also from buildings & architecture, simple geometric shapes that you can see in most everything if you just look.
Julie began fusing glass in 2003. Originally trained as a professional musician, Julie is accustomed to spending hours perfecting a task. It takes discipline to become an artist of any genre and transferring her passion and drive from music to glass was a natural and logical course. She knew that one day, even if that one day began in her retirement, she would be working in this medium. The combination of her creative energies and musical instincts became her greatest asset. Her pieces sing and take center stage in any environment. She is inspired by nature and her art pieces portray the beauty of Garrett County. Her creations include dichroic jewelry, designer tableware, lamps, sculpture, wall art, clocks, Christmas ornaments, mounted fused glass birds, chimes, garden stakes, suncatchers and many other small items perfect for gifts. Her passion regarding the impact of climate change on birds became her total focus three years ago. She started by making local birds that will be affected by climate change. Julie created her own technique using pate de verre (paste of glass) to create realistic glass birds. She teamed up with Caroline Blizzard, photographer, and the two of them created an exhibition entitled “For the Love of Birds”. Julie’s glass birds displayed in front of Caroline’s photographs of various environments. This exhibition will continue to evolve with works depicting climate change around the globe.