This week, we are highlighting juried member and woodworker Ted Rasmussen. 

Ted’s work is inspired by the natural beauty found in each unique piece of wood. 

In his artist’s statement, Ted writes:

Grain, color and natural imperfections such as checks and cracks are important characteristics that can enhance the beauty of the wood in it’s most honest state.

Ted’s fantastic pieces are available for sale at In the Kitchen!  Opening Friday, September 3.

Do you want to win two tickets to our craft on July 31 to August 1 in Wilmington?

Of course you do, so tell us your favorite Guild potter (view our full list of potters). Your comment also enters you into a drawing for some spending money at the show – a $50 gift certificate. Extra points for those who share this giveaway with friends and family.

Here are some of the 30 clay artists you’ll find…

^Jennifer Bernhard Hatfield, Frederick Maryland – Booth #341

^Mary Coover, Ashfield PA – Booth #112

^Ryan Greenheck, Philadelphia PA – Booth #511

^Tom Laudenslager, Coopersburg PA – Booth #101

^Royce Yoder/Potter, Lederach PA – Booth #352

^Saenger Porcelain, Newark DE – Booth #346

^Angela Shope, Lancaster PA – Booth #312

What if you win the $50 gift certificate? We’ll hold it for you at the will call desk. Want to stack the odds? Buy advance tickets to the show and enter to win that way as well. Good luck.

I am so excited to bring you this weeks Member Monday–Sara Meadows!  Sara of Kennett Square, PA is a ceramic artist who has created her own unique cast of characters. 

Her sculptures are so whimsical and fun.  I delight in her vibrant and liberal use of contemporary color and texture.  So does my entire family!  When my Dad  saw her work, he immediatly bought several pieces.  He keeps the cat he bought in an antique birdhouse in his garden. 

Sara has a very special talent for creating art that people want to touch and hold and play with. 

For more information, check out Sara’s website!

Peter Saenger, of Newark, DE, is a potter who will be showing at our upcoming Fine Craft Fair in Wilmington, DE on July 31 & August 1. The lines of his pottery are moving yet clean. The embrace between one element and another is explained by his obsession with puzzles. Here’s in his own words:

I am a puzzler; puzzles have a power over me. I am intrigued to discover the solutions. It is like meeting someone new and getting to know them piece by piece. Designing objects and creating innovative processes is solving intricate puzzles.

I have expanded the collection from the earlier black and white, opaque-glazed pieces, by developing a new translucent porcelain body and colorful glazes. I am exploring new directions, finding new ways to handle porcelain and pigment. The experimenting with new clays and colors is also leading into lively new directions with my black and white work.

image by Robert Glebe

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen wants to send a congratulations to  our newly juried members! 

image by Peter Saenger

Joan Dunham
Karen Warner Hammock
Louise Hutchings
Roberta Little
Kachina Martin
Michael Pyle
Jeff Runz
Peter Saenger
Linda Schwartz
Mary Stoudt
Duane Wendling
Tammy Wilkinson
Deborah Gilbert
Robert Glebe
Christine Goldbeck
Chris Hornaman
Carol Rothermel
Susan Schulz
Marty Silverman
Janice Sonnen

image by Marty Silverman

Art Shoemaker, of Lancaster is a very talented woodcarver.  His pieces range from a single lone cat to a 12 scene nativity story with 25 different pieces.  His carvings are so beautiful, full of the whimsy and colorful character that lives in a fictional life.  When you look at one of his pieces, you imagine where the character came from and what his story is.  The first piece I remember seeing was at the Guild’s Handmade Holiday store.  It was of a clown, holding three colorful balloons.  It was so delicate and lovely but all I wanted to do was play with it.  His work has that effect on you. 

This piece is a carving of a young boy on a rocking horse in the 1930s.  I just love how he has created so many details.  I notice more everytime I look at it. 

On his website, he talks about his goal to:

reflect a distinct humor and realism with intricate detail.

In this, he is so successful.  Every tiny detail of his work is treated with importance.  Nary even a shoelace is ignored.  Art has created a style that makes pieces that you want to be around because they are fun and lively, but you also want to keep forever because of their beauty. 

Bev Zimmerman, of Lancaster, is an incredibly talented potter.  Her work is inspired by nature, often involving impressions from leaves, seeds or twigs and sometimes incorporating words or phrases.  I like her work for many reasons, one of which is that it reminds me to notice my world.  To look a little closer, to take a breath, to try to notice the beauty that Beverly does. 

On her website, Bev says:

“I hope to convey an honest simplicity in my work”

From her choice of inspiration to her organic forms and soft color palette, her work evokes a peaceful simplicity the is both comforting and beautiful. 

If you like her work as much as I do, come see it in person at our Guild Store!  252 N. Prince St.  Lancaster, PA 17603

Jupi Das, of Camp Hill is a juried paper cutting (or scherenschnitte) artist.  Her beautiful pieces are hand cut out of a single piece of paper and then mounted 3-dimensionally.  Often, she will even hand paint sections to highlight particularly important areas.  The art of paper cutting can be traced back many years through many different cultures.  On her website, Jupi talks about how her work is influenced by the folk cutting traditions of the Chinese, Japanese, German and Swiss.

Jupi creates as much for others as she does herself.  On her website, she says:

“I create, so that the energy and enthusiasm that I put into each piece will bring as much joy to people as the process of creating them brings joy into my life”

We have decided to start a new weekly blog post about frequently asked questions.  I will start with a few I get a lot but if any of you readers have questions, please post comments with them or email me, at jenny.pacrafts.org, I would love to address them.

One thing I have gotten asked quite often: Are the crafts shows the Guild puts on for juried members only?

No.  While our shows are juried, we do not require that members go through the state jurying process to apply for our craft fairs.   Any applicant does have to go through a show selection process and is required to be a member of the Guild.  But juried status is not required to apply.  However, juried members do receive a bonus point during selection that can improve their score, but the bonus point is hardly enough to guarantee entry.

Eric Weit, of Akron, is an award-winning rag rug weaver.  He’s recently set up a shop online on Etsy and its worth checking out.  Plus he just passed along a few rugs to show in our gallery shop until April.

Eric’s approach to weaving is “it is like a puzzle using recycled materials and trying to put them together using the colors of the material that I find and coming up with a new pattern for the warp.”

His Grandmother said something to him a long time ago which he uses as his inspiration and motto, “The secret to a happy life is to keep your hands busy”.