Archive for May, 2011

Melissa is a quiet, studious and fiercely determined artist, who has grown into a fine naturalist painter. As an animal lover, she imbues her subjects with personality, making even the fiercest of creatures accessible and irresistible. Whether small or large scale, most of Melissa’s pieces are painted with the smallest of brushes, with care given to every corner of the canvas. As well as natural species, Melissa is fond of Disney, as well as characters from favorite T.V. shows such as Little House on the Prairie.

Caroline hails from California, a fact she’ll be happy to remind you of on any frigid gray day in January. More often than not she can be found painting ‘blocks’ (small 3”x3” pieces of wood) with several coats of acrylic paint. Painted thickly but often leaving a ‘window’ of another color in the center, her works are open to interpretation and visually addictive; often viewers find themselves putting several together, creating their own family of blocks. Another favorite theme is that of a tree or flower, perhaps visiting memories of California.

Emma is a passionate watercolorist who paints from memories, fantasies, and life. Her delicate compositions are imbued with a sense of another world, one that is more quiet, peaceful, and cast in a golden light. Yet her work is not sentimental, but rather is a wonderful reflection of the gentle way that she walks through her day. She is a focused and dedicated artist who weighs carefully how she spends her time. When not painting, Emma finds time to embroider, knit, and work with ceramics.

Margaret is a great appreciator and interpreter of the life around her: from animals to dolls, Margaret observes and brings a spark to the subjects she interprets through drawings, paintings and her embroideries. She has an infectious energy which comes through her work as she eagerly explores and delights in different media. Text often permeates her graphic work and invites the viewer to imagine along with her a more fantastical version of everyday life.

Earl is a master in both wood and fiber arts, as well as in the art of kindness. His monumental rugs and wall hangings reflect years of dedication to the craft as well as a delicate eye for color. As he will tell you, he dreams the colors at night and then comes and weaves those colors the next day. Earl could take apart and put together a four harness floor loom with his eyes closed, and would respond ”why not?” if asked to do it. When he is not weaving, or helping other weavers with problems on their looms, Earl can be found constructing unique furniture and sculpture in the wood shop. Earl is as humble as he is skilled and can often be heard starting a conversation with ”I was thinking…” as he humbly shows one of the Spindleworks staff a better way of doing something.

Nancy’s colorful wraps and paintings directly reflect her contagious enthusiasm and joie de vivre. She will show you that she has difficulty using one of her hands and then proudly display how easily she weaves nonetheless. Nancy’s paintings vibrate with the same energy that she herself exudes. Trees, animals and other creatures seem to wriggle on the page with excitement. Her palette is as sunny as her disposition and one only need to visit with her a short while to understand how foolish the word ”disability” is.

Though Jeannette is of French Canadian descent, her artwork reflects her meticulous recording of the passing of time by way of American holidays. Colors are ‘St. patrick green’, or ‘christmas red’. Jeannette enjoys making pictures marking the passing holidays, abiding to the prescribed ‘thanksgiving brown’, or ‘halloween orange’. When not bound by the calendar, she is loyal to her most favorite color, pink, which runs through most of her woodwork, scarves, and a series of handsewn wedding dresses.