Artist's Stories describing their inspiration and process

Meet the Talented Artists and Artisans represented by Creating Quiet Spaces

One Hundred Horses - Ruth Apter

I like to collect things from nature: bones and skulls, shells and rocks, fossils and driftwood, tree fungus and giant barnacles, feathers and mosses. You can imagine what my house looks like.

Living on the Olympic Peninsula is a daily adventure in itself. I am fortunate to live in a place where bald eagles, herons and ravens fly over my house and the water is always only moments away. I am happiest on the days that I am doing the final raku firing of the pieces I make. It is pure magic to watch the colors and designs come to life while being manipulated by heat, wind, smoke and water.

On a recent windy day during a raku firing, the sawdust was blazing away as it stuck to the sides of each pottery animal as it was taken from the reduction barrel to be quenched in water. As the pieces cooled I could see the amazing colors and patterns the flames had created on the glazed surface of each animal. That is the magic of Raku!

For more information see Ruth's website: www.onehundredhorses.com

Sofia Christine Icon Art

Icon art is the product of a creative act inspired by spiritual connection. Most people cannot help but feel moved by the experience of the divine mystery and beauty which icons offer.

Drawn by the transformative blend of spirit and art, I began making icons as a personal response to a move with my family to a provincial town in the Netherlands. I studied briefly with Dutch iconographer Simon Koopman, then began studying archetypal imagery and ancient symbolism to express my own interpretation of icons.

My family moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2002, where I continue to develop my icon collection as images on copper, focusing on my deep appreciation of their transformative potential. I am dedicated to bringing these archetypal energies back into the world as a healing source.

See Sofia's website: www.sofiachristine.com

Rolling Raven Studio - Sarah Fitch

At age seven, I began my professional art career in the Key West Art Gallery, selling handkerchiefs I painted with animals. It was great fun imagining what it would be like to be an animal... a lion on the African veldt or a wild horse galloping around the plains.

I was enchanted by the poems my mother read to me - William Blake's "The Tyger" - and intrigued by the pictures of exotic places in National Geographic Magazine. Even toy animals fascinated me. Large sculptures held me spellbound as I would circle them to view every angle. All this was the stuff of which I make my work. My passion for art has been constant throughout out my lifetime.

I am grateful to my early mentor, the wonderful gentle soul and renowned ceramist Mary Grabill of the Sign of the Sandpiper Pottery Studio. She taught me how to hand roll tiles when I was a young Coconut Grove, Florida street urchin who spent afternoons in her shop.

My passion for academia has been sporadic. My father would often bemoan the fact that I didn't go to art school. Instead, I went to Michigan State University and graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. From there I moved to Oregon and found employment shoveling horse manure. A discussion with my father regarding the career limitations of manure shoveling led to a degree in Nursing in 1983.

I am now a full-time artist. Several years ago, with the help of friends, I built a studio of straw bales and so that I could devote more time to my creative self and my growing tile and sculpture business. My art gives me a thrill when I feel a form come alive in the clay. Working with clay still gives me the same lively feeling I had as a child galloping as freely as a wild horse. My work may be seen at Gallery 9 in Port Townsend, Washington and in fine galleries and gift shops across the United States.

See Sarah's website: www.rollingravenstudio.com

Gibson Artworks - Jill Gibson

During my six years of living and studying in Florence, Italy, I fell in love with the traditional Mediterranean garden as an environment for displaying works of fine art. When I returned to the states, I wanted to bring back some of that sensibility to my own garden and then share it with my friends. The resulting artworks were so well received and in such demand that a business sprang up overnight.

My Gibson Artworks Collection is an original, contemporary line of cast stone sculpture I've developed for the home and garden. This line includes wall plaques, planters, bowls, tiles, sculptures and fountains. My signature goes on these works only after I feel I have created a tranquil image to compliment the natural grace of your home and garden. All works are individually cast, sealed, and hand finished with a patina, which renders each a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of lasting value.

Drawing from a diverse background in photography, music, painting, and sculpture, I continue to work in various mediums at my studio in Oakland, California. My developing style is influenced by my affection for Classical Indian sculpture and pre-Indo European imagery. I believe, through creative design and fine workmanship, cast stone can be raised to a level equal to that of the other decorative arts.

See Jill's website: www.gibsonarts.com

Allan Bruce Zee Fine Art Photography

“My earliest memory goes back to when I was just 18 months old. I remember my brother lifting me up to our living room window to see a magnificent rainbow over Lake Michigan. I believe that at that moment, I was imprinted with a passion for color. In my photographic work over the years, I have enjoyed the challenge of finding "completed canvases" hidden within our day-to-day experience. Typically, we are bombarded by a multitude of color. I find that I am attracted to simpler color palettes. As a result, many of my images have a more painterly than photographic feel.

I try to accentuate the emotional impact of color and a simplicity of composition to invite the viewer to attend to deeper layers of meaning in the photograph. My goal is to "liberate" rather than "capture" the moment. “

Allan Bruce Zee has been exploring the art of photography since 1969. Now living in Portland, Oregon, Allan was born in Chicago, Illinois, where his first artwork was exhibited at the age of 12 at the Art Institute of Chicago.

After graduating from college, he purchased a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm camera to take with him to Europe. It is the camera he still uses for all of his photographs. Returning to the States with his 3x5 snapshots, he was given his first show at a gallery in Philadelphia where he was attending medical school. Leaving medical school to pursue a career as a psychotherapist, he continued to exhibit his photographs in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. In 1974, he left the mental health field to devote full time to his career as a fine art photographer. Since that time, his prints have been shown in galleries and exhibit spaces in 14 cities nationwide and are included in numerous private, public and corporate collections around the world.

Allan has been featured in PhotoMedia's issue on fine art photography and Foto & Video, published in Moscow, Russia. His images are included in Human Nature: The Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon.

He has taught photography workshops and/or been guest instructor for Center of the Eye, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts and the Portland Art Museum School.

See Allan's website: www.allanbrucezee.com

PamPaena

PamPeana is a Fair Trade member who is committed to promote green products and practice fair trade principles. We pride ourselves in developing strong and everlasting partnerships with our customers. All the wood products are hand made using sustainable forest wood without the use of paint or stain. The wood from the trees has the peculiarity of being naturally scented. Our fused glass designs are based on the four elements (water, fire, air, earth)."

We focus in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries. Our strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade. Every time you purchase products from us, you become a Fair Trade supported and an ambassador of if believes of equality.

He has two retail shops near Portland including a Gallery of handmade arts on NE Alberta Street in Portland.

Pampeana is an organization that supports standards for international labor, environmentalism and social policy.

See PamPaena's website: http://www.pampeana.net

Tenth and Grant - Austin and Laura Whipple, Ian Lynam

Tenth & Grant Much like an artisan guild, Tenth and Grant aspires to elevate the level of craft in the paper goods industry. Merging creative designs with high production values, we produce artisan goods for everyday use. Each element is nurtured to create beautiful and functional items that are affordable, sustainable and hand crafted. We collaborate with a wide variety of talented designers and illustrators to produce notebooks, notecards, coaster sets and more. Each piece is printed with love and care at Pinball Publishing, our Portland, Oregon-based print shop.

Austin Whipple is a print enthusiast and co-founder of Pinball Publishing, a portland based creative print shop.

Laura Whipple is a fan of the botanical and boldly patterned. She is co-founder of Pinball Publishing, a creative printing and publishing company.

Ian Lynam is a designer, artist and writer living in Tokyo. His work and writing have been featured in This American Life, Font, CMYK, and a number of other graphic design publications and books. He exhibits regularly.

See Tenth and Grant's website: www.tenthandgrant.com

Raku Art - William K. Turner

I'm William K. Turner and I have produced raku fired ceramics for over 20 years. My work has sold throughout the United States through my company, Raku Art Inc.. After many years of Showrooms in High Point, NC and several large markets I scaled back in 2000 to spend more time with my family. I joined wholesalecrafts.com in November on 2006 to begin selling my work to galleries again. I produce 30 to 45 pieces a week and look forward to making raku art for you.

I started Raku Art almost 20 years ago, but I still get an adrenalin rush every time I reach into a red hot kiln to pull a piece of raku art out. That rush of excitement has never gone away and it is only matched by putting the piece into the reduction chamber to start the fire which creates the beautiful colors on my work. The anticipation grows as I wait an hour for the piece to cool and get a glimpse of the beauty I have created. Taking the finished piece from the reduction chamber and seeing all the colors on my raku is the reward of a days work.

The majority of my work is slip cast from unique molds. I feel the piece (or shape) is the canvas for my raku which is painted by fire. Repeating the shape keeps consistency in my line of raku.

I have over 120 shapes and sculptural pieces, that are finished in several unique Copper Matte techniques. I am a Master at getting both light and dark colors in my raku from my one specially formulated Copper Matte glaze.

See William K. Turner's website: www.raku-art.com

Infinity Glass - Brian Gingras and Melissa Bernier

Originally started as Brian Gingras Hot Glass in 2002, the name was changed to Infinity Glass in 2007 when Melissa Bernier became co-owner and partner. Infinity Glass produces hand blown glassware made entirely in the US at their studio located in Leominster, MA.

Brian Gingras started working with hot glass in 1998 in Sterling MA as the owner of Sterling Art Glass. Brian moved on from Sterling in 2000 and for several years blew glass at studios throughout New England before settling into his custom built studio in Leominster MA. He now shares this studio with his partner Melissa Bernier.

Melissa Bernier has always had a fascination with glass since she was a little girl. She has been around glassblowing all of her life. Her father was a lamp worker for Homer Hoyt in Colorado as a glass sculpture artist and then started his own company after that. She likes to use colors to create unique objects that would fit into many home decor. Through a unique perspective and vision, Melissa brings new direction to glass and the various styles that Infinity Glass produces.

Together they work to create one of a kind works of art, decorative sculptural glass, functional glass objects and ornamental glass. Work created by Brian and Melissa can be seen at galleries, gift shops and specialty stores throughout the United States.

See the Infinity Glass website: www.tranquilityglass.com

J. Davis Studio - John Davis

Living in far west Texas has had a profound effect on John Davis' pottery. The rugged beauty and history of the Big Bend region helped inspire John's raku line. Inspiration comes from both the mountainous beauty, and the rich history associated with the area.

The raku firing process originated in Japan, but the rustic look creates the essence of an ancient civilization, like an artifact unearthed from a primitive Indian camp ground around the Rio Grande riverbed.

People connect with our raku spirit rattles on a purely emotional level. The feel of the smooth rattle in the palm of your hand is relaxing, and the gentle sound produced when shaken is soothing.

See John's website: www.jdavisstudio.com

Raquel's Mosaics - Raquel Stanek

My work is made of both stained glass and Italian glass, I hand cut each piece. I have made mosaics since 1997 and sold mosaics since 1999, I love what I do and have a passion for the perfection and precision of each piece.

See Raquel's website: www.pondballs.com

Creekmore Durham - Sara Creekmore and David Durham

Since 1991 Sara Creekmore and David Durham have been creating beautiful art glass in a converted 100-year-old adobe building on their ranch near Magdalena, New Mexico.

Primarily self-taught, Sara creates magic with glass. When David joined up with Sara he left the world of applied physics. With a specialty in thin film deposition he too turned his scientific expertise to creating beautiful, innovative art glass.

Together Sara and David bring an exciting new approach to contemporary art glass not only making beautiful art together, but by weathering life's challenge and creating a space for themselves where they can thrive.

Please enjoy this bit of serenity from the high desert. We have designed our luminescent pools of glass to bring the dancing motion of air, fire, water and dreams from our sanctuary to yours.

Touching this beautiful handcrafted art glass will awaken the tumbling, twirling, floating confluence of a pool. Get lost in the depths. Feel the lightness. Very special glass for a very special person.

Windy Mesa Pottery - Mary Holmes

Clay is my passion, my life. Working with clay gives me the desire to find and create meaning for life.
We all know the one sure thing in life, we all eventually die. Unlike us, clay has a certain permanence, which allows the creation of wonderful things that will out live all of us.

Each pot conveys a quiet beauty of the ever changing earth; the swirling patterns that are created by this firing process. The fire is magical and frightening at the same time. I create a canvas of a well formed smooth pot for the fire and smoke to leave its magic, spirit and beauty. My hope is to evoke deep emotion in the viewer - peak their interest – feel what I feel creating each piece and the excitement of opening the kiln - finding the many beautiful pots that makes all the work worth while.

Horse hair pottery is created by applying layers of ultra refined clay, called terra sigillata, to the surface of a pot then polishing that surface by hand until satin smooth. Once dry the pot is fired to 1700 degrees, cooled slightly, then pulled HOT (1000 degrees)from the kiln and horse hair and feathers are applied. The horse hair and feathers carbonize into the white surface creating beautiful abstract patterns.

Once cooled the pot is cleaned and sealed with wax, which also brings up the satin sheen.

Bears come with hang tags with creative process on one side and a legend of the bear on the other. The legend or story really gives the piece a personality.

See Mary's website: www.windymesapottery.com

Paperglory - Gloria Jost

Gloria Jost’s artistic gifts bring spirituality of the heart and mind into the world of the senses, transforming meditation and prayer into song and beautiful craft.

Gloria has long desired to help others along their spiritual paths. Inspired by time spent in the Taizé Community in France and work with labyrinth meditation, Gloria incorporates both contemplative prayer and rich singing to her teaching and ministry. She is author of Hearts Extended, Scripture Readings and Intercessions for the Church Year with Sung Responses, a resource for worship and prayer.

Gloria’s passion for matters of the soul continues with Paperglory™, bringing together art, spirituality, and personal reflection into handcrafted books. Immediately beautiful to the eye and pleasing to the touch, each handcrafted book contains timeless words that inspire the soul. These distinctive books overlay quotes, images and prayers onto palates of richly colored and textured paper, creating unique and imaginative gifts. Gloria’s hope is for these wise reflections to become a warm presence in the lives of others, inspiring and empowering people on their own life journeys.

See Gloria's website: www.paperglory.com

Windsparrow Studio - Jenny Grout

Flags for garden & home are inspired by my flower garden and slow walks in the woods with my toddler. All images are my original designs, hand carved by me in the wee hours of the night while my dear family sleeps, and individually block block-printed in black fade-proof ink on 100% cotton fabrics.

These flags look beautiful adorning a garden gate, laced through a stand of bamboo, or gently blowing along a backyard fence. They look equally lovely inside; hanging in doorways, above the kitchen window, in children’s play spaces, over the bathtub... Great for celebrations and special events. Flags left outside will naturally change with the elements. Variation in printing and fabric color is natural to the process and part of the beauty. All measurements are approximate.

Vilmain, Inc - Judy Vilmain

Judy Vilmain was well along the path her life had taken when she began to realize she was on the wrong path. After much contemplation, she left her position as a university professor teaching experimental psychology in the Midwest, and headed for the east coast to live near the ocean. The about-face wasn’t so she could follow her heart, but rather her hands. Growing up in Iowa, the love of decorative arts was woven into Judy Vilmain’s nature. “I come from a long line of women who make things,” she says. “My mother, grandmother and great grandmother all excelled in handiwork - embroidery, knitting, crocheting, quiltmaking, weaving, tatting and lacemaking. My mother’s gift to me was the love of working with my hands. And today, I’m still compelled by it. “My father was a physicist, so from him, I get my love of science. He gave me my appreciation for geometry and nature, which are so much a part of my designs. His approach to life was simple, rational, direct and kind.”

So can a girl from Iowa find happiness using her head, her hands and her heart? With a smile, she sums up the 180-degree turn her life tookover a decade ago. “Now, my former profession is my hobby, and my former hobby is my profession.”

See the Vilmain website: www.vilmain.com

Copper Crane Pottery - Joel Sampson

Clay and water are inseparable elements in my life. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of playing in the spring-fed creek on our farm. Digging clay from the banks and rolling coils and balls, I knew early on that my life and clay were intertwined.

As an avid trout fisherman, the challenge of pursuing a fish comes secondary to the allure of water. Coming upon large pools with gem-like quality, the interplay of riffles with sunlight, and the mystery of the spring, this is my quarry.

Mechanically, spinning things has always held a fascination for me. Whether it is coins, cats, or clay, I love to spin things. Hence, the wheel.

The Fluidity of clay as it is being spun on the wheel enlivens it. The subsequent drying and firing of the clay tends to deaden it. Rebirth of the clay occurs with an application of glaze and even more so with the addition of water, as a fountain or container. Like so many other things, this process comes full circle. I will never tire of this. For me to create fountains and flower vessels are a natural extension of my passions.

Joel creates wheel-thrown fountains and Ikebana containers in the Root River Valley of Southeastern Minnesota. Copper Crane Pottery was established there in 1992.

Millar Studio - Jim Millar

Jim Millar was born and raised in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. He was an art major in high school and college, then went on to graduate work in sculpture at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Jim worked as an Art Instructor for the Detroit and Petoskey, Michigan school systems from 1964 through 1969. While in graduate school, he worked as a Clay Modeler in the Styling Division at General Motors in Warren, Michigan. Since 1969, Jim has been a full time sculptor.

Each piece starts as an idea on paper. The design is then transferred to a three dimensional state in order to develop the patterns that are needed to produce the desired effect. Once the patterns are perfected, they are traced onto a 3' x 8' sheet of commercial bronze. After the individual pieces are cut and sanded, they are hammered over various anvils or into hollowed tree stumps to create the desired form.

Every part of his creations start out flat; even the tubing is rolled by hand. The forming is all done free hand; there are no dies that are used, nor is there any mechanization. Once all the various parts are formed, the composition is then assembled and welded together. The piece then goes into an acid bath to clean off all of the fire scale and flux from the welding process. Each design is then checked for leaks before being "colored".

The coloring process is done with heat from a torch and copper nitrate. The patina is applied to highlight certain areas of the design that need to be brought to life. The colors range from verdigris to various hues of browns and bronzes, as well as some pastel tones, purples, reds and blues. A number of factors affect the outcome of the coloring process: how hot the torch is, the humidity, the strength of the copper nitrate solution, etc. In other words, it's always an adventure when the coloring process begins.

Once the piece is colored, it is washed and then waxed with a paste wax to fix the finish. The fountain is then buffed to add a shine. The pump is then installed, the fountain is filled with water and it is tested. The tiers are adjusted so that the pouring action is under control to avoid splash and overflow. Jim signs and dates each piece. Then it is packed and shipped to the awaiting customer.

There are only 2 employees, besides Jim and his wife Beth, working in the shop. The production schedule allows them to create approximately 100 pieces per year. Some designs demand as much as 45 hours, start to finish. Each piece is created one at a time. Nothing is mass produced and nothing is stocked. Everything is made to order.

The studio is located on the Millar's property of 64 acres in the mountains of western North Carolina. The business employs local people who have been taught this craft over the last 19 years. They pride themselves on creating beautiful and functional works of art that are designed to bring years of pleasure. The Millars stand behind each piece and guarantee satisfaction along with the craftsmanship.

Alise Sheehan

Sparks seem to ignite when I engage with nature and they bloom into life as I craft my artwork. Precious Metal Clay, the primary medium I use, enables me to apply my skills and passion for sculpture. After many years of mostly drawing and painting, jewelry making (not currently on CQS website, but see link below) has become the primary expression for my creative spirit.

I have been involved in the arts since I was very young and was influenced greatly by eight older brothers and sisters, many of whom were artists and musicians and my mother, who is also an artist. My father owned a steel construction company, which I feel is also an influence on my choosing to work with metals. I attended Academy of Art College in San Francisco and was also involved in the fashion industry for many years.

Cynthia Webb Designs - Cynthia Webb

Cynthia Webb is a California artist specializing in handcrafted fine pewter whose work has been internationally recognized for its warm, evocative style and enduring themes of faith, family, and spirit.

Formally trained in architecture, Cynthia began creating original work in jewelry classes in London. She opened Cynthia Webb Designs in San Diego in 1992. For more than a decade, her work has been showcased in galleries, gift catalogues, and handcrafted gift shows, including The Beckman Show in Chicago, The Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia, and the International Gift Fairs in New York and Atlanta.

In addition to her commercial success, her work has been recognized as a unique vehicle for emphasizing positive messages of peace and unity. Her work was recently selected to be presented as a gift to Dr. Wangari Maathai of Kenya, an environmentalist and advocate of sustainable development who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2004.

Her designs range from simple hearts to complex angels and miniature landscapes, and all begin with her original sketches. She then carves each design in jeweler’s wax and signs and titles the original. A mold is made from the wax original, allowing duplicate pieces to be created. Each piece is hand-finished, oxidized and polished, and a thin lacquer coating is applied. She takes as much care with the back of the design as she does the front, etching into it intricate details that reflect the design on the front of the piece as well as the title of each creation.

“I’m inspired through the creation of what I call art that also tugs at the heart,” she says. “I hope my work serves to commemorate that special person or occasion or place in our lives, that gets us closer in touch with what’s truly important and is a source of quiet joy for those who give it as a gift, receive it, or simply bring it into their homes.”

O'Neill Glass Art - Patricia C. O'Neill

Born in Paris, the art capital of Europe, where the romantic idea of bohemian artistic lifestyle is inextricably bound with the way of life, descended from a grandfather that was a glassblower, a grandmother lace maker and a father photographer, she inherited the love of working with her hands to create beautiful things.

As she grew up, all she was longing was to express herself as an artist. But the need for an immediate income pushed her into the corporate world where she started a career in Computer Technology.

In 1998, she left France to move to the United States and married her American fiancé. At the time, she took a leap of faith and had no idea that she was also on her path to realize her childhood dream.

Shortly after settling down in Phoenix, Arizona, O’Neill stumbled upon a store who was proposing classes in stained glass. After exploring several aspects of glass working, she found herself passionate with the kiln-formed glass process.

Patricia Christine O’Neill has made her childhood dream come true. She is living the life she always wanted and she enjoys every second of it. To own her glass work is to own a part of her passion for life and her exceptional drive to be the best she can be. Each and every time she opens the lid of her kiln, she knows that this work is her calling in life.

“From as far as I remember, I have had a strong attraction for the metaphysical world as well as lost and ancient civilizations. I practice Tai Chi, collect quartz crystals and study Feng Shui as a hobby. Everything related to energy flow, healing, balance and harmony is a great source of inspiration for me.
I would describe my work as a combination of elements of nature, anthropology, archeology, symbolism and spirituality. 
I firmly believe that having a beautiful and harmonious home makes us happier and I cater to people who enjoy surrounding themselves with beautiful objects with a soul.”

See Patricia's blog at www.patriciaoneill.com