Thursday, January 8, 2009

KITTEN ELLISON

Kitten Ellison was born in England, and currently divides her time between Richford, Vt and Bermuda, where she has a business and is part of a co-operative Market situated in a historic building in the Royal Navy Dockyard. 
A keen gardener and active conservationist, Kitten has taught Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) for 35 years--a chance remark from a student asking if she would like to learn the art of Sumie started her towards her present business venture. 
Sumie is the art of painting in black ink on rice paper and was developed from the brush strokes of calligraphy. Each stroke is meaningful and with this discipline you should be able to paint with one stroke a petal, or with two a leaf, and a stem or the trunk of a tree can be conveyed with three or four, leaving the rest up to the viewers imagination. Kitten found a Japanese teacher in Montreal who taught her for five years as a private student. 
"She taught me everything I know and a lot that I have forgotten and I am eternally grateful--Thank you, Minaku." From her lessons, Kitten mastered the technique of color loading your brush and working with your whole arm as opposed to just your fingers and wrist. 
Landscapes and minimalist looks at nature are Kitten's specialty. She transfers her designs onto rice paper, clothing, hats, totes, glassware, and china. "Each time I paint on a new surface a different challenge arises as to how my style will be effected and how successful a new paint is and whether it will satisfy my standards."
Kitten's knowledge of plants and flowers stems from her early years in England, forty years in the subtropics of Bermuda, and the last 23 years having the joy of living in Vermont where the immense range of colors in the changing seasons brings her enormous satisfaction and inspiration. 
Kitten welcomes and enjoys the challenge of special design orders and commissions, so please feel free to contact her with special requests. 


Hibiscus Tea Serving Set

Hibiscus Tall Tea Pot

Coffee Serving Set


Candlesticks



BARBARA COLGROVE

Barbara Colgrove's life has always revolved around the visual arts. From the time she was a child, she knew her path was one of creative expression. Through art, she has learned to communicate with the world in a personal and expressive way. It has been a continual journey of self-discovery as her work has evolved and changed with time. Over the years, Barbara has explored many mediums with and emphasis on decorative patterns and designs. Most of her adult life, she has focused on working in clay. "The magic of creating an object of beauty, to hold and perhaps use, never ceases to amaze me. Pottery making is a process, and it's connection with the earth and its rhythmic cycles guides me in my every day living as an artist." The natural beauty of Vermont has been a constant source of inspiration for Barbara, as well as multicultural symbolism and the students she teaches. 
Barbara was raised in New York suburbs, and her background and training included attending Marlboro College, CCV, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston where she received her BFA, and pottery making in Northern California. For the past 20 years, Barbara has lived with her family in their hand made house/studio in Enosburg Falls. "Art is autobiographical in terms of sharing our hearts and souls with each other."


REBECCA WRIGHT

Rebecca is a native Vermonter and currently lives in Enosburg Falls, VT. She has been teaching elementary and middle school art for the past 12 years. For as long as she can remember, she has always loved the process of creating. Her art practices include drawing, painting, card-making, paper-mache, jewelry, and mosaic works. Her works reflect "where ever [her] art spirit takes [her]."