MAGGY YOUNG

"Most of my photography continues to be centered on nature, particularly the little things that often go unnoticed. But I try not to ignore the 'big picture,' so I have been doing some scenic photography, as well. Some day, I might get around to displaying my 'people pictures,' but not quite yet."

MARTHA OHLIGER

"I have painted for nearly my whole life, taking classes whenever the opportunity came along. A few years back, noticing that there were so many exceptional landscape painters around, I turned to still-lifes. But I still try to sneak a little landscape into them. Some of my best paintings have come around because of entering art shows that have themes. It started with a painting of china dogs that I did to submit to an animal show. I like the challenge of using my still-life format to give a unique take on the theme."

JIM FOOTE

"I have been painting all of my adult life and then some. Acrylic and oils, mostly. My latest adventure has been exploring the color, patterns, and textures of a single tree this autumn. Trees may have been my first painting subject and I am happy to return there. Working within a theme, 5 paintings large and small from different perspectives have emerger, and I have found a great connection. I hope you will see what I mean and enjoy it as much as I do."

CARL NEWTON

"Ray Bradbury once said that, 'Life is trying things to see if they work.' Well, this past year, I'm been trying things. First, I have added a couple of new products to my line of Shaker inspired bentwood items. While I still work mostly with cherry, maple, and walnut, I have also been consciously trying to capture more and more of the unusual wood grain variation found in nature, sometimes with unexpected results. Most recently, I have tried dabbling with the use of marquetry as an added design element for some of my box lids. Boy, time sure does fly when you're having fun! To celebrate what has been a fun year for me, I have decided to reduce all of my items for sale at AIR by 10%, beginning at the reception on December 2nd and extending through the end of the month."

LARRY LANGLOIS & BARB LANGEVIN

 

"We have bought and sold antiques for years. Larry has used his skills and imagination to create items from recycled vintage pieces that are unique. Always looking for new ideas, we came upon using vintage silverware first for candleholders. One piece led to another, to where we are now....Our venture into 'Upscale Silvertiques,' our line of gifts and jewelry, has been very rewarding. With this being the height of craft show season, we still try to design new pieces to compliment our buyer's favorites.

NANCY JACOBUS

 

"I have been painting on silk for the past 8 years using wax as a resist and water based silk paints. I love the vivid colors and uncontrolled flow of the paint on silk. I am inspired by strong colors, dancing lines, lots of movement and simple designs and shapes. I recently took a workshop using different resists, no resists, and steam set dyes. I am in the process of trying different mounting techniques and painting different types of silk scarves. I also started a card business from my art images 4 years ago.

I am passionate about nature and outdoor activities which has led me to photography. Whether I am kayaking, walking, or biking-- I carry a camera. I use these images for my silk paintings. We now have all of our family animals on our walls: Our family cat, 'Max,' our dranddogs 'Best Friends,' (of Gabe and Muppet), 'Regan' and 'Reggie.' Last year I started taking photos of dragonflies and butterflies, and I have a series of Heron and Turtle photos. I am also passionate about Purple and use it as often as I can! Paintings of Dancing Women have been my trademark. My art career started when I designed T-shirts for Women Helping Battered Women. These paintings represent my hope that all women feel free enough to 'get up and dance.'"

SHARON FISKE

Sharon Fiske has been a local resident for more than twenty years and her interest in painting began when she moved to the area. She paints primarily in oils, but also enjoys acrylic and watercolors. She enjoys painting all subject matter, but has a passion for history that extends into her art. Sharon's favorite subjects are Primitive Portraits, Theorems, and Reverse Stained Glass painting, which dates back to the 1700's. Sharon describes herself as someone with a bright eye who loves her palette to include vivid colors.

LONGINA SMOLINSKI

 "Painting in the abstract allows me to have spontaneous moments of escape to a place where there are seemingly no rules. I use bright colors. I experiment -- mixing paint until it is a thick paste, working with layers of color and paint, mixing it with wax, and then applying it to canvas, wood, or sculptures. When making paintings, I look for questions, I reflect upon my current emotion or I simply become lost in the comfort of the colors I am painting."

TINKA MARTEL

 "Everything I see in my world filters into my work as an artist: landscapes, clouds, the composition of my stone walls, arrangements of special items on a shelf. I work with several media--wood, paper, canvas. I also use many recycled and found objects. Mostly I enjoy working with the small scale collage, especially playing with copper leaf and ink. My large scale works are often three dimensional, and my medium varies. In the past, I have incorporated bold colors, using lots of black to define my shapes. Now I gravitate to layers of soft, muted colors blending painting until the right color arrives."

HARALD AKSDAL

 "In recent work, I have been continuing to develop my technique of super-saturating the paper and applying multiple washes of color (usually 15-20) to create depth of light and color in the background. I am also experimenting with different ways to apply and then remove watercolor to create the subject matter. The inkwork, too, is being developed-- I recently discovered 'Rotring,' a new pen system from Germany-- by far the best ink pen I have ever used. These techniques and improved tools really help to keep the artistry and excitement alive, and keep me motivated to continue exploring our landscape."

KITTEN ELLISON

 "My creative muse is in limbo, so I have been experimenting a little with jewelry. May work or not. Always a challenge when you have no fresh ideas, or have them and cannot work out the mechanics. I am sure all artists go through this at times when you want to fling everything across the studio, so I crave your indulgence when you view the new items. Roll on a new year."

LYNA LOU NORDTSROM

 "Santa Fe is a magical place! I just spent time there at Making Art Safely, taking 3 workshops in printmaking. In the third workshop, Catherine Kernan challenged us to push beyond our boundaries and you will see the results in the prints I show. The colors of Echo Canyon, imagery from a special collection of junk a man had, and the textures of bark and cacti all influence what happens in these prints. Sometimes you will recognize an image, at other times, you will just see the gesture or a shape that is the clue to what is being said."

DAVID JUAIRE

 "I have been interested in photography for over 30 years and am self taught; sorry, no degrees or time for any college for me. I can't explain why I keep working at it, maybe it's a calling. I was just just born to do it, like a farmer, doctor, writer, and so on. I continue to look, frame, and shoot. The photo you see below was taken in Fairfield."

SUSAN DELEAR

 "I have been working with clay for 30-something years. My pottery is earthenware, thrown, and hand-built; glazed and decorated including mugs and practical everyday items, as well as goblet drums and traditional southern ugly-face jugs, I enjoy exploring the endless possibilities that clay offers. I try to translate my life experiences through my work."

JAN BROSKY

"Fashion fads seem to come and go, but forunately for me, knit scarves are always 'in' for those of us who live in New England! While knitting needles and yarn are now available in a myriad of materials, colors, and fibers, one thing remains the same...the technique of knitting taught to me by my grandmother 40 years ago. Whether it is the basic garter stitch or the more complicated feather and fan stitch, I am reminded of her every time I create another one-of-a-kind scarf. In the past year, I have found myself experimenting with several of the hundreds of stitched created by our ancestors so many years ago. Encouraged by my grand-daughter, Zoe, I have also expanded my inventory to include hand-knit berets and slouchy hats."



NATALIE LAROCQUE

 "I appreciate the inspiration and spiritual beauty of Vermont's land and skies and everything in between. I love Vermont; it's my home. One of my favorite images was taken 2 miles from my home, the title clearly stated in its expressive genuine visual intensity, incredible to believe how fortunate I was to see what looked like the 'Foothills of Heaven.' How could I not be compelled to acknowledge such incredible beauty in each living thing we share our lives in and with. I feel fortunate that I am able to stop, for at least that one moment and see what is there, waiting to be seen. In my gratitude, I am compelled not only to capture the images, but to share them through renderings of images as paintings and photographic prints."

MICHAEL FITZGERALD

Mike has been woodturning only two years now since he fully retired from a nine-to-five life, but already his work is of high quality. He has been experimenting with various woods, including spalted maple (shown here). Other favorite woods include black cherry, black walnut, butternut, and sugar maple. Bowls from these various Vermont woods are currently on display in the AIR Gallery. Letting no moss grow underfoot, Mike is currently taking advanced classes in woodturning from former gallery woodturning veteran, Nick Rosato, and expects to have a new line of bowls on display for the holiday season.

KRISTAN DOOLAN

 "I have lived in Northern Vermont for nearly all of my life and find it an incredibly beautiful place to live. As a farmer and mother of challenging and ever-growing children, I cherish the little time I have to paint every day. I am appreciating all that surrounds me. I spend a lot of time caring for animals, watching them is part of my job, so I find them great subjects for painting and drawing. I love the potential of watercolor. In my work, I try to let the paint maintain its vibrancy and life as I work to protray the beauty of Vermont.

JO ANNE WAZNY

"Water is life. It's what makes this place unique. Water nourishes. It heals; it cleanses. It has power and majesty, yet there is nothing so gentle as a drop of dew. Water also dances and plays. I love to watch the relationship of water and light, whether it is reflections, rainbows, mist or frozen crystals. When I pick up my camera, I get to join in the quiet game, to be part of the timeless dance. For a split second all else disappears and it is just the light, the water, and me. What more could one ask?"

PAM VOSS

"With the addition of two adorable kittens, my home is now graced with four cats. It is these animals that have become the inspiration for my latest work as an artist. For years, I have dabbled in all different media from painting, printmaking, book-making, photography and multi-media. My preference is to work 3-dimensionally in clay, and most recently, I have been experimenting wth bending and twisting text-board. Previous work as a fiber artist has led to the integration of textures and color to these sculptures."

BETH MCADAMS

"Lately, I've been focusing on simplification-- trying to break down complicated structures into simple shapes, using a simple palette of the three primary colors, concentrating on just one form: one rose, one boat, etc. However, I continue to find changing the style of painting stimulating and usually follow a tight, detailed painting with one that is freer where the paint controls where I go rather than the other way around. Lately, I've been experimenting with painting on my iPad, not as a replacement for traditional media, but as another way to express ones' self. I find it freeing and a lot of fun. And it has the advantage of being able to be printed inexpensively."

BARBARA CALGROVE

"My life here as an artist in Northern Vermont is guided by the natural cycle of the seasons. Now being summer, I'm in the flow. Long days and nights in the pottery studio-- my refuge for creativity and happiness. Time to throw lots of pots and challenge myself with mending form/design with function. I love to try new ways of embellishing the surfaces of my work, whether it be antique lace rolled in clay or a eucalyptus button on the base of a mug's handle. Never-ending possibilities with this medium which comes from Mother Earth. I try to achieve balance in my life, with working part-time in a local school, my family, and my home-studio. Art helps to fulfill my life-- it allows me to connect with my inner soul and those around me. My handmade pottery will hopefully be held and enjoyed by others for many years to come. I plan on working and playing in clay for a very long time."

WAYNE TARR

 Wayne Tarr is a long-time Franklin County photographer who specializes in portraiture. For over 20 years Wayne has competed in print competitions at the state, regional and national levels, and this is primarily where his body of work for the A.I.R. Gallery comes from. For this featured month, Wayne is displaying one of his favorite subjects for competition prints, dancers. To start, he will display digital images of a single dancer, but as the month progresses, he will add silver gelatin prints created in his darkroom while continuing the dance theme. The return to his darkroom this winter is rewarding for Wayne as he continues to learn and refine this traditional craft.

Phone: 802-524-3800

Email: wayne@waynetarr.com

Website: www.waynetarr.com

FRANK TIRALLA

 Frank Tiralla is retired and now resides in Franklin, Vermont with his wife Priscilla. Nowadays, his time is spent fishing on Lake Carmi, bird hunting with their dogs Patches and Maggie, and devoting more time to his passion for art. Frank custom frames the majority of his artwork using local hard and soft woods. Current art work includes a 34x24 inch oil on canvas of two Quebec Labrador Caribou. He is also working on an oil-on-canvas of a mountain caribou. And last but not least, the grizzly bear!

ANDREW AND SUSAN WOOTEN

 Andrew and Susan Wooten have recently been experimenting with dye applications that don't necessarily require tying. These include direct application of dye with squirt bottles, eye-droppers, paintbrushes and basically any other way they can think of applying dye to fabric. As you might imagine, working with new processes has resulted in some successes and some failures. One combination that has been really popular is camoflauge-- maybe because we have so many hunters here in the Enosburg area?! The Wootens are still learning the techniques for tying Mandalas, Stars and other figure-oriented designs. They'll keep you posted...