Meet Our Artisans

I have been making baskets since 1992 and enjoy making baskets in all styles. I am a member of North Carolina Basket Association, Tri-States Basket Association, the Cave House and have worked with William King Arts Center making reproduction of a 19th century feather basket for their cultural heritage project.

A local artist who showcases flowers and landscapes from the region and through travel. Patrons have said it is a way to keep nature alive on paper with paints.

My watercolors are landscapes, still life, and portraits. Beach scenes and mountainscapes are my focus right now.

Folk musician, artist and writer of poetry.

I have been carving for 51 years. I started carving when I was a boy scout. My family has always been in wood working, blacksmithing and stone masonry going back to the 1500s. I sell my carvings through the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC, The Moses Cone Gallery and Holston Mountain Artisans in Abingdon, Va. Each time I create an animal I want to do it in a different pose so I can learn more about its anatomy and how it moves. I try to portray animals and people as realistically as I can.

Wayne began creating one-of-a-kind wood carvings and walking sticks in November, 2003, after moving to his home atop Big Walker Mountain in Bland County, VA. A self-taught artist, he is now creating chainsaw carvings, as well as his traditional carvings.

Special pieces or projects may be commissioned by contacting Wayne directly.

My inspiration and vision comes from the inner and outer beauty of the simple view of life. My work goes beyond physical likeness to paint personality, spirit and faith. Painting and photography are my first loves; however, I have begun to work with a multimedia process, incorporating technology and digital art.

I consider myself to be a potter. Making pottery that will find a place in someone’s home and be used is my goal, sometimes a lofty goal. Because of this, I strive for clean, comfortable and well-crafted pots. I am interested in how and why utilitarian pottery has a place in present-day society.

I use the wheel as my first tool. After a basic form is thrown, I seek to make my pots active through pushing, darting, trimming and carving. The surfaces of my pots are often decorated with patterns that come from Chinese influences; others from quilt blocks and grids, and some from old needlepoint patterns that belonged to my grandmother.

My color pallet tends to be bright, the colors of candy I enjoyed as a kid and continue to take pleasure in today. I want my work to have a light and lively feeling. Therefore, the clay I use is a grolleg porcelain that I fire to cone 10 (2350°F) in a gas kiln. This clay provides a very white canvas that gives vibrancy to my glazes and decoration. With each pot and kiln load, the choices I make in color, form and decoration come together to form a body of work that continues to create new challenges, questions and solutions.

Michael Dees has been weaving and caning chairs for over 15 years. His interest in art and handcrafts began when he was quite young, and he cites many family members as influences. His son is also an artist. Michael will be occasionally teaching at the newly established Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in downtown Galax, VA. He considers his work to be traditional and his other interests include woodworking, crochet and just about anything to do with art and sculpture.

Since retiring from a career in photography, I have become fascinated by the infinite variety of patterns and colors hidden inside pieces of wood.

The functional pottery I am currently making is fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln. The food safe glazes are mixed individually in my studio and the colors reflect what I see outside, the greens in the grass, purple and red clover, and the blue of the sky. My work is light and playful yet durable for every day use.

Origami jewelry, pendants, earrings and pins.

Designs are original.

I've been quilting off and on for most of my adult life. My mother taught me to sew when I was seven, and I remember stories about my great-grandmother piecing quilt tops entirely by hand. I usually begin with a traditional pattern, made with bright, clear colors, and I enjoy the process of hand quilting, although it does make for slow work. I've also learned to weave on a counter-balance floor loom and have been making table runners and placemats, as well as traditional rag rugs.

Paintings reflecting the countryside of Virginia.

All of my jewelry is hand made using the highest quality beads and findings available. My bead work involves a variety of techniques that include bead weaving, stringing, wire wrapping and knotting. I love to use glass seed beads but I also use crystals, pearls, gemstones and whatever else catches my eye.

My work is high temperature salt-fired stoneware and porcelain. Most of the work is functional. At present my goal is to integrate pottery form with its surface decoration using geometric oriented designs. Whether intended for the kitchen, the table or the mantel, it is my hope that the pots will enrich the user's life.

I was given a camera at the age of five and immediately began taking pictures. I like to capture scenes for others to enjoy and also do something that I love. I have a profound love for nature and the rustic theme...mills, old barns, and farm scenes. I take photographs of scenes or objects that catch my eye. I take many different photos of the same scene or object, some from different angles to catch a different perspective. From those many photos, I choose the best one.

I got hooked on glass as a medium three years ago after taking my first jewelry class. I love doing things that use a kiln, it is always like Christmas when you open them up. At least three layers of hand cut glass are carefully designed and placed in a kiln. It is then fired to 1500 degrees, slowly cooled to anneal properly, then reshaped if necessary and fire polished. I am finding glass a fascinating medium especially the dichroic, I always look for something new that someone will enjoy.