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Crock-odilian

By maggie on January 27, 2012

Do you frequently drive by a shop and say to yourself,

Man, I’ve gotta stop in there sometime,

and then keep driving and forget about the shop until the next time you drive by?

Me too.

Back in the fall, I tasked myself with making a stop at an antique store just a few miles from my house that we pass on the way to the pediatrician’s office.  I could never stop on the way to the pediatrician’s, and as we’re usually nursing freshly-had shots, an on-the-way from visit just wasn’t possible.  A stop at Old Mill Antiques was going to take some planning, but I was up to the challenge.

I talked my aunt in to coming along with me to check it out and we are both very glad that we did.  Old Mill Antiques had some really unique treasures.  While I do not consider myself a collector of antiques in the academic sense, I do like them in my house and I like poking around in a random store here and there to see what I might find.  I love just “coming across something” that speaks to me.

I found a wonderful crock that adopted me on the spot.  I was in dire need of a larger utensil crock–you know, one that has some extra space so you can push the things around to dig for your favorite spoon, spatula, etc.?  The piece that made itself known to me on this particular day was going to suit my needs exactly.  The price was right at $19 and it looks very keen on my counter to boot.

I Googled the name on the front of the crock and found a very succinct and informative write- up about the company that had produced it.  Hawthorn Pottery was made from 1899-1920 in Hawthorn, PA which is in Clarion County, almost 300 miles across the state from where we live!  The piece made it very easy for me to take on my second posting challenge from HiP–to write about a community outside of my own region.

Sometimes, I wonder about my Hawthorn crock and think about when it was made (it’s at least 92 years old), how it got to Chester County and what it was used for before I made a home for it on my granite countertop.  Was it used strictly to perform a function?  Was it just a “thing” someone didn’t want in their house, or was it at one time, treasured?  What else has been kept in this vessel?  Perhaps something, or things, better left unknown!

The juxtaposition of the old with the new is something on which I thrive.  After a very long time, I feel confident in combining things I love regardless of the their age, or from which store they came.  I loved giving this very functional piece of Hawthorn Pottery a chance to be seen not only for its usefulness, but also for its simple and enchanting form.  I love looking at it and knowing it’s now part of our homescape.

 

Maggie is a graduate of Elizabethtown College and West Chester University. She combines her life-long love of crafts with her full-time job of raising her daughter, and is up to the challenge of helping her little one appreciate the handmade good in a commercialized world. Maggie is the author of The Grey Blog, the children’s book The Big Stink!, and is the proprietor of Evolution Handmade on Etsy.


Evolution Handmade
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Posted in Buy buy baby | Tagged antique, antiques, hawthorn pottery, Old Mill Antiques, pottery, strasburg, utensil crock Leave a response

Northern Tier Community in Photos

By jennifer on January 26, 2012

For this week’s post, I’ve decided to pick up on a recent challenge to offer a photo essay of the state of craft in my town/community!  Living in the Northern Tier, I consider “my community” to be a five to six county region, so here are Facebook profile pics showing some folks in the Northern Tier.  Enjoy!

 

Firestone Forge

Northern Tier Cultural Alliance

Butternut Gallery, Montrose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steam Valley Fiber Farm

Dietrich Theatre / Wyoming Co. Cultural Center

Millers Homemade Soap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PA Route 6 Alliance

Tree Top Design & Photography

Artists Open House Weekend, Susquehanna County

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jen received her BA in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Maryland, College Park. After living and working in MD for several years, she returned home to northern Pennsylvania and began working in the nonprofit arts community. Jen is currently the Communications Director for the Bradford County Regional Arts Council, does consulting/freelance work on the side and runs her own blog.


Bradford County Regional Arts Council
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Posted in Ready Set Share | Tagged art, brick and mortar, community, craft, fiber, handmade, Home Decor, Northern Tier, PA Leave a response

Glad to be Part of the Handmade in PA Team

By mike on January 25, 2012

Painter or potter.  Woodturner or metalsmith.  Glass blower or soap maker. In the end, for one reason or another, we all find it necessary to photograph our work.  Maybe photographs are required for an application to a juried show.  Or you’re creating a new website to show off and sell your work.  Or you want to document a step-by-step process in your blog.  Regardless, whether you want to admit it or not, photography is an integral part of your business.  Some of you, I’m sure, enjoy photography almost as much as your principal artistic endeavors.  I’ve heard from many artists, however, who view photography as a necessary evil (on par with preparing and paying taxes).  Ouch!

If you’re in the latter group, take heart, because not only can I help improve your photography skills, but I might also be able to change your outlook to a more positive one.  Being artists, you already have a good creative eye.  That’s half of the battle.  But what about the technical aspects of photography?  Do you really understand how a digital camera works?  Are you baffled by your camera’s functions and settings?  Do you appreciate how lighting affects the outcome of your photos?  Do you recognize the importance of color management?  Do you know how to fully utilize the powerful features available in image editing software?  Do you have an established workflow?  Do you organize and backup your files?  You get the idea, right?  If you struggle with any of these issues (or any other practical aspects of photography), then this series will interest you.

Every two weeks, I’ll be posting tips, techniques and recommendations to help you improve your product photography skills.  I’ll also give you the background information necessary to thoroughly understand the why behind the how.  But to make this series truly successful, I need your input in the form of specific questions you would like answered, or requests for topics that you would like to see covered.  I would also like a few volunteers who are struggling with their photography to join me in occasional “Before & After” posts.  So don’t be shy — I’m counting on you to help make “The Science of Photography” a valuable asset to the Handmade in PA followers!

Mike, a Pennsylvania native, is a metallurgical engineer and an amateur photographer. A graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, he is the president of Opus Technologies LLC. Mike enjoys experimenting with various photographic techniques, evaluating (playing with) new equipment and writing about the technical aspects of photography. Discover his blog, etsy shop and online gallery.


Green Pix
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Posted in Science of Photography | Tagged images, Mike Kuznicki, Photography, Tips, tutorial 2 Responses

The Water Gallery in Lansdale, PA: Interview with Helen Mirkil

By Margaret on January 24, 2012

Water Gallery:  Elemental Crafts & Fine Art.  Lansdale, PA

 

When Stratoz and I chose to live in Lansdale 15 years ago, we were drawn to the old fashioned downtown street, and in September of 2010, there was a wonderful new addition, Water Gallery:  Elemental Crafts and Fine Art.  Water Gallery is the shared vision of artists Helen Mirkil, Aaron Wiener, and Brian Peterson, and Helen was gracious enough to let me  interview her for HiP Passions.

Helen’s painting studio is in the heart of Lansdale, and one day she noticed a space was available in her building, just the right size for a gallery.  She queried friends from a previous co-op gallery, but no one had the time to organize the gallery. Reluctantly, Helen let go of the vision of a gallery in Lansdale, but then, Connie Lezenby(a Lansdale architect), contacted her asking if she was interested in starting a gallery, because Aaron Wiener, glass artist from the Crefeld School, was looking to start one. Helen, her husband Brian, and Aaron became the three co-owners, and founders of Water Gallery, and chose to be a cooperative, where member artists pay a fee each month and give time to gallery-sit, and thereby keep 80% of work sold instead of the traditional 50%.  The founders aimed for high quality in both art and craft, for work that people will want to enjoy, purchase and collect.

After much groundwork, searching for space, and gaining the support of  Andy Szekely, Lansdale’s mayor, and maker of fine furniture and painter, as well as Ed and Sheila Letven, Water Gallery moved into the Dresher Arcade and became part of the revitalization of Lansdale.

The idea was simple: create an artist-run commercial gallery with the mind-set and mission of a non-profit space. This gallery would not only serve as a focal point for art in the suburbs, it would be an integral part of the revitalization of Lansdale, and feature professionally-oriented work of the highest caliber as well as nurture emerging voices.

Helen Mirkil wants the Water Gallery to be part of the community, and the artist members and guests are local and regional.  The esteemed art critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Victorica Donohoe, has reviewed the gallery 4 times since it opened, which is a testament to something important afoot.  Helen is thrilled with the incarnation of her original vision, and has to pinch herself to believe it is actually happening.  Water Gallery has devoted fans who are excited by each new exhibit, such as Pamela Romeo of  Romeo’s Fine Arts.  The Water Gallery is a treasure house in an unassuming building, a place to stop for the refreshment of the eye and spirit.

Your Hand.  Helen Mirkil.

Your Hand. Helen Mirkil.

 

Vatican.  Brian H. Peterson.

Vatican. Brian H. Peterson.

Robot by Aaron Wiener.   Glass Sculpture.

Robot by Aaron Wiener. Glass Sculpture.

Be sure to check out the current exhibition, I’m still here: Glass sculpture by Josh Cole, which runs January 6th-February 19th, 2012, with a reception on January 28th from noon-7:00 pm.

Josh Cole: I'm Still Here. Exhibit at the Water Gallery in Lansdale, PA

Josh Cole: I'm Still Here. Exhibit at the Water Gallery in Lansdale, PA

More about Water Artists

  • Helen Mirkil’s Hidden Stories
  • Ecstatic Landscape: Peter Kinney, Helen Mirkil and Susan Pasquarelli
  • An Interview with Andy Szekely, Part 1 and Part 2 

Previous Shows at Water Gallery:

  • Earth and Spirit:  Jewelry by Bette Conway and Pastels by Suzanne Halstead
  • Double Vision: Glass by Aaron Wiener and John Jones

Water Gallery
Dresher Arcade #5
319 W. Main St.
Lansdale, PA 19446

215-393-7180

Email: info@watergallerylansdale.com

MAP by Google Maps

As always, more photos on the HiP Passions Pinterest Board.

Margaret makes glass mosaics to catch the eye and delight the soul. She works from a one-bedroom-two-studio rowhouse in Lansdale, with her husband Wayne Stratz, and together they are Nutmeg Designs: Fine Glass Craft. Discover her blog, etsy shop and tweet @margaretalmon.


Nutmeg Designs
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Posted in Eastern PA, HiP Passions, Uncategorized | Tagged lansdale, water gallery Leave a response

Learning to Crochet in Pennsylvania

By victoria on January 23, 2012

My mother taught me how to sew in the third grade, and many thanks to her, I can really make just about anything that involves a sewing needle, sewing machine, etc. Most of my fiber art experiences have been extremely positive, including cloth dolls, toys, clothes, mobiles, costumes, puppets, curtains, flags, quilts, hats, upholstered furniture, and sew on and sew forth. I just finished making a big stuffed ball out of old sweaters for my grandson for his birthday today!

But in spite of my best efforts, all attempts have failed with crochet. Got a CD. Failed. Took a class. Failed. I’m so sick and tired of hearing people say how easy it is to crochet.  I HAVE CROCHLEXIA, but am bound and determined to overcome this learning disability.

I’ve always wanted to make one of those crochet rag rugs, so was delighted to find out about the   Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen’s Crochet Rug Class coming up in February.  It’s in Narberth, a sweet town to spend an afternoon in. I signed right up for it. Hoping for the best!  It appears to be just one stitch and you just keep on doing it, creating a long rope which you sew together! Easy! We’ll see.

Victoria O'Neill, a multiple mediums artist and owner of ArtyPantz Productions LLC has been sharing her creativity with people of all ages for years. "I love people and I love to make things. Creativity flows through me like a hose on full blast, spraying in many directions, all at once."



Arty Pantz
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Posted in Creative Blast, Uncategorized | Tagged crochet, Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen 1 Response

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