Post Archive by Year

Early in his architectural studies, Peter Petrochko was challenged to explore–to carve into a six-inch cube of redwood with a mallet, gouge, and sandpaper. He spent 35 hours carving, and 30 more hours sanding the sculpture to a fine finish. The project recalibrated Peter’s career. He changed his field of study, leaving architecture to pursue fine arts and crafts. One …

Designer, maker, teacher. Martha Collins’s passion is to weave wood, and she has been doing it for 45 years. She creates personal and unique three-dimensional works of art–jewelry, ceremonial bowls, and tableware–with exotic and domestic hardwoods and bright veneers. The natural beauty of the wood is enriched with a dyed veneer, a combination that distinguishes her work and results in …

Barbara Heinrich hopes her jewelry will not only be cherished by her customers, but that it might become a family heirloom, passed from one generation to the next. Because of this, it is no wonder that quality and durability are priorities for her. Solid, clean fabrication methods are matched with strong design. In each piece, she strives for a delicate …

With exquisite three-dimensional works of bronze and resin, Mary Pat Wallen describes herself as one of the lucky ones who gets to go to “work” and play. Art is her escape–a release of tension and concerns. She works, building layer upon layer of what the world may view as “mistakes,” but Mary Pat and her loyal base of admirers perceive …

The idea to make handbags from metal came to Wendy Stevens in 1983. The industrial materials surrounding her in New York City provided inspiration for her inner artistic potential. It was then and there that she developed the original style that would translate into accessories that are both exquisite and modern, yet durable and versatile. Several years of development and …

It was a childhood spent on a Wisconsin dairy farm that Will Wipperfurth credits for his artistic foundation. Watching his father and uncles plan and build their own projects revealed the power of foresight and hard work, and at a neighboring woodworker’s home, Will watched and learned the craft of woodworking. His first pieces were toys and treehouses, and he …

Like many potters, Barry Rhodes is inspired by the great pottery work of Japan. However, he has always felt free to pick and choose the most interesting aspects of many cultures and to re-interpret the essence of those cultures in interesting ways within his work. His graphic approach to pottery pays homage to the depth of surface found on hi-fired …

Mary Ellen Sisulak attributes the vast and endless woods for making her the artist she is today.  “There is more to nature than just what we see above the ground,” Mary Ellen states. Her art truly reflects those wise words.  Living among the pristine Wisconsin woods for over forty years, Mary Ellen is still captivated by the many mysteries the …

When spending her time outdoors (as she often does), Pat Kroth never knows when her fiber art inspiration will strike. Hiking, biking, and even snowshoeing gives her a new perspective on the world and her craft. The process of “making”—handling and manipulation of materials—is also an important element of her work, and she works and plays with fiber every day. …

During her childhood, Constance W. Collins was always attracted to patterns and colors in a different way than her peers. While other children drew a dog or house, she was creating patterns. But Constance didn’t find her colorful, pattern-filled weaving passion until years later.  On a warm fall day at Indiana University, Constance’s curiosity was piqued by a friend’s Intro …