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Marlene Barrett

Paints/Pastels/Photography Artist 
I reside in Tontogany, Ohio  where I create all my artwork. I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio where I am a self taught artist, except for classes I took in high school. In the year 2002 I started offering my artwork to the public, and created my business called Mostly Animal Art. I joined the Toledo Artist Club and won a couple of ribbons my first two years. As you will notice, animals are the preferred subject manner of my work, as that is where my passion lies.I am an artist of all animals, pets, wildlife, mammals, reptiles, insects.....etc.
They all are precious to our world, and I have always enjoyed all their distinct differences.
My motto is, "If it crawls, swims, flies, hops, or walks, I will paint it."

I try to use my art and photography to raise awareness of the needs of our pets and wildlife! I have also used my art to help raise funding for local rescues, and no-kill shelters, as well as some pre-selected rescues in other states.
My art medium of choice is acrylic paints, soft pastels, & rubber stamp design. I previously created a limited line of hand painted original ceramic plates. I'm no longer offering any new works in this medium, as the disability in my hands will no longer allow it.
At my family’s constant suggestion, pet portrait commissions are now another great enjoyment of mine, but again I am limited to only a couple a year 'at most', due to my hands. 

Visit my website: http://www.mostlyanimalart.com  I am hoping to update it soon, so all my works will be available for viewing and things will be more organized and viewer friendly.

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Acrylic Wash Painting by Marlene Barrett

Pete Robinson

Ceramic Artist

Pete Robinson has been a Maumee, Ohio resident since 1967 and graduated from the Toledo School of Design in 1976. He is currently working in terra cotta and stoneware and is in the process of building a new studio. His works have been in galleries across the US, including the Toledo Museum of Art.

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White Stoneware and Terra Cotta Vessel by Pete Robinson

B. Jack Harbaugh

Painter and Woodcarver

Jack Harbaugh is a retired Civil- Structural Engineer. Over the years he also worked as a Partner at Sanzenbacher, Miller & Brigham and as an Associate at SSOE in Toledo.

Jack does wood carvings by hand. Subject matter for carvings include Birds and Golfers. Jack hopes these pieces will appeal to Bird lovers and people who enjoy the sport of golf.

He also enjoys painting with acrylic paints. In the course of his lifetime Jack designed over 400 bridges in the states of Ohio and Michigan. Therefore bridges are a frequent subject matter for his paintings.

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Painting by Jack Harbaugh

Jan Seipel

Fabric Design

Jan Seipel began her professional career in 1968 when she purchased the Old Canal General Store at 20 North High St. in Waterville, remodeled it, and founded The Emporium, a women’s clothing store.   She then became an Interior Decorator with the purchase of Riverton Interiors in which she is still active. During this period with the help of her husband, she was instrumental in transforming the Principal Business Enterprises factory on Farnsworth Rd. into the Peddlers’ Alley Mall where she established Woodhouse Clothier, a men’s and ladies’ clothing store along with other shops which included a bath shop, shoe store a gift shop and a breakfast/lunch café called the Alley café. Since her “semi-retirement” she has devoted much of her time (when she is not with her grandchildren) into knitting, painting and designing jewelry. All of Jan’s designs are made with love.

She has lived in the Waterville area with her husband, Ferd, since 1963, has three children and 8 grandchildren.

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Hand-knitted Scarf by Jan Seipel

Julia MacLachlan

Calico Metals

Jewelry Artist

Born in England, Julia’s exploration of all that glitters started at an early age.  Fascinated by the substances around her, she studied materials science and metallurgy at Cambridge University where she learned the fundamental building blocks of both her career and her craft.

Nowadays as a Toledo resident, her day job as materials engineer involves researching and testing the key components of automotive glazing, but outside the laboratory she is able to use her skills to explore the creative potential of materials.  Most of her jewelry is created outside the laboratory she is able to use her skills to explore the creative potential of materials.  Most of her jewelry is created in sterling silver, with elements of gold and copper.  Intermingled with the metals is a mix of gemstones and high quality crystals in a range of simple and more complex designs.  Her work is sold in galleries and at art fairs, and in addition, she has designed and fabricated several privately commissioned pieces.

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Earrings by Julia MacLachlan

Kate Argow

Jewelry Artist

Living well is an art.  The art form that I have chosen to help me live more fully and creatively is jewelry.  I create a large variety of jewelry types:  key rings; purse straps; belts; mug markers; earrings; watches; bracelets; pins; and necklaces.  My prices range from three dollars to hundreds of dollars.  Silver, semi-precious stones, glass, clay , vintage brass, vintage dress pieces, and vintage watches are all used in my work.  One unusual line that I have developed is called The Time of Your Life.  Vintage watches that do not work are used in the pieces and are meant to be set to significant times in one’s life: birth of baby; graduation; marriage; first job; etc.  My art gives me joy.  I hope it does the same for you.

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Necklace by Kate Argow

Mark Luebke

Found Object Sculptor

Mark Luebke, of Oak Harbor, Ohio, was born and raised on a dairy farm where his father taught him to weld.  He is currently working as a welder/fabricator for a material handling outfit.

Mark uses a welded sculpture process to create whimsical metal art. He says, “I see ordinary objects in a junk pile that remind me of something else and the creative process just continues from there.”

Mark tries to use as many recycled parts as he can when creating his art objects. He cares about our environment and wants to keep his art as “green” as possible.

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Sculpture by Mark Luebke

Mary Heilmann

Crocheted art

Mary has lived in Whitehouse/Waterville area her entire life.  She is married to Paul and they have 9 children, 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.   Needless to say she stays very busy with family and community functions.

Mary selects name brand yarns that are colorful and interesting for her work. The interior structures are made from matching cotton fabrics.  Handles and closures vary. 

She has been crocheting since her mother taught her the craft over 60 years ago.  She enjoys the idea of a craft that brings a calming feeling.  She has crocheted gifts for friends, family, community fund raisers and the needy.  It brings her great pleasure to create something for someone else.

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Purse by Mary Heilmann

Sue Osborn

Glass artist

Sue Osborn is a retired registered nurse and vaccine sales representative.  She now creates beautiful items from glass both through the fusing and slumping process as well as stain glass.  Sue shares that no two items she creates are ever alike.  She has her own kiln and uses dichroic and other fusable glass to design her own creations.  Sue is willing to make anything to order that a customer wants.

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Fused Glass Pendant by Sue Osborn

Ruth M. Summers

Collage Artist

Through art history classes in college, and visiting art museums, I have been influenced by the work of many artists including surrealist Rene Magritte and collage artists such as Robert Rauschenberg. However, my first art influences came form my parents, neither of whom considered themselves artists.

My mother made crazy quilts and rag rugs and never threw away a scrap of anything. My father, a shoemaker by trade, could have been described as an environmentalist with a sense of humor. He was always crafting something. He polished stones, which he found in his organic garden, and sold them as “Home Grown Rocks”. He also sold jewelry he had fashioned from deer “droppings” because he wanted to make a statement about Michigan’s vanishing deer herd.

In creating some of my own art work, I hope that I have retained my mother’s strong sense of pattern and color, my father’s sense of humor and both of my parents’ willingness to use any and every type of material available.

While combining various techniques and media, my intent is to stay somewhere between reality and fantasy and to create artwork that lets each onlooker be reminded of something pleasant in his or her own life.

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Collage by Ruth Summers

Nancy Leugers

Painter

Nancy worked as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency/Trauma department and retired in 2003. She began painting in 2001 at the age of 63 and has taken many classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. She was encouraged by a friend to take up painting.

Nancy works primarily in oil on canvas. She has also done some watercolor painting. She prefers to paint directly on the canvas rather than sketch much first.

She is a member of the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo Artists’ Club. She has traveled to Italy for art instruction at La Romita School of Art.

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Painting by Nancy Leugers

Jill Towery/Salmagundi

Jill began the Salmagundi company by using upholstery samples and “short ends”, which are the leftovers from a piece of furniture, to create one-of-a-kind handbags and throws. Because there are only small pieces in “short ends”, each bag or throw will be unique. The pieces are completed by experienced sewers and upholsterers.

Jill was born and raised in Marion, Ohio. She is married with three sons and two dogs. She used to be a bank executive for Bank of America, but her passion for art led her to begin creating the Salmagundi line.

Jill lives in a part of the country that has a rich heritage in both furniture and textile manufacturing. Although most of these companies have moved their operations overseas, primarily to Asia, South America and Mexico, a few still remain in this area.

 

You can view more of the Salmagundi line at: www.salmagundinc.com

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Messenger Bag by Jill Towery/Salmagundi

Sally Thompson

Painter

A self taught artist residing in Toledo, Ohio, I have been painting since 1994. I enjoy working in various mediums with diversified subject matter and alternative perspectives. For years I considered myself an oil painter, but my passion for exotic papers and love of drawing has changed that description of my work. It has changed considerably over the years with each stage contributing to the way I work today.

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Painting by Sally Thompson

Éclat by

Sylvi Harwin

Sylvi Harwin grew up multi-lingually between Europe and the USA. Her art education was just as international: she studied in Italy and the USA for her Masters, then took workshops addressing her particular interests in Mexico, France and the USA. She started making jewelry and mobiles when she was in high school and developed such a following that a gallery in Cleveland became her first retail outlet. She took a workshop on anodizing aluminum in 1982. This technique was so versatile and well suited to her love of vibrant color and big bold shapes, that she began experimenting with it and developed her own techniques. She has adapted an industrial technique to suit her artistic vision. After hand cutting, filing, finishing and polishing each piece, the work is given a caustic bath, then suspended from the anode in an acid bath. The electrical voltage it is subjected to and the duration dictate the intensity and hue of color. She then dyes each piece and finally seals the color, thus making it permanent. Living on a small farm in Southern California, she has converted her garage into a studio and also spends part of the year working out of her studio in France. She wants her work to be a celebration of live and impart joy. Her personality is mirrored in the very playfulness of the work; her artistic sensibility is evidenced in her very sophisticated designs and her unique sense of color; her professionalism is displayed in the impeccable quality of each piece.

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Bracelet by Sylvi Harwin/eclat

Sarah Voltz

Jewelry Designer

Sarah Voltz, a Perrysburg, Ohio native, is a designer out of necessity. She says “I can tell when I haven’t had time to be in the studio for a while. My mind just doesn’t clear the way it should.”  She uses beading and wire work time in the studio to let out all of those pent up ideas.

“I remember as a girl looking at the tiny collections of pretty stones and shells that I had gathered, and they would give me a feeling like I was brimming with anticipation to create with them. My beads give me that same feeling as a grown up. My inspirations and creations come from the beads and findings that are shouting the loudest from the bins that day.” She doesn’t think that she has an actual style, “I just enjoy creating pieces in different styles to suit my many moods.”

Sarah’s studio is actually part of her kitchen so she can spend as much time with her two kids and loving husband as possible. She does admit that as bothersome as it is having little fingers swiping her tools off the desk she loves being able to have the kids with her as she works. Sarah plans to go back to school for jewelry design as the kids get old enough to start school.

See more of Sarah's work at www.SarahVoltzDesigns.com.

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Bracelet by Sarah Voltz

Joyce Donahue

Ceramic Artist

The easiest way to explain why I create pottery is to acknowledge that from my earliest memories I have been a maker of all types of things. I have always enjoyed the process of creating. Along the way I have learned to love what I make & make what I love. My love of gardening led to finding a true sense of comfort & serenity whenever I have my hands surrounded by the warm rich humus of the earth. It is no wonder that after dabbling in photography & following several years of watercolor, pastel & drawing classes, I found myself in ceramic classes at the 577 Foundation.

I left a career as a R.N. Medical-Legal Consultant to pursue my ceramic studies & became a full time studio ceramic artist. I have no formal art degree, but have attended numerous workshops & seminars, including summer sessions at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Tennessee, studying clay techniques, theory & design. The making of something that is beautiful, functional & desirable, while using the elements of the earth, has enhanced my sense of worth as a maker and as a human being.

I have exhibited my pottery since 2000 and became a member of the Toledo Potter’s Guild in October 2001. My pottery is exhibited & sold at the Toledo Museum shop, Kismet, The American Gallery and Silver Lining Gallery. You will see me at the occasional area art fair or farmer’s market. My hope is that you will receive as much pleasure from owning my pottery as I have from making it.

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Raku Vessel by Joyce Donahue

Mary Ellen Taylor
Ceramic Artist

I hold a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Toledo and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Bowling Green State University. I began as a painter, drawer, and collage artist but about ten years ago I turned to ceramics after taking clay workshops and classes, mainly at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Recently I retired from Springfield Local Schools in Holland, Ohio where I was and elementary art specialist. I now devote my entire time to clay production.

I work primarily in clay and produce tiles, platters, bowls, mirrors, trays, key and pencil boxes and wall sculptures. I also design and make tile tables, kitchen island counter and bathroom tile installations. Texture, pattern, architectural shapes, and color are the design elements I employ. Making clay stamps and pressing these designs in soft clay is a process I love, with additional hand-building and textural techniques. Rich red terracotta clay with low fire glazes are my main materials. I enjoy all the stages of ceramic production: designing, making (hand-building), bisque firing, glazing, and final firing.

I create small objects with rich textures, repeat patterns and colorful glazed surfaces. My clay pieces celebrate a love of nature (leaves, fish, birds, animals, sun, moon, stars). I also like to incorporate interesting found object shapes into my stamped designs: keys, old jewelry pieces, wire, abstract shapes and repeat patterns. Experimenting with new designs, glazes, and ceramic forms leads me on a path of continual discovery.

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Ceramic Wallhanging by Mary Ellen Taylor

Kent Snyder
Metalsmithing/Jewelry Artist

I was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1948, the middle child of two other brothers. My mother had a strong background in art, mostly watercolor, which she was very good at. When Christmas would roll around there would most always be art supplies under the tree and she always encouraged me.

I attended Toledo Public Schools grade school and in the 6th grade a painting I did in art class was exchanged with another student’s art from our sister city, Toledo, Spain. This started the ball rolling and I attended classes on Saturday mornings at the Toledo Museum of Art. In high school I started out with a general art class. The next three years I studied painting and commercial art.

In 1969 duty called and I spent two years in the US Army. I married my high school sweetheart the same year and we are still together after all these years. We have two children. In 1971 I started working for Champion Spark Plug Co. and learned a lot about metal working there.

Always interested in shooting and history, in 1984 I built my first replica flintlock rifle. Most of these early rifles were engraved and that led me to the art of engraving. I work with hammer & chisel and sometimes a bit of push engraving. I found out jewelry is easier to sell than rifles, so I started engraving bracelets etc. and put my metal working background to good use. My wife suggested I use stones in some pieces and I took her advice. I use the highest quality materials in all my work.

I’m proud to able to display my work at Silver Lining Gallery exclusively.

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Bracelet by Kent Snyder

Natalie Johnson

Quilling Artist

I find quilling to be a creative outlet for the passion I have for craftwork. Each of my items has its’ own individual characteristics with no two alike. It is truly a labor of love for me since most pieces take at least 12 hours to complete. My choice of qilling is that of a dear friend who worked in a 2-D and 3-D format for many years before “passing the torch” to me. It is my hope that you will enjoy your item(s) I have created for years to come, and appreciate that they are created from strips of paper…and love. Natalie lives in the Toledo suburb of Waterville with her husband Fred, dog Mia and cat KC.

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Quilled Paper Nativity Scene by Natalie Johnson

Norma Thomas-Herr

Watercolor Artist

Wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, watercolor artist Norma Thomas-Herr balances a full-time art career with family needs. Working daily in her studio in Wauseon, Ohio, Norma produces only original watercolors of old barns, old houses, covered bridges, lighthouses, trees, rivers and landscapes.

Norma’s subjects are mostly from Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. She and husband Michael drive the back roads looking for interesting subjects. Norma composes while shooting many rolls of film full of her favorite subjects for studio work.

A member of the Northwest Ohio Watercolor Society, Toledo, Ohio, Norma belongs to The Toledo Artists’ Club at the Toledo Botanical Garden which offer monthly juried gallery shows.

Norma’s work may be seen at Kismet Home & Art, 123 Louisiana Street, Perrysburg, OH, Angelwood Gallery & Studio, Grand Rapids, OH, Main Street Art & Glass, 327 Main Street, Delta, OH and Silver Lining Gallery, 122 Mechanic Street, Waterville, OH.

Art studies began with night-school classes in Toledo Public Schools in 1963, private classes with Toledo artists and Michigan Watercolor Artist, Thomas Thiery at Sienna Heights College, Adrian, MI.

Norma graduated in 1981 with a BFA from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan receiving her degree, with honors.

ARTIST STATEMENT: Painting in watercolor is a very demanding process. An artist has to know how the painting will look when finished before any paint hits the paper. It’s a very satisfying medium in which to work. It will take me many more years to conquer this medium.

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Watercolor Painting by Norma Thomas Herr

Amy Dilday

Ceramic Artist

Amy Dilday is a Sylvania, Ohio native who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and Print-making from the University of Toledo where she served as Studio Assistant in the Ceramics Department. She currently teaches ceramic classes at the Toledo Museum of Art in their youth program. 

Amy’s medium features translucent porcelain slip casting with incised surface and/or under glazed decoration.  She uses high fire oxidation glazes.

Amy explains:

My work is cast in plaster molds that I create.  The castings are meant to be as thin as possible (eggshell casting).  This makes the piece very fragile to work on.  I am always trying to cast thinner or put more holes in my piece to create a “lace” effect.  Once the pieces are glaze fired to 2300 degrees, they are very hard and durable.  They can be used for decoration, candles, pencil holders or food items.  They are top shelf dishwasher safe.  Each piece is unique. 

Amy has a website with her sister, Jennifer (www.dogdayz.net) where they create jewelry of all dog breeds.

 

 

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Ceramic candleholder by Amy Dilday

Jennifer Dilday

Ceramic Artist

Jennifer Dilday is a Sylvania, Ohio native who has worked in Customer Service at at Johnson’s Fine Furniture and served a floral designer at Churchill’s Flower Shop.  She is currently employed at a local dentist's office.

She works with low fire clay and glaze to create handmade figurines, usually animals, either as ornaments or standing figures.  Each piece is glazed with three coats and kiln fired.

Jennifer shares:

I started making dog figurines out of Sculpey which I still do create (www.dogdayz.net).  My sister, Amy, teaches ceramics at the Toledo Museum of Art and she taught me how to use clay.  If I have a photo, I can make just about any animal.  When Amy and I were kids, we collected bone china animals – mostly dogs.  Now I make them!

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Ceramic Birds by Jennifer Dilday

Steve Krill

Photographer

A Bryan, Ohio area resident and former teacher, I did my undergraduate studies at Defiance College.  Subsequently, I received a Masters of Education from the University of St. Francis and most recently graduated from the New York Institute of Photography.

I began with film photography in 2004 and switched to digital photography and imaging in 2007.  I find that the digital format allows me to experiment more freely.  I have a particular interest in close-up photography, still-life, and abstracts.

Photography is not only a form of artistic expression, but it causes me to look at the world differently.

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Photograph by Steve Krill

Jan Wilcox

Glass Artist

Past – Tibetan Buddhist student, meditator, teacher for 30 years around the western world; organic farmer; wetland and pond designer; Shiatsu therapist; stress management instructor with University of Penn

Present – Self-taught glass artist living in the Catskill Mountains of New York

Future – Unknown – with aspirations that these pieces will delight and enlighten your world

These pieces are handmade fused glass and all one of a kind.  Each piece is composed of stained glass and dichroic glass (the shiny glass).  I cut and arrange the glass and fire it in a kiln at 1500 degrees.  It melts and fuses together.  Most pieces are of at least three layers of glass.  The pocket vases can be hang on the window or wall with a suction cup or push pin.  They can hold water and fresh or dried flowers.

Dichroic Glass is a multi-layered coated glass borrowed from the optics industry.  To create the coated glass Quartz Crystal, Titanium, Zirconium and other metals oxides are vaporized with an electron beam gun in an airless vacuum chamber.  The vapor floats upward, attaches and condenses on the surface of the glass in the form of a crystalline structure.  Colors have as many as 30 layers of these materials yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 35 millionths of an inch.  The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color.  These two colors shift depending on the angle of the view giving the opalescent effect.

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Fused Glass Wallhanging by Jan Wilcox

Linda Sattler

Glass Collage Artist

A local artist of Toledo, Ohio, Linda enjoys photography, clay, painting and a multi-media approach to many of her projects.  The focus of creating with color and dimension has led her to fusing glass.  She likes the variety of “glass collages’ that can be manipulated by the media and firing schedules, creating unique pieces.  Her jewelry and framed art have many cultural influences.  Artist and educator, traveler and student, she and her husband have hosted 29 foreign exchange sons and daughters.

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Fused Glass Pendant by Linda Sattler

Pamela James Corwin

Acrylic and Watercolor Artist

Northwest Artist Pamela Corwin creates clocks, magnets and alarm clocks from original and whimsical painting in her studio in Olympia, Washington.  Pamela works in acrylics and watercolors, sometimes adding elements of collage to her work.  She has been in business for 25 years and her work has been featured on several national television shows as well as in magazines such as House Beautiful and Seventeen.  In 1996 Pamela was commissioned to paint an egg for the Whitehouse Easter tree.

Pamela states:

For as long as I can remember I have painted, sketched and made things out of anything on hand.  As a child, I drew on rocks, napkins, my jewelry boxes, and painted on the lamp and clock next to my bed (much to my mother’s dismay, I am sure).  Art has always been the way I lose myself, calm myself, it is meditative for me.  It comes more from a drive than a desire.  I don’t know how not to do it.  It’s as much what keeps me alive as food and oxygen.  I lean towards bright, deep, jewel tones and try to make each painting reflect a playful spirit and the infatuation I have for color.

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Clock by Pamela James Corwin

Tom Durnford

Watercolor Artist

Tom Durnford, a resident of Sylvania, Ohio, is a watercolor artist, graphics designer and print publisher.  His work has received top honors and awards around the region and the country.  He is a member of the Monday Morning Painters, a casual group of dedicated, professional artists who meet every Monday for breakfast then paint together, each using a favorite medium such as watercolor, acrylic, oil or pastels.  He is also a member of the Toledo Artists’ Club, the Northwestern Ohio Watercolor Society and a life-signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society.

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Watercolor Painting by Tom Durnford

Earlene McNeil Larson

Handmade Paper Artist

I am a crazy Dakota girl by heart and by birth. My life is devoted to creating, aren’t I lucky!

Handmade paper has been my main medium for over 27 years, which I make out of old corduroy pants. Frameable notecards, books, wallpieces and luminaries are what I execute out of this versatile paper.

Getting inspiration from surroundings, such as the prairie, buffalo, flowers and people, I many times add whimsical overtones and words.

A daughter, a son and two cool grandsons are at the top of my best creations, and usually aren’t for sale.

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Handmade Card by Earlene McNeil Larson

Steve Shaffer

Glass Blower

I grew up with a love of art at an early age starting with my mother feeding my creativity with Saturday morning trips down to the Toledo Museum of Art for drawing classes. In high school this continued as I took about every art course in the curriculum such as drafting, ceramics, printmaking, wood shop, crafts and watercolors and earning a Best of Show award at the annual art competition with a ceramic sculptural piece.

Our family often took vacations that included stops at the Blenko Glass factory in Milton, West Virginia. I would buy my stained glass material there and watch the glass blowers work effortlessly producing hand blown objects. I would admire the almost seamless teamwork between the “stick up boy” the “gatherer” or the “finisher”. At the time it seemed like glass blowing was far out of my reach. I was fascinated watching glass being shaped and moved about like putty into bright colored vessels with so little effort.

In 1997 I was introduced to hot glass by a colleague and quickly became hooked. I in turn went through the same coursework as my friend at the Toledo Museum of Art. After taking all the glass courses instructed by Leonard Marty at the museum I began independent study of glass for a few more years. It became increasingly harder to find time for glass while holding a job that required travel, sometimes for months. Eventually hanging up the roadwork as a field engineer and settling down for a local municipal electric company, I now have the time to enjoy my deep passion for hot glass.

Often my pieces will have a particular style such as pulling threads or using certain coloring. After several sessions I will change my style completely and begin a new concept because I enjoy variety. Too often artists will get stuck in a mode making the same type of piece over and over again and their work can often be spotted because of this. I change techniques or styles often blowing thick and grinding for optics and then making thin walled bowls a week later. This often sets my work apart from others and makes it difficult to spot my work. I am currently working on building the equipment to electroplate and etch glass along with more cold working machinery for grinding and polishing. This will produce even more unique finishes and designs. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I do in creating it.

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Glass Vessel by Steve Shaffer

David Kaemming

Ceramics and Handmade Paper Artist

Toledo, OH resident David Kaemming received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and his MA from Eastern Michigan University. He also earned an Education Degree from the University of Toledo. He went on to teach art courses at Whitmer High School in Toledo, OH and is now retired. He currently works part-time at the University of Toledo/Toledo Museum of Art School of Design.

David creates beautiful pottery using terra cotta clay which is first bisque fired in a kiln. He then goes through the process of glazing each piece, using multiple layers of underglaze and clear glaze fired to the cone 2 stage. His work is also painted or spattered with bright, vivid colors, adding even more interest to the final product.

David also makes his own paper, pulling it himself. It is then dyed, painted, inked and drawn on with colored pencils and pastels. He uses some additives for design including glitter, leaves, string, etc. The result is an interesting collage which is mounted and matted. His is a unique style that produces one-of-a-kind works of art.

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Ceramic Vessel by David Kaemming

Lucy Jane Webster

Painter

“My work is a reflection of the world as I see it in a representational portrayal. Favorite subjects are gardens, by the water, wetlands and usually located in Ohio or Maine”.

L.J. received her education from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH, Lecture Workshop, Helmut Beckmann and studied under David Herzig. She now lives in Maumee, OH. Her work has been in several solo exhibitions in Maine and Ohio and also many juried exhibitions all over the country where she has been recognized and awarded.

She has two published works: Local Perspective by Lucy Jane Webster, special to the Sylvania Herald, Wednesday, September 3, 1997. This is an article about the art scene in Lucas County, OH. Also Letters Home from Sea, The Life and Letters of Solon J. Hanson by Lucy Jane Webster and Meg Webster Noah, illustrated by Lucy Jane Webster, © 2003. “The story of a young sailor in mid 19th century down east Maine through his letters home. Solon expresses his love of family, community and the sea. His first letters are to his father who is at sea, then the letter to his mother as he is at sea with his father. Solon does become a seaman and writes home relaying his adventures as he is on a Grand Banks fishing vessel and on a vessel in international trade”.

L.J. has many professional affiliations including the Toledo Museum of Art Library League where she has been the Treasurer since 2000, the Toledo Federation of Art Societies where she has been a Historian since 2004, the Wilson Museum, Castine, ME, the Penobscot Historical Society, Penobscot, ME, the Castine Historical Society, Castine, ME, the Athena Art Society, Toledo, OH where she has been both Vice President and President and the Toledo Artists’ Club, Toledo, OH.

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Painting by Lucy Jane Webster

Tamra Mielke

Pastel Artist
What is Pastel?
Painting in pastel is basically painting with dry paint.  Pastel is pure pigment with a minimum of binder to hold it together.  It is very permanent, unlike chalk which it is sometimes mistakenly called. Pastel is a process of layering dry pigment, one color on top of another.  Instead of mixing color on a palette, as in oil painting, the color is mixed directly on the painting surface.  The immediacy of this medium is very fresh and textural, creating depth and intense color, depending on the subject matter.
About the Artist
My goal in art is to draw attention to the beauty of the ordinary things around us. It may be a still-life or a figure or a portrait, but I want to evoke an emotion from my viewer. I want to celebrate the simple warmth of life, the things that touch our hearts.  I work mainly in pastel, but have also worked in oils.  Lately I have been concentrating on portraits in pastel.  I am looking for intimacy in a portrait, usually found in the eyes, but sometimes enhanced by an item of clothing.   My portraits are to be works of art formed from the intricacies of the human face.  It is very personal and direct.  My favorite subjects are people and animals.  I also like to paint scenes from vacation pictures, and I do still-life and homescapes.
Biography
I have always been involved in art.  I was an art major in high school and studied fine art at Ohio State University and Bowling Green State University, with an emphasis in drawing and painting.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy with a minor in psychology.  I do commissions in people and pet portraiture.  I participate in art exhibitions and have won awards in local shows.  I also donate pet portraits for local pet shelters’ fundraisers, including ‘Pet Hoorah’.  It is a nice way for me to donate to a pet shelter and the bidder gets a nice portrait of their favorite pet.  I live in Perrysburg with my husband, two kids and three dogs.

www.tamramielke.com

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Pastel Drawing by Tamra Mielke

Joan Rigal

Quiltmaker and Artist
“The touch of fabric - its color and forgiving nature - has been a love of mine since I began working with it many years ago. It seemed natural to go from clothing to quilts to art quilts as I grew and matured in my life. Fiber is a wonderful and natural way to express what is deep within oneself - especially a woman - a wife – mother – a nurturer of the spirit. To cultivate the artist within has been exhilarating and makes me happy. I am happiest when I am working in my studio alone with music, feeling and thinking about design and color – then crafting my creation using my whole being to make a single art quilt.”A Brief History of the Art QuiltThe art quilt movement grew out of a resurgent interest in handcrafts that began in the 1960’s. Young people, rebelling against war and modern technology, sought meaningful alternatives to the society they perceived as spiritually bereft and morally corrupt. In the years preceding the Bicentennial, feminists reclaimed the art of quiltmaking, an overlooked and undervalued contribution of the nation’s foremothers.For over 100 years, quiltmakers had simply replicated the established designs of starts, baskets, and pinwheels, among others, but in the late ‘50s and ‘60s a handful of pioneering artists began to see the quilt as a place to experiment with color and design. These contemporary quilts slowly began to receive attention as valid means of creative expression, and in 1971 the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York presented an exhibition that launched the art quilt into the national consciousness. ABSTRACT DESIGN IN AMERICAN QUILTS showcased quilts based strictly on their visual impact, and presented them as works of fine art: hung on the walls like paintings: with museum labels offering materials used, place of origin, and date, and presented without historical context. The show’s curators placed color, line and pattern over historical or geographic significance. The show was well received by critics and the public alike. As a result, many women, and a few men, decided to try their hands at quiltmaking, and quilt guilds sprang up across the country, providing an outlet for contemporary quiltmakers to share their knowledge and love of the medium.By 1979 QUILT NATIONAL became the first ongoing juried exhibition of art quilts. Originating at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio, the show has become one of the most important forums for the art quilt, and draws submissions and audiences from all over the world. Since then, other major juried exhibitions, countless smaller shows, and the accessioning of art quilt into the permanent collections of major museums have established a firm place for contemporary quilts in the art world.For all their experimentation and boundary-pushing, it’s not unusual for art quilts to pay homage to the quiltmaking traditions that came before them. Long established patterns and quilt blocks are commonly reinvented in contemporary quilts. Joan Rigal recognizes the importance of quilt history, and while her works have evolved from these traditional principles and techniques, the enduring strength of design found in Amish quilts has always influenced her art. “From the beginning of my quiltmaking, I loved the solid colors and analogous color scheme of Amish quilts that seem passionate and so alive…Recently, I’ve returned to the direct design of Amish quilts and enjoy making contemporary adaptations of them by machine quilting and the use of many colorful threads.”

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Art Quilt by Joan Rigal

Karlene Fredericks

Digital Painter/ Jewelry Artist

The artist resides in an 1892 Victorian Farmhouse with her husband, John, and dogs Harley and Ryder. Karlene has received her Masters in Education from the University of Toledo and majored in Visual Arts. She was an art specialist in area schools for the past thirty years. The majority of images in her works are from her gardens.

Why Digital Painting?

“In photography I look for subjects that convey a particular mood. In painting, the use of color and texture always proved personally rewarding. Today’s technology enables me to begin with a traditional photograph and infuse paint techniques to create a totally unique work of art.

A work of art becomes meaningful when a person views the work and senses a particular mood. I attempt to provide works that suggest relaxation or a calming atmosphere and yet offer a pleasing subject matter and pure colors. If something about this work catches your attention and brings a pleasant feeling, then I have been successful.

Karlene also makes jewelry from buttons, such as necklaces and earrings. About this she says: “My grandmother had an old cigar box filled with buttons. As a youngster I would entertain myself sorting them by color, size or style and always found the process relaxing. When I came across jars of buttons at antique stores the memory of Grandma’s box came to mind. The Button Jewelry is like wearing a pleasant memory!”

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Digitally Manipulated Photograph by Karlene Fredericks

Jessie Dick

Jewelry Artist

While attending BGSU- earning a Fine Arts degree- I woke up bright and early to serve breakfast at Cafe Marie’s. Now I work in sales at WTOL giving me time (and money) to be able to work on my jewelry most weekends and many evenings, and have been blessed with a garage studio to call mine. I want to create well-crafted, hand fabricated jewelry that people of all tastes can love and enjoy.

I personally enjoy the look and feel of sterling silver, so that is the medium I tend to work with. Natural stones are usually incorporated into my pieces. And actually, once I find a stone I love, the stone usually guides me and helps in the design process!

My work can be super simple to extremely funky, depending on my mood- and sometimes my studio music!

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Pendant by Jessie Dick

Sue Ann Ladd
Artist

Sue Ladd, as an educator at Anthony Wayne High School for over 25 years, touched the lives of many students, encouraging their artist expression and their growth as responsible young people.  In addition, Sue has taught classes at the University of Toledo.

During her career, Sue has received numerous recognitions including Northwest OEA Outstanding Art Teacher, Maumee Chamber of Commerce Teacher Recognition, Sinclair Walbridge Research Fellowship, Ohio State House of Representatives Recognition, Marcy Kaptur Congressional Recognition for Exhibition, and You Make a Difference award from Lucas County Educational Service Center.

Sue Ann’s work has been exhibited in many art shows including Northwest Ohio Artists Who Teach, University of Toledo Alumni Exhibit, and Toledo Rep Show, “The Figure”. 

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Oil Painting by Sue Ladd

Gerri Neiling

Watercolor Artist

Gerri studies drawing and design at the University of Toledo/Toledo Museum of Art, and watercolor at Bowling Green State University.  Since then she ahs taken painting classes from well known Toledo Area artists.  Currently, Gerri is a member of Prizm Creative Community in Perrysburg.

Her favorite mediums are watercolor, gouache and watercolor pencil.

Most of Gerri’s paintings are inspired by her love of nature.  She frequently takes photos at the Metroparks, the 577 Foundation, and local floral gardens.

Gerri has lived in the Perrysburg area since 1979.  Gerri and her husband, Karl, have four grown children and three grandchildren.

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Painting by Gerri Neiling

Rudolph Schroeder

Pen and Ink/ Acrylic Painter

Pen and Ink and Pen and Ink over Acrylic paint. These are the mediums Rudolph Schroeder has been working with for over forty years as an artist.

A romantic at heart, Rudolph grew up in New York City where he attended Grammar and High School in Queens. His interest and talent for art was visible in High School.

As a teenager Rudolph had an interest in Tall Ships. Next came Lighthouses. Today, he has a handsome collection of art work on both. Not stopping here, other subjects were explored. Landscapes, Old Barns, Horses, Butterflies, Lake Freighters, Old Trains, World War I and II Fighter Planes, Birds of Paradise, Vintage Cars, Carousel Horses etc. Due to his diversity of subjects, Rudolph does a lot of commission work which he welcomes.

After serving two years in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War, Rudolph attended and was graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

Lee Iacocca has Schroeder’s original India Ink sketch on the “Miss Liberty Centennial”. Dennis Conner, America’s premier sailor also has a Rudolph original and this is “Stars & Stripes”, winning the 1987 America’s Cup. Other notables/organizations possessing Rudolph’s art work are: Ted Turner, Rudolph Giuliani of New York City, Mario Cuomo, America’s renowned orator, Charles Krulak, former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and The Museum de Paris, France.

Rudolph is a member of the Toledo Museum of Art. In 1991 he was honored with a one month, half hour showing of his romantic Tall Ships and Lighthouses on Michigan Educational TV-WTRY-53.

The White House now has Rudolph’s framed picture depicting the New Millennium. Former President William Clinton sent a “thank you” note to Rudolph on this art work. A framed print is also on display on Liberty Island, New York for millions of viewers to see as they visit the Statue of Liberty. Of course, the artist is honored by this.

Rudolph was the “Best of Show” winner at the Fall 2000 Marine City Art Fair, Marine City, Michigan. 85 artists participated.

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Acrylic and Pen & Ink Painting by Rudolph Schroeder