RCM

John, who lives in Valle Crucis, has been a full-time craftsman since 1977. He has been making traditional Appalachian berry baskets for the past twenty years. These handcrafted baskets date back to early Cherokee Indian traditions.

Patti’s work is different, unique and fun. Art has many faces, and Patti feels that if you can catch the eye, then touch the heart, you have made an imprint on a person. She began crafting as a teenager, making cute kitties out of washcloths and bars of soap. From those humble beginnings she began creating full time.

I live in the lush hills near Salem, Oregon, surrounded by a garden of trees. Looking out my studio windows, I see rolling green hillsides with groves of trees and rippling grassy meadows, inspiring my love of organic, nature-oriented sculptures.The Bare Branch Collection features collectible handmade copper leaves, branches, wine rings and nature oriented items, featuring gorgeous natural patina colors. Great for tabletop, wall display for for that perfect simple gift.

The first time I sat at a potter’s wheel I tried to make a bowl like one of his. I worked toward that goal through high school, spending every spare minute on the art room potter’s wheel. My training was formalized at Appalachian State University, where I completed over 20 hours of Ceramics Technology and other crafts courses;  I have continued my education with various workshops since then.

Billie Ruth's baskets are now in the collections of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Art and Design in New York, Charles A Wustum Museum of Fine Art in Racine, Wisconsin, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama. They are also included in corporate and private collections. Her highest honor came in 1997 when she was named a Living Treasure by the State of North Carolina. This award, presented to one craftsperson every other year, is the state's highest honor in the field of crafts. She was the tenth recipient of this award and the first female to be honored.

Tim Garvin and Cynthia Drake of Blue Bus Studio create their porcelain pieces using an ancient technique known variously as millefiori, neriage, and nerikome.

Tony Bua didn't start carving until 1990, when he saw a carved decoy duck at a show. "I could do that," he said, and he did -- extremely well. Carving comes naturally to Bua. A first generation Sicilian-American and the son of a stone mason, he's worked with his hands all his life - first as a pipefitter and welder in New York, and then at FMC Corporation , where he oversaw renovations and put together whatever research chemists needed.

Nancy has been an artist/potter since 1975. Her art education from Sharon Art Center and private workshops. From 1997-2004 Nancy also owned and operated a studio and retail store front. She taught children’s workshops for the last 15 years. Each one of a kind piece is designed by the artist. The shell soap dishes are impressed with lace and shells with porcelain clay.  Porcelain clay is high fired and all glazes are lead free.