A help wanted post on Craigslist piqued my interest. I hadn’t thought of saddle making, but then I didn’t know that not many miles from our place, just west of Ruckersville, Virginia, there was a saddle manufacturing shop. I pictured sewing machines like the oily industrial stitcher in the neighborhood shoe repair shop when I…READ MORE >
My interest in gourds began when I was introduced to the axatse, a rhythm instrument used in West African drumming ensembles. The axatse is a dried gourd that has been emptied of its seeds and covered in netting with small shells attached. When the gourd is shaken, the shells rattle and make a loud…READ MORE >
Tom and I stood in the middle of the room and looked up. The space was large and yet comfortable, defined by the wooden posts, beams, walls and trim. There was a warmth that filled the space all the way to the peak. I have spent many hours in this 20 x 26 foot timber…READ MORE >
I first saw this easel design when I was living and working in Toronto, Canada. Two different schools had several in storage and brought them out to display signs or art work in progress at festivals or at special classroom events. Neither school used them for individual easels in full classes – I’m thinking they…READ MORE >
There was still clothesline tied to the old laundry poles in the sideyard of the Bakke Farm house, so I hung up my new quilt for a view, an art piece in an artistic setting. Quarter square triangle blocks, a standard in quilt piecing design, make up this subdued and yet vibrant piece, and I…READ MORE >
I first saw the bracelet at a music festival some years ago in Toronto. The copper color caught my eye, and I was attracted by the beautiful design of the letters cut from metal. “What do these words say?” I asked the Tibetan vendor. “It’s a mantra,” he answered, “inviting enlightenment for everyone on earth.”…READ MORE >
