http://www.cklassendesigns.com

Dawn Adams and Dale Steffey have been collaborating on works in glass since before 1980. Dawn received her Masters in Fine Arts from Indiana University in 1981; Dale received his Bachelor of Science from IU in 1975. Being independent artists allows them to choose where to work and live, and they make their home in Bloomington, Indiana. Their work, however, resides in private and public collections across the northern hemisphere. What began for them in 1984 as experiments to enhance their stained glass panels has evolved into their fused glass reliefs for the wall. Decorative and colorful, sometimes primitive and mystical, their images in fused glass speak of their emotional response to life and evoke in the viewer a sense of timelessness. The art of image- makffig in fused glass is surprisingly adaptable to a painterly approach, in spite of the limits dictated by the material. Utilizing shapes, colors, and patterns, this technique affords them a wonderfully challenging format for exploring their aesthetic sensibilities. The glass fusing process involves Dale cutting shapes from sheets of flat glass, and layering them according to a design Dawn has drawn. She embellishes the design using small glass pieces, crushed and powdered glass, glass enamels, and torch worked glass stringers as patterns and shading, and then Dale fIfes the assemblage in the kiln. It is a process that is many centuries old, but only in the past 20-30 years has it been extensively explored as a contemporary artistic medium. On some pieces Dawn does an additional fIring of glass resin paints for more detail or depth. Their work draws from a continually expanding pool of influences - including but not limited to folk and ethnic art, icons, mosaics and a large group of painters from many eras and movements. Often their themes stress growth, nature, spirituality and joy. Because of their desire to create a special environment for each piece, Dawn paints a frame that has been carefully chosen to house the work. Several works have the glass image continued with paint creating a unified image with two media. In either situation the frame becomes an integral part of the work, and the end result is Art that attracts closer attention from the viewer on a number of levels.

http://www.steffeyadamsglass.com

An Atlanta sculptor for 20 years, I moved to the North Georgia mountains in 1995. My metal sculpture and art furniture in corporate and private collections nationally, including: the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, and Elton John’s permanent collection at his London estate.

The early part of my career was devoted almost exclusively to large sculptural works and commissions, the 300 foot catwalk and environmental sculpture with integrated lighting and waiting benches for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Civic Center Station being the prime example. In 1985 I was given a special award by the Atlanta Chapter of the AIA for my integration of sculpture with architecture. But it is my recent interest and exploration in the area of art furniture that is gaining me national recognition.

In the late 80’s, I began to focus my sculptural talents on furniture design, utilizing various metals including patinated steel, stainless steel, oxidized steel, aluminum and bronze. In 1992, a chair from this new body of work was included in one of only 20 spots in the “Furniture of the 90’s” Competition, sponsored by the ASOFA in Houston and Parson’s School of Design in New York and traveled to both locations. I also received the “Best Chair” award at “Table, Lamp + Chair 1993″ in Portland. In 1999, one of my chairs was featured in a review in the “Los-Angeles Times Magazine”, and received a NICHE Award for my bronze chair, “Troas”, which was also juried into “The Chair Show 3″ at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, N.C. In the late summer of 2000 “Troas” was acquired by the Renwick Gallery for its permanent collection.

I have exhibited at the Smithsonian Craft Show, as well as at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show 2000 and the Washington Craft Show. During the 2000 Washington Craft Show, my work was featured in articles in “The Washington Post” and “Home & Design”‘ Magazine.
The search for pure form is a passion for me. By that, I mean the distillation of discovered form into it’s minimal essence — what can and cannot be taken away without destroying the integrity of the form. I have sought to carry this philosophy, developed in my earlier career as a sculptor, over into furniture making. Sculptural presence, although important, must not override the functional requirements of the piece. (A case in point: an orthopedic radiologist from Johns Hopkins Hospital has collected two pieces; a chair and a chaise, not only for their aesthetic appeal, but also for their overall function as back and/or lumbar support and comfort for the whole body.)

Currently, I am studying the expression of form in both ancient and primitive cultures, abstracting those elements which I find adaptable to furniture design. While primarily a metal worker, I am presently interested in the occasional use of stone and wood.

http://paulfreundt.com

http://howellpottery.com

Born in the Rio Grande Valley, Robin Renee Hix has been influenced by Mexico since her first trip over the border at age five.

She thinks of herself as a “callejera with a camera” which in Spanish denotes a person who likes to wander the streets. Capturing unexpected street images and unique culture, her black and white images are diverse. She photographs beaches, towns, and landscapes, as well as the people who live in these off the path places.

Her work is united by her eye for beauty in the unexpected details, often missed. Hix presents buildings cobbled together with scraps and presents them as venerable fold art temples. Boys throw simple paper airplanes toward the sky and we are invited to glimpse a second of their stark world.

Back in her Texas Hill Country studio she often transforms her photographs into brilliantly colored and finely detailed oil colored paintings allowing venue for creativity, unique color sense and fine craftsmanship. Recently, Hix modified a “junk” camera, which she uses to create diffused grainy surfaces that mimic her offbeat compositions and subjects.

I paint from imagination trying to achieve an expression of energy, movement, and emotion. Painting with passion is essential, using the fundementals of color, contrast, value, etc. a painter can transform a blank canvas into a beautiful extension of their own feeling.

I show images that traditionally fall into the category of photography. Within this category are many sub-categories, eg: landscape, wildlife, portraiture, travel, still life, etc. Many of my fellow photographers specialize in one of these. I don’t.

I’m a generalist. I show photographs that explore nearly every aspect of photography. One reason for this is that I don’t go on “photo safaris” and shoot a whole bunch of pictures of one place. I shoot as I live and I try to have a camera within reach at all times.

If I were forced to pick one category to specialize in, I’d have to check the box marked “Other__”. For me, that box would be called “photographs of coincidence” where two or more things are happening simultaneously as random acts of nature, or intentional acts of man.

When Alan was five, he caught a bluegill. He thought it was so beautiful that he kept it in his pocket where his mother found it several days later when she did the laundry. When Rosemary was little, she spent many happy hours fishing with her grandmother in Smithfield, Maine. It was a big deal when she caught a fish. Rosemary is happiest swimming or snorkeling.

Experiences in or around the water and growing up with Jacques Cousteau specials strongly influence our work. The process starts with a series of sketches. We use stoneware clay or porcelain to make the basic forms. These forms are manipulated, hollowed out and added to. The teeth and eyes are made out of porcelain. The pieces are bisque fired. Glazes are applied by dipping, spraying and by brush. The pieces are then glazed fired. The work is about form, expression, color, texture, and movement.

There are three basic ways we glaze our pieces:

Fish Glaze: This magnesium carbonate glaze shrinks more clay body during the firing process. The finished glaze has a dry scaly texture with pastel color.
Raku: A technique from an ancient Japanese tradition. The pieces are pulled out of the kiln when they are red hot and smothered with sawdust. The end product has a variety of blacks and grays in the clay body and elegant crackle patterns in glossy glaze that tend to have rich, bright colors.
Crystal Glazes: Specially prepared glazes, high in zinc, are applied to porcelain pieces. They are fired to 2300 Degrees, Fahrenheit, and then “soaked” at a lower temperature for three hours or more. This creates an environment conducive to growing crystals in the glaze. The end result is amazing combination of crystal shapes, colors and sizes that never come out the same way twice as the crystals are always different.

Alan received an MFA in Ceramics from Ohio State University and a BFA in drawing and painting from Arizona State University.

Rosemary has a B.A.E. from Ohio State University. Alan and Rosemary met at OSU in 1980. Alan worked as a designer and technical consultant for El Palomar Ceramics in Talaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico. We started this business together in Bath, New York, as full time clay artists since 1990.

A Collaborative Team for over 30 years
in work and in play

Using our native hardwoods and specialty woods from around the world, we produce high quality furniture that is as fun to make as sell. We use the oldest of techniques blended with newer technology to keep our production efficient yet true to time proven methods. Each piece is hand made with selected woods to guarantee the best possible match of colors and grain. As designers and builders, we endeavor to create fine furniture of heirloom quality. Each piece is signed as a mark of pride and becomes our personal guarantee of satisfaction.