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Autumn Artistry features both local and regional artists
An Artist, as defined, is a person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skill. This weekend the following vendors and many others will be showcasing their art and crafts during Autumn Artistry, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, September 20, 2008.
Here are just some of the featured artists and their wares that patrons of Autumn Artistry will see this weekend.
Lisa Smith of Garden Cards and More, Lime Springs, began her business as an old fashioned way of communicating with family and friends - letter writing. Adding an artistic approach to that method developed into custom designed cards.
Smith grows, picks, press and designs the flowers into pictures then onto the cards. Smith designs a new line each year. Her newest design is a personalized 'name' picture. "These are great for baby showers, weddings, etc and any person that is hard to buy for," explains Smith.
Smith's designs are in six states, as far away as Upstate New York. Buyers may recognize her designs at all the big markets like Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha.
Smith will be taking orders at Autumn Artistry, September 20 that will be ready for Christmas gift giving.
Sharon Troge is a "lady for all seasons" when it comes to working in the area of crafts. She sews, knits, embroiders, quilts, makes soy candles, works with flowers and even gardens in her free time.
"I like staying busy," said Troge. "I'm not much of a TV watcher, so I like to do other things to occupy my time."
Troge started sewing when she was 10 years old. "I got interested in sewing through 4-H and have been sewing ever since then," she said.
She stated that she even made clothes for her family as they were growing up.
Troge grew up on a farm near Hanlontown in a family with two sisters and a brother. "My sewing skills came in handy as I was growing up as far as making clothes and doing other projects," she said.
After retiring from full time work after 20 years, Troge found she had a little more free time. "I still work part-time at the Flower Gallery in Osage," said Troge. "I really enjoy that because I enjoy working with flowers. I also need to stay busy, so the part-time job is good for me."
When she has spare time Troge enjoys sewing and stitching with wool felt appliqué . She specializes in table runners, candle mats, table toppers and wall hangings.
"I also quilted for many years, but that can get a little expensive," she said.
She has taken her work for the last three years to the annual Autumn Artistry event in Osage.
"Autumn Artistry is an excellent venue to show your work and there are many other fine artists and craftspeople from the area at the event," she said. "It gives a lot of area artists a chance to show their talents. People have noticed my work and have contacted me to do some special items for them."
Troge also takes her work to area consignment shops. "I also will do special orders for people if they call me, " said Troge.
She has also done many items that she has given away to family and friends.
Troge and her husband Norm have four children. Laura lives in Frisco, Texas. Doug is in Deerwood, Minnesota. Dianna lives in Franklin, Tennesse and Julie is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The couple also has 12 grandchildren and one great-grand child.
Troge chuckled when asked about what she does in her free time.
"If I have free time, I usually am sewing, gardening, working with flowers, quilting, knitting or embroidering," she laughed. "I guess you really never totally get way from it."
Barb Campbell's creative story contains many twists, turns, bends and sometimes things get tied in knots. In fact you could say that Barb lets her creations, create themselves.
Campbell is the owner of 'Barb's Thru the Grapevine' she resides in Nashua with her husband Pat, whom she refers to as her "pull buddy," because the vines are attached to the trees so well, they are hard to pull, so her husband helps with the tugging.
Campbell had been making grapevines baskets of all shapes and sizes for about two years, when she realized she wasn't taking advantage of her name being 'Barb', that's when she started combining the barbed wire and vines together to which made the designs limitless.
"I start with an idea of what I'm going to make and the vines have such a unique personality with the twists, bend, knots, the thickness, the bark or that there is no bark that the vines dictate how the basket will turn out.
The grapevines have many tendrils with tight curls, 'these 'curls' Campbell have evolved into quite a unique style that she feels has become one of her signature techniques.
Some of the items Campbell creates are flowers, bumble bees, words and names in writing, crosses, angels, cowboy boots guns stars and hearts just to name a few. Campbell even creates grapevine Snowmen complete with scarves, mittens and hats that are made out of old sweaters.
Making baskets and her many other items with the grapevine and the barbwire together results in a "very cool" and very strong product.
The baskets and barbed wire work are one-of-a-kind items. Be sure to stop in at Barb's Thru the Grapevine booth during Autumn Artistry and check out the fun and unique treasures, the Campbells have created.
Barry Phillips of Osage, defines airbrushing as very versatile as he can airbrush designs on 100-pound rocks, bowling pins, cell phones and has even painted a scene on a quarter for an online contest.
This fall Phillips pulls the trigger on warm tones, cool colors, with just the right amount of tint or toner to create that perfect one-of-a-kind item for your home.
"It was awkward being contacted for an Autumn Artistry article, since I don't consider myself an artist, confesses Phillips."
Many years ago Barry Phillips took up woodworking and worked on projects after the rest of the family went to bed, the woodworking noise coming up from the basement obviously didn't work well with a sleeping family, so that hobby went 'by the wayside.'
In 2005 Phillips bought his first airbrush to see what he could do with it and quit after eight months of limited use. "The airbrush was harder to learn than I originally thought, Phillips admitted." After about a year he tried airbrushing again changing to CO2 in the fall of 2006 as the air source as air compressors were once again too noisy for the sleeping family.
Phillips practiced airbrushing off and on until fall of 2007, about a month before Autumn Artistry he decided to reserve a spot, get some things painted and see how it would go.
"Phillips explained, in my mind the obvious thing to paint for a fall event was pumpkins." So over a couple of weekends Phillips painted about forty pumpkins, some shirts, signs and garden rocks, achieving success, selling all but one of the pumpkins.
Phillips will be at Autumn Artistry again this year with a variety of items and will be taking special orders.
Mariellen Malena of Charles City, designed and made wedding dresses and some of the ladies wanted jewelry, that's when Dragonfly Designs, a combined creative effort by Michael and Mariellen Malena, was born.
Five years ago Malena took her earrings to a show and sold all but two pair. "I knew I had the idea, Malena said. "My husband got on the internet and after much research started importing the harvested stones form Tibet, China."
For the next two years Mariellen designed. "We are taking orders all the time, we never expected to get this big." The Malena's do ten shows a year in Colorado, Michigan and throughout the Midwest.
The Malena's design bracelets, necklaces, earrings and their newest design this year will be rings. "We did so well last year at Autumn Artistry we can hardly wait to come this year. The crowds are great and the advertising fee is cheap."
Mariellen comes from a talented and artistic family, her sister Robin Macomber is a renowned artist. Locally she has painted murals at the Waverly hospital and the Rose Garden Tea Room in Clear Lake.
Story created Sep 16, 2008 - 10:54:52 CDT.
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