Artisans Wendell and Diane King

"The farm studio is fairly humming with all the spring activities. Corn is up and the beans are in the ground. On rainy days you will find Wendell in the studio creating new designs for the upcoming show season. It starts in earnest in a couple weeks, with "Summer of Arts" in Iowa City - www.summerofthearts.org

His latest design is so large it may never see a show. The stone is a beautiful “Blue Stone” large enough that to move it he needs a car engine wench, not my wimpy arms. So I guess we’ll see how many shows it makes it to. You can check out the 2010 show season at our website - www.peonyfarm.com

Crops and tables are not the only thing happening on Peony Farm. A new roof on the house was put on the first of May. We had a great group of hard working guys, removing several layers of shingles and applying the new roof. They left hardly a trace that they'd been here. My hat off to them; our plantings (which are many) survived because they took such great care. Tim Hamrick from Everly was the team leader, he comes highly recommended.

We had much company the month of May. Some staying in the Gallery, which is a new choice. Yes, you can rent it for a night or two. I may even make you breakfast. So to say it's a B&B well maybe. Not sure I can get my head around all that entails. For a stay in the "Quohouse" (Quonset House) give us a call or check us out at www.airbnb.com

The creation of new pieces of jewelry are always at hand. Using lampwork, stones, pearls, crystals and tons of seed beads. One of the new ones contains Snakeskin, Jasper, Amozonite and Lava Rock with a sterling clasp. I love the muted colors.

Seed beads dominate these two pieces. Working and learning a new stitch, is something I love doing. It has a rhythm, whether it's color or stitching. Most of my pieces are inspired by color and texture. Needing to have all supplies within eye sight is very important to the process. s a result my space is a mess, at least to other people.

We invite you to stop by and visit us anytime. A visit may include a glass of wine under the pergola!"

There you have it! Stop by again for another entry in the 2010 Artisans Road Trip Blog!

A.R.T. on the Road Again!

"Number One Child"
stone and steel
by Wendell King

The Artisan Road Trip exhibit will be moving along to the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, Iowa this next week. You can still catch it through the rest of this week at the LeMars Iowa Art Center, but on June 2 through 30th, the Witter Gallery will be hosting the exhibition!

This is a good opportunity to catch a "glimpse" of the Artisan Road Trip before the October dates (1st - 3rd). If you're in the Storm Lake area in June, stop by the Witter and check it out!

In the next 3-4 weeks we'll also be spotlighting Wendell and Diane King, Dan Ruf and Diane Noll on this blog - check in again soon!

Artisans Road Trip Artist Hank Hall

Hank Hall

This A.R.T. highlight introduces Hank Hall!

Hank Hall is a full-time artist in Olde Town Spirit Lake where he has renovated a 1948 wood-working shop into an art studio and gallery called Art on 16th. He taught middle school and high school art in Iowa for 34 years and continues to teach clay, painting, drawing, and sculpture classes in his studio. He is very proud of the fact that many of his students have studied art in prestigious art institutions and pursued art-related careers.

Celebrating Clay Cone 6 Stoneware

Hank’s creative skills were shaped early in his career by two summers of intensive training at Pond Farm Pottery in Guerneville, CA with Marguerite Wildenhain. A Bauhaus-trained master potter considered to be one of the ten most significant clay artists of the 20^th Century, Wildenhain demanded high quality craftsmanship and then encouraged him to develop his own signature work.

Dotted Teapot

Today Hank creates one-of-a-kind teapots with mixed media embellishments and other functional and sculptural forms. His artistic goal is satisfying his own esthetic sense of what makes for an entertaining, inventive, and personal form. “If others experience a creative kick, then I think that’s as good as it gets.”

Hank’s artwork has been exhibited nationally, and he has earned several best of shows in recent juried art exhibits.

For more information visit www.hankhallarton16th.com.

Check back again for more on events, activities and artisans of the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!

Perry Polson - Featured A.R.T. Artisan

Kristen's Ash by Perry Polson

Near the south end of Grand Avenue (north of the river) in Spencer Iowa, you'll find Perry Polson hard at it in his studio - Wild Wood Gallery & Turning Lab. Perry is an artist of wood...he takes wood and creates some amazing things with it in his turning lab!

Here is a short excerpt from Perry working on a project. Perry had run into a piece of elm that included some surprises and took some persistence...

barbed wire - who knew?!

2 fencing staple as well!

But finely finished - after the battle!

"After a bit of a head scratching its finely done and is a very dramatic piece and being Elm its hard as a dickens let alone the (STEEL REINFORCEMENT) Ha Ha ! And after all that the sale fell through due to some over sight of my own of course . But as they say live and learn so I'm not planning on letting that happen again any time soon. I only hope that someone else finds it to be a piece that they can't live without!

Looks pretty amazing to me, Perry!

Stop by again and meet the artists of the 2010 Artisans Road Trip!