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SALE!
Valentine Special
February 7 through February 14 -Buy a necklace or bracelet at regular price and get a pair of earrings of equal or lesser value 25% off. |
| Artist Demo
On Valentine's Day (Saturday Feb. 14)Janet Harriman will once again join us at LUNA (121 Turner Street) to demonstrate her jewelry making techniques. She will also be offering her jewelry for sale. |
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The Arts & Crafts Movement
Historically, the Arts & Crafts movement was a reformist movement that took place around the turn of the last century (approximately 1880 - 1925) in Great Britain, Canada and the United States.
The movement was in part a reaction to the soul-less nature of the industrial revolution and a reaction toward cheap, machine made goods. The movement promoted exceptional craftsmanship, with the artist taking great pride in his work. In addition, the Arts and Crafts movement strove to bring an element of beauty into everyday objects: furniture, housewares, glassware.... things traditionally known as "crafts".
The name most often identified with the early movement in England is William Morris. Other well known artists and architects of the time were Charles Robert Ashbee, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and, in America, Frank Lloyd Wright, Gustav Stickley, and Green & Green. In the US, the term American Craftsman often refers to the style of architecture and furniture exemplified by Wright, Stickley, and Green & Green.
So how does this relate to our understanding of the modern American Crafts movement? The tradition of excellence in craftsmanship continues in America, through craftspeople who elevate their craft to art, and who allow us to experience beauty in everyday things... a pottery mug, a glass vase, a piece of jewelry, or beautifully crafted piece of furniture. They continue to foster in us an appreciation of the unique nature of handcrafted goods and to allow us to see the world through the eyes of an artist.
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Furry Friends
Oliver
Oliver is staying warm and enjoying the sunshine on our back porch. He lives on a boat with Sarah and Ernie Schroeder, who are wintering in Beaufort. Oliver is showing off his seafaring lifestyle by wearing his custom handknitted fisherman's sweater. |
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"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his client to plant vines."
Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 - 1959)
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Community Events
Carolina Chocolate Festival
Celebrating Charity & Chocolate
Don't miss this fabulous event!
February 6-8, 2009 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City, NC
for tickets and information call 877 848 4976 or click here. |
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Hours
Monday thru Saturday
10am to 6pm
Sunday 12pm to 5pm
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We hope you enjoyed our newsletter and hope you will come and see us....enjoy the view from our back porch.
All the best from
Alison, Jill, Kate, Linda, Sharon, Ann, and Betty |
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Handscapes Gallery, 410 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516
252 728 6805
www.handscapesgallery.com | |
| Greetings!
February... a good time to curl up next to the fire with a hot cup of cocoa and a good book. A hundred years ago the Arts and Crafts movement was responsible for bringing beauty and warmth in architecture, furniture, and handcrafts into American homes. This month we feature a couple of artists who are very much connected to that tradition. |
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Matt Zettl
 Matt Zettl has been a woodworker for over 30 years. Although he is basically self taught, he came from a family of skilled designer/craftsmen. His grandfather, who emigrated from Bohemia to the U.S. in 1923, was trained in Vienna as a housewright and carpenter. He became a respected builder of custom homes in Cleveland, Ohio. Matt's father continued the tradition as a premier builder in the Cleveland area. One of Matt's brothers is a cabinet maker and the other is an architect. So he grew up surrounded by a tradition of craftsmanship, working with blueprints, tools, and wood.
While pursuing a medical degree in New Orleans, Matt began to build furniture. Unhappy with the mass produced furniture that dominated the market, he became interested in building furniture of quality materials using traditional joinery. Over the years, what began as a hobby continued to grow, as Matt accumulated tools, and more importantly, the skills required to use them.
Following his retirement in 2006 after a career as an orthopedic surgeon, Matt made the decision to pursue woodworking as a serious artist and craftsman. Prior to his retirement he had built furniture for his home, family and friends. He also had produced beautifully turned wooden pieces for galleries. Ultimately, however, he returned to furniture design and building, his real passion.
In the mid 1980's Matt had been introduced to the American Arts and Crafts movement, and particularly to the work of Charles and Henry Greene, by his architect brother, Mark. Matt had always admired the work of Wright, but in the work of Greene and Greene he discovered a sensitivity, subtlety, and appreciation of more organic elements that seemed to be lacking in most other Arts and Crafts furniture. The Oriental influence in their work, as well as in some of Wright's work, has also been inspirational.
Matt's furniture demonstrates an unmistakable influence from the Greenes and Wright. More recently, he has begun to develop a style that has a more distinct Oriental character while remaining grounded in the Arts and Crafts style. He has also been inspired by contemporary furniture makers including Nakashima, Krenov, Rodel, Peart, and Rogowsky. Each piece of Matt's furniture demonstrates the dedication to fine craftsmanship, thoughtful consideration of proportion, and sensitivity in design that have characterized the great designers in the Arts and Crafts tradition.
Matt is the featured artist at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, NC, Feb. 20 - 22, in conjunction with the 22nd Annual Grove Park Inn Arts and Crafts Conference. The pieces shown here are part of that exhibit. To see more of Matt's work, click here.
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| Robert Held
Robert Held is a Canadian glassblower whose lovely work is also reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His designs reflect his love of nature, as well as the influences of artists such as Gustav Klimt and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Born in Santa Ana, California. Robert knew from an early age that he wanted to be an artist. He began his career in ceramics. After obtaining an MFA from the University of Southern California, he went on to become Department Head of Ceramics at the Sheridan College School of design in Ontario, Canada.
In 1968 Robert discovered his true calling, glassblowing, at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. He returned to Canada, launching Canada's first hot glass program at Sheridan in 1969 and establishing himself as the pioneer of art glass in Canada.
In 1978 Robert left the world of teaching to establish his own glass studio. Since that time, his work has gained recognition in the U.S. and Canada. He has been the recipient of numerous awards. His goblets grace the table of the Governor General's "perfect setting" and his newest commission piece, a glass bowl encasing 23k gold maple leaves and sparkling dichroic glass now sits in Her Majesty's Royal Collection.
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