Handcrafted in New England | 10 More Artists & Artisans
There’s no end to the kinds of modern heirlooms now being created by the next generation of New England crafters. These 10 artists and artisans, originally featured in Yankee’s Open Studio column, are just a few of our favorites.
Intricate woven baskets, hand-forged knives, one-of-a-kind jewelry — there’s no end to the kinds of modern heirlooms now being created by the next generation of New England crafters. After introducing 10 rising stars in our January/February 2019 feature “The New Makers,” we wanted to share 10 more of Yankee’s favorite artists and artisans here. All were originally featured in Yankee’s Open Studio column.
Handcrafted in New England
Handcrafted in New England
10 More Artists & Artisans
Britt and Matt Witt | Red House Bags
Burlington, Vermont
In a former mill building along Vermont’s Winooski River, Britt and Matt Witt create elegantly simple waxed canvas bags in earthy colors for every conceivable purpose: book bags, day bags, weekenders, lunch bags, rucksacks, and beach totes.
Red House Bags in Burlington, Vermont Photo Credit : Greta RybusRead More:Open Studio | Red House BagsPurchase Info:redhousevt.com
Jon Gibson | Gibson Pewter
Washington, New Hampshire
From bowls and candlesticks to tea sets and martini glasses, New Hampshire’s Jon Gibson transforms pewter into instant family heirlooms. Of special gifting note is Gibson’s collection of Christmas ornaments, including one special limited-edition design each year (see the 2018 hammered maple leaf below).
The 2018 Christmas ornament design from Gibson Pewter in Washington, New Hampshire. Photo Credit : Greta RybusRead More:Open Studio | Gibson PewterPurchase Info:gibsonpewter.com
Adrienne Ginter | Hand-Cut Paper
Brattleboro, Vermont
Adrienne Ginter is a wizard with an X-Acto knife, creating hand-cut visions that are lacy, mystical, and more fragile and elaborate than a paper doily, with multiple receding layers that create 3-D effects. Available in cards, shadow boxes, and hanging wall pieces.
Adrienne Ginter’s hand-cut paper technique creates colorful 3-D works of art. Photo Credit : Mark Fleming
Roland LaVallee | Crow Tracks Woodcarvings
Eastport, Maine
Using X-Acto knives, delicate chisels, small paintbrushes, and a refined wood-burning tool for adding details like feathers, Roland LaVallee transforms raw chunks of pine into colorful birds in his studio near the Maine-Canada border.
Maine-based textile designer Erin Flett creates her gorgeous and wildly popular prints with a nod to New England’s great outdoors. Choose from hand-printed and hand-sewn bags, pillows, wall art, linen tea towels, napkins, and more.
Round pillows in Erin’s “Medallion,” “Blossom,” and “Sun” motifs. Photo Credit : Heather McGrathRead More: Open Studio | Erin FlettPurchase Info: erinflett.com
Tessa Morgan | Flying Pig Pottery
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Tessa Morgan’s platters, lamps, and mugs are all steeped in the ocean essence of her Cape Cod surroundings. The decorative technique she uses to create her fish, mermaids, squid, and turtle designs is called sgraffito, from the Italian graffito, meaning “to scratch.”
The colorful work of Cape Cod potter Tessa Morgan. Photo Credit : Elizabeth CecilRead More:Open Studio | Flying Pig PotteryPurchase Info:flyingpigpottery.biz
Kathleen Buchanan | Grey Seal Press
Rockport, Maine
Kathleen Buchanan’s handmade prints reveal a misty world of islands, seabirds, and coastal sheep inspired by a combination of photos, field sketches, and “a healthy dose of imagination.”
One of Kathleen Buchanan’s Maine-inspired collagraph prints, surrounded by the tools of her trade. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingRead More:Open Studio | Grey Seal PressPurchase Info:greysealpress.com
Craig Altobello | Marquetry
Peterborough, New Hampshire
A slice of walnut wood suggests a dark mountain, outlined against a rippling sky of spruce… chickadees rendered with bits of black acacia flit across a background of pale sugar maple… a heron poses, a study in spruce and sycamore. Such is the magic of Craig Altobello’s woodworking technique, called marquetry.
Craig Altobello’s painstaking marquetry artwork. Photo Credit : Mark FlemingRead More:Open Studio | Craig AltobelloPurchase Info:craigaltobello.com
Zoe and James Zilian | Farmhouse Pottery
Woodstock, Vermont
At Farmhouse Pottery in the classic Vermont village of Woodstock, you’ll find an eye-catching collection of goods inspired by a rural lifestyle, including handmade bowls, pitchers, tumblers, and crocks.
Farmhouse Pottery bowls, pitchers, tumblers, and crocks are finished in a uniformly neutral milky glaze. Photo Credit : Corey HendricksonRead More:Open Studio | Farmhouse PotteryPurchase Info:farmhousepottery.com
Michael Updike | Slate Carvings
Newbury, Massachusetts
Michael Updike, the artistic younger son of novelist John Updike, uses a mallet and chisel to carve out “little stories” on recycled slate roof shingles and to create one-of-a-kind memorial stones.
Sea creatures and insects emerge from Michael Updike’s scraps of slate. Photo Credit : Pat PiaseckiRead More:Open Studio | Michael UpdikePurchase Info:michaelupdike.net
Love supporting New England artists and makers? Don’t miss our January/February 2019 feature “The New Makers,” featuring 10 rising stars.
Do you have a favorite (or two, or three) New England artisan? Let us know in the comments below.