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Fine
Art In The Hills
by Ed Crabtree
The
month of August of the third year of the
twenty-first century is nearly over, and
those of you that regularly drive the
highways and byways of the Ozarks are
already commenting on the fact that the
trees are already starting to turn. Soon
the forests will be in their full fall
foliage, the hills ablaze in the yearly
flaming fall revue that we all enjoy here
in the Ozarks. The changing of the forests
from summer green to the reds and yellows
of fall, heralds the return of a wonderful
annual tradition, the great Arts and
Crafts festivals of the Ozarks.
It's
hard to pinpoint the cause, but there
seems to be an unique change in the events
we attend, perhaps it is the economy,
perhaps it is our desire to seek out
smaller more intimate venues, rather that
those mega affairs where parking and
crowds are so troublesome. Consider the
rapidly growing popularity of House
Concerts, along with the increasing number
of dinner theaters, phenomena that would
seem to indicate that people now prefer
small shows and crowds versus stadium size
productions.
Many
of us would prefer to sample regional
fare, and the heavily attended fall events
draw vendors from across the nation with
designs not entirely representative of the
Ozarks. We are reminded of the story
related to us by a female acquaintance of
ours, who was decorating her home in the
popular "Rocky Mountain Lodge" look, and
planned a summer vacation to Vale
Colorado, in the hopes of shopping for
authentic decorative accessories and
"objet d'art". She became quite enamored
with a trunk only to discover that it bore
a label proclaiming its point of origin as
being handcrafted in the Ozarks! While
this might be humorous to us Ozarkers,
imagine the implications of a reverse
scenario, that of a visitor here, finding
that the object of their attention was
created by one of their neighbors back
home, why bother to travel hundreds of
miles just to shop in the Ozarks when all
you can see is the same products you can
find in your own locale?
Another
consideration is that at the mega events,
the crowds are so large; one cannot take
adequate time to properly observe a work
of art, to step back and optically savor
the ambiance and nuances, before making an
investment in an item. Personally I prefer
to walk on my own two feet, not to allow
everyone else to step on them or steer
their baby's stroller across my toes.
Obviously it is not long after I arrive at
a mega show, that from my facial
expression and body posture, my wife
observes and deduces that her time to
enjoy the art on display is rapidly
diminishing, as is my patience. Perhaps
these and many more reasons are at the
root of the increasing demand for
alternative events. And of course those of
us here at THE MESSAGE TREE are proud to
announce what promises to become a
tradition everyone will soon anticipate
each year, the Holiday Art Tour, sponsored
by The Reeds Spring Area Artists Group, to
be held November 1, 2003.
Eight
of the most prominent artists of the
central Ozarks, will be opening their
shops and working studios, showcasing
their best works at special prices just
for this event. These artisans are
accomplished in their trade, having spent
years in study and in some cases
apprenticeships. They will be offering
unique creations in stained glass,
jewelry, bead working, pottery, woven
baskets, copper and multimedia
sculpturing. Several of the shops will be
opening up some of their floor space to
other accomplished artists in the area who
do not have store fronts in which to
display their art.
This
event promises to be a virtual feast of
art creations for your viewing. Also, some
of the shops will be featuring hors
d'oeuvres and beverages, enticing you to
complete your tour. Crowds will not be an
issue at this tour as the shops are
scattered throughout the Reeds Spring and
Galena communities. This event will be an
eclectic experience, one that will allow
you to browse at your leisure, meet the
very artists that created the work, and
shop in an unhurried atmosphere that each
us crave.
Both
Galena and Reeds Spring are unique
historic communities that offer a real
sense of the past, an additional treat to
the readers of The Message Tree as you
will see some of the landmarks along the
way that we have wrote about in past
issues of this electric periodical.
Over
the next three issues, The Message Tree
will be interviewing and featuring
articles on some of the individuals that
will be your hosts on this remarkable
tour, but let us take a look at some of
what you can expect in the future and on
the tour.
"Ozarkitecture"
is a word coined to describe the
design elements of the
handcrafted lighting fixtures
created by Jerry "Swede" Faris.
Architectural fixtures with a
pronounced Ozarks
Flair.
Photo
courtesy of Toad's Tool Copper
Shop
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With
more than 25 years experience in working
with copper, Jerry 'Swede' Faris
specializes in custom lighting fixtures.
At his studio near Galena, 'Swede' creates
functional art with a natural flora and
animal flair, he calls Ozarkitecture.
Toad's Tool Copper Shop has taken great
pride in crafting custom fixtures for many
area homes and businesses such as Big
Cedar Lodge and The Roy Clark Theater,
turning sheet copper, copper tubing, and
wire into realistic leaves and animals.
This is just one of the "Must See" studios
on your tour.
Terra sigillata pottery and
pine needle baskets can be found
in the unique studio, a 12 sided
Mongolian yurt, of Tom Hess and
Lory Brown.
Photo
Courtesy of
www.hesspottery.com
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Walk
through the door of Hess Pottery and be
surrounded by the warmth of natural earth
tones radiating from the red clay pottery
and pine needle baskets created by Tom
Hess and Lory Brown.
The
unique open design of the yurt that serves
as their gallery sends light dancing
across the display tables, drawing you
from the Ozark mountains into a world
where each handcrafted piece reflects the
beauty of natural elements.
At Allen's Back Yard Custom
Stained Glass, we found Diane
Pope creating a masterpiece
composed of a thousand or more
individual peices of
glass.
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Diane's
distinctive stained glass art style
reflects influences from all of her
studies and practices in the arts. Her
work displays a prolific balance of
colors, intricate curves, and proportions
with a distinct influence from nature. Her
glass selections are uniquely chosen to
form a balance of color and texture that
becomes enhanced when natural light
influences the appearance of the glass.
She is specially gifted with the ability
to create stained glass panels in colors,
sizes, and shapes that compliment the
existing decorative theme of church, home,
and office décor. Special attention
is given to size, shape, and color
influence to complement other elements
rather than concentrating on one
decorative entity which often overwhelms
the others. This art sensitivity is rare
and has great influence in establishing
the comfort of a living or business area.
Be sure to check out the Allen's ad
elsewhere on this page.
An
eclectic shopping experience
awaits you in the beautiful
studios and shops, such as Omega
Pottery in historic Reeds Spring,
Missouri.
Photo
Courtesy of
http://omega-pottery-shop.com/index.html
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Omega,
the last letter in the Greek alphabet, is
emblematic of the end result that the
finished pot means to the potter. He can't
take the process any further; the pot is
finished except only to be reborn when it
becomes the possession of the new owner.
Then the cycle is complete. This is the
philosophy that drives Mark Oehler, at his
Omega Pottery Shop, to begin with a ball
of clay, carefully shape it on the
potter's wheel, fire and finish and then
display the finished piece in his
studio/showroom until the proper owner
comes through the door to claim the work
that was intended just for that person.
Without a doubt he has a piece waiting to
be "reborn" as your prized
possession!
So
mark your calendar now, and on November 1,
take the time to explore the road less
traveled and enjoy shopping and visiting
with the artists of Reeds Spring and
Galena.
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