Artisans

Last week we went to the Guilford Handcrafts Fair. I use the title "Artisans" for this post because "Handcrafts" does not do justice to the beauty and originality of the work we saw. The work above was created by an artist who has invented wall hangings that combine beautiful woodworking with fabric creations. She saw me taking pictures, and let me know that while she did not mind, I had better ask people before taking photographs of their original work.


Some of the artists said, "Sure, go ahead." The man who made these glass globes said, "Good luck -- they're pretty hard to capture in a photo because of the depth of the optical illusion!"


The shades on these lamps are made of wood veneer panels in a process invented by the artist.


The woman who made these pens asked what I was going to do with the photos. She gave her permission after I told her that I post my photos to a blog that circulates among my friends. She liked this picture of her pens, and told me that people making these unique handcrafts have good reason to be careful and suspicious. She said that more than one artist has seen their unique designs appear by the thousands, only slightly modified, on the shelves of Target or other big-box stores.


Throughout the crafts fair I was delighted and impressed not only by the quality and beauty of the work, but also by the sense of humor at play in so much of it.


I strongly urge you to see these creative fun collections for yourself. The Guilford Handcrafts Fair won't be held again until next July, but many of the same artists will be at the New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair August 7 - 15 in Newbury, New Hampshire.