About The Art
ALIYE CULLU - Fresh Air Landscapes
Aliye Cullu paints on location to watch the ever-unfolding changes in the world around her. Making a painting is like building a theatre set. Each day in a place is different with its moods, lighting, drama, and romance. The land, water, trees, and flowers all play their distinct roles. She is also aware of the precious opportunity to be a participant in the overall scheme. Many of her paintings are of sites that are either protected and/or being encroached upon by rapid development. Portraying Nature's fragile beauty is her role as a painter.
BELLA BELLA ARTS - Functional Art for Beautiful Living By Lara Moore
Bella Bella Arts is the studio of artist Lara Moore, located in Bloomington, Indiana. Her handmade tables, screens, mirrors and wallpieces feature distinctive cut-paper designs in lush patterns and sophisticated colors. Every piece is made to order, by hand. Most pieces have her signature black-and-white checked edge, and all are sealed with a gleaming resin finish which is also heat-, water-, and alcohol-resistant for easy everyday use. Bella Bella by Lara Moore is sold by finer galleries and design professionals coast to coast; almost half of Lara's work is commissioned by private collectors.
“We like paint, but it could never achieve the crispness that defines Bella Bella design.” Paper reveals artist Lara Moore's hand in every subtle variation of curve and line. At once tangible and ephemeral, paper allows her to experiment with layers of translucent, delicately textured color. Dappled areas of saturated color -- a result of the special chemistry of paper, paste and resin -- add to the unique character of each piece. Even "plain" solid colors are transformed. Some say it looks like velvet or sharkskin, others like stained glass or an old fresco. Special layering techniques produce our "patina" and marble" effects for subtlest color. Paper is what makes Bella Bella unlike anything else. It's literally cutting-edge design!
BIDULE - Unusual and High Quality Pepper Mills
Bidule, the husband and wife team of Sylvain Tremblay and Marie-Josee Martinoli, are the artist behind a unique collection of wooden pepper mills aimed at people who want to make the serving of freshly grounded pepper an occasion to remember!
Perfect for yourself, or as a memorable gift, the collection takes on whimsical shapes and sizes and is available in various natural essences of woods. Salt shakers to match are also available in all the shapes. These pepper mills are equipped with high quality mechanisms which are guaranteed for life.
Copper Matte Raku became a popular ceramic technique in the early 1980's. A popular copper formula (90% red copper oxide and 10% flux) is sprayed on the bisque piece and fired to 1900 degree F. The pot is removed red hot and placed into a metal can containing combustible materials such as paper, straw or pine needles. Smoke reacts with the hot copper to create the multicolored effect. At around 900*F the pot is quenched with cold water to freeze the color. The colors, resembling peacock copper ore, range from purple, blue and maroon to a bright gold. Often they are metallic or iridescent and sometimes a coppery patina is achieved.
Copper Matte Raku is very temperamental and fraught with so many variables that consistent results are often elusive. The spectacular color and dramatic patterns are exciting and make this very challenging process a rewarding one.
ETCHED GLASS
Care of Etched Glass, If the surface has been carefully abrasive etched, you will find that the surface has been handrubbed with a silicone finish to achieve the soft matte lustre. You can clean with a damp cloth. If the surface begins to have a "dry" appearence, sparingly wipe on a small amount of Armoral and your surface will be replenished. Do not spray the surface directly with Armoral.
FEATHER BEDS FOWL DWELLINGS RUSTIC BIRDHOUSE SCULPTURE BY H. LYNN PEER
These wonderful, whimsical, one-of-a-kind birdhouse sculptures are constructed from old weathered barn wood and embellished with found objects.
Each Rustic Birdhouse Sculpture is unique – no two are alike. They are perfect for the bird- and art-lover’s garden, deck, patio, yard, porch or hung from your favorite tree or fence.
Let your imagination run wild in deciding where to display this piece of art at your home. It is appropriate for both indoor and outdoor home environments. Keep them inside to use as a conversation piece or as a central focus of your outside garden. The dwellings are spacious enough to house multiple bird families, as each compartment has its own floor space to provide a habitat for a nesting bird and her new family.
Custom orders made to your specification are also available through Paddiwhack.
We began making beautifully crafted brooms, bellows and feather goods more than a decade ago. Our brooms are so perfectly authenticated with pride of craftsmanship that they have been exhibited at galleries, craft shows and museums, including The Smithsonian. They have been editorialized in leading national magazines including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, Family Circle, The Washington Post, The New York Times as well as numerous other leading newspapers and contemporary craft books. We fully guarantee our products and are confident about the high quality, craftsmanship, design and style of each items.
Brooms
Our brooms are handcrafted with pride and care using the techniques of the 1800s broomsquires. They are made of quality broomcorn. The hair-like bristles and natural oils on the corn repel and discard dirt; all of the fiber-like grains, only broomcorn is suitable for brooms. Our brooms are wrapped on an 1800s broomwinder. All the brooms are highly functional as well as decorative. They will provide the perfect compliment to any home décor or hearth for years to come. All hearth brooms are made with Shaker flat sweeps. Self-standing, Colonial round-sweep brooms are available by request, just call Paddiwhack and we would be happy to place a custom order for you.
Feather Dusters
The feather dusters are superior to any other natural or man-made fiber for dusting. As you dust, the feathers completely envelop the object. The dust is picked up by the natural oils on the feathers and your objects are left perfectly clean with just a flick of the wrist. Shaking out the duster after use along with an annual steaming (a tea kettle works just fine) helps retain its effectiveness and natural beauty for many, many years.
Feather Fans
While the fan originated in the Orient, many thousands of years ago, it can be found in almost every country and culture. It has been used for cooling and for decoration and also as a sign of status as a means of communication.
HIPPOS HANDCRAFTED PRODUCTS - Exquisitely Rugged Cowhide Goods & Accessories - Dan Groussman, Leather Artisan
Since 1992, Dan Groussman has been crafting his wares by hand without using a sewing machine, only simple hand tools. He combines the finest domestic oil-tanned cowhide with simple saddle-tack hardware to create a line of ruggedly exquisite leather goods. By remaining loyal to traditional crafting method, his hand-stitched work is now recognized worldwide as being rare and ambitious. Painstakingly made one-at-a-time in his Northwest studio, Dan’s work appeals to those who seek unequaled quality and old-world craftsmanship.
Hippo Products uses only the finest oil-tanned cowhide. It's very durable, weather resistant, and looks better with age and use. Dan Groussman buys leather from Wisconsin and Texas, the byproduct of our nation's dairy and beef industries. None of these animals were raised for their leather. No Hippopotamuses were harmed in the making of his products, contrary to popular belief. He chose the name because the word "hippopotamus" is fun to say, tricky to spell, and stands for the finest in custom, handstitched leather products.
SCULPTURES BY JAY ROTBERG - Images of Love
Get swept up in the sheer power of emotion in Jay Rotberg’s popular “Images of Love” collection. With simplicity and quiet dignity, Rotberg’s creations capture comfort in a hug, passion in an embrace, love in a gesture. They all feature friends and families wrapped in togetherness. They depict abandon and joy, compassion and understanding, strength and hope.
“The children, mothers and fathers are a joy to sculpt,” Rotberg says. “I elongate the design to emphasize vitality and movement. And I choose the abstract to nudge the viewers’ imaginations, to encourage them to bring their own reality of love to the work.”
These replicas of Rotberg’s work are made of bonded marble resin. They are finished in patinas of bronze and verdigris.
Jefferson Mack Metal utilizes traditional blacksmithing techniques to produce beautifully distinct pieces of functional art. Each piece is forged at temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees and hammered by hand. Pliable when glowing hot, the iron is shaped into graceful, flowing forms.
The hammered texture of the metal evokes an historic mode and when blended with contemporary design, makes our work far from ordinary. Rather than produce what has been done before, we create organic forms that embrace the craft of blacksmithing.
Whimsical and romantic, Laura Spector’s rustic creations are equally at home in the garden or living room. Each piece is handcrafted and one-of-a-kind.
Her work falls into three categories:
“For the Garden,” described as enchanted and wild – perfect in a woodland setting or formal English landscape.
“For the Home,” where nature’s grace comes out of the woods and into the heart of the home.
And “Follies” that can create a focal point in the home and garden. “I’ve always enjoyed working in contrasts and extremes, combining the natural with the refined, playing with scale and proportion.”
LUNA BELLA, INC. - Nicolas Trujillo & Teresa Costa
Nicolas Trujillo and Teresa Costa have been designing lighting and furniture jointly since 1991. Together they founded Luna Bella, Inc. in 1995, manufacturing their exclusive designs in their factories in Miami. With their two facilities working hand-in-hand, one dedicated to metal and the other dedicated to hand-painted finishes and wood, Trujillo and Costa have the unique flexibility to develop timely pieces that keep their growing clientele excited.
Today the Luna Bella collection is a unique line of furniture and home accessories consisting of metal and glass cabinets, end tables, consoles, dressing tables, mirrors, table clocks, accent floor vases, upholstered pieces, table and floor lamps, sconces and chandeliers.
About Luna Bella Lighting
Every piece of lighting is handcrafted and painted individually, creating not only a functional light, but also a piece of art. Some of the mediums used include gold leaf, glass stones, hand blown glass and ceramics. Linens, organic papers, silks and beads are used on shades, reflecting a mood of the past with a flair towards tomorrow.
MOTHERLOOP STUDIOS - Handwoven Tapestries & Accessories by Lisa McClow Berry
Most of the handwoven tapestries feature Lisa McClow’s own hand-dyed yarns with beautiful color variations that change with every dye lot, therefore making each tapestry unique. These yarns are not 100% colorsafe. Please use only water and gentle soap to spot clean.
Pillows are filled with a cloth-covered polyester fiberfill form, backed with upholstery quality fabric, and trimmed with braid or fringe.
Tuffets are filled with high-density upholstery foam and treated for water/spot resistance. Gentle vacuuming is suggested.
The process behind Motherloom Studios - Lisa McClow Berry
"Some of the great museums of the world hold tapestry weaving fragments dating back to the 15th Century B.C.E. Following in the traditions of this ancient art, I have been weaving my creative impressions since 1974."
"After drawing the design, handspun wools, silks and cotton yarns from all over the world are selected and labeled to express the colors and textures for every area of the design. I hand-dye many of the yarns through a multiple-step process to achieve the exact desired colors making each tapestry truly unique."
"Next, I wind nearly five miles of wool warp yarn onto the warping tree!"
"After beaming, threading and sleying 380 warp ends onto the hand-built upright Swedish tapestry loom, the cartoons are mounted behind the warp and weaving begins. Strand by strand, the weft yarn is meticulously “built” upon the warp. I use a variety of both ancient and contemporary tapestry techniques such as: blended and distorted wefts, limning, seeding, hatching, serrated weft joins, interlocks, Soumak, Egyptian knots, slits and more."
"After hand blocking, each finished tapestry is either carefully crafted into a wonderful footstool, sewn into a soft pillow, or mounted on stretcher frames; each one a treasujre for a special spot."
SALVAJ - Functional Art from Recycled Materials
Salvaj functional art includes cotton throw rugs and rug pillows constructed from high quality American made cotton yarn interwoven with quality cotton fabric scrap. Because of our environmental consciousness, we use only excess fabric from clothing manufacturing in our rugs.
All the rugs and pillows are easily washed. Simply machine wash with cold water on a gentle cycle, and allow to air dry (do not place the rug in a dryer). Our customers love these rugs for their kitchens, bathrooms, and other high traffic areas of their homes. These rugs are "limited edition" pieces; each time the loom is warped, the pattern and colors vary. Salvaj hand-weaver Alice Pickett operates from a small family-run studio in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
SCAVENGER FURNITURE ART BY MARK ORR
Scavenger Furniture Art, is a creative endeavor lead by Ann Arbor artist, Mark Orr.
Antique architectural elements such as shutters, stair balusters and door knobs are combined with other found objects from the past and given new life as functional art. The hutches, cabinets, tables, boxes and more that we create are built and painted with a wide variety of techniques. Great care has been take to preserve the look and feel of these much loved pieces of our past. The hand carved ravens and architectural themes found throughout the collection add their own personality to each piece.
Each piece is handmade using authentic antiques and while great care is taken to maintain the Scavenger style, no two pieces are exactly the same. Sizes, colors and treatments will vary depending on the available "scavenged" materials. Since each work is a one of a kind, please feel free to contact us about new pieces and availability.
Ralph Garrett, owner of Shoestring Creations, has been designing and building furniture art since 1988. His pieces have been designed to blend a whimsical, creative look with utility. Based on traditional forms—such as Shaker, early Texas, Spanish, Colonial and Country French—and embellished with his vivid imagination, this handmade furniture is transformed into functional works of art. Made of Ponderosa pine, they include unusual features such as innovative textures, playful illustrations, interesting borders, bright color and nontraditional hardware. Each piece is painted and adorned by hand and varies slightly for a one-of-a-kind effect.
Ralph is proud to run an earth-friendly company, all our products are finished with water base paints and lacquers, and we use all possible scrap pieces with virtually no waste. All of his furniture is built and finished in the small community of Sand Flat, Texas, by a group of talented and conscientious artisans. Pieces range from a 4" x 6" picture frame to a large television armoires.
Shoestring Creations hand-painted pieces come in three main design motifs. "Stripe" is the assembly of 3/4" x 3/4" individual wood strips, creating a whimsical stripe-like presentation. "Hodge Podge" combines wider, fancifully-painted boards that come together in a remarkably patterned arrangement to bring this design its extraordinary look. "Whimsical" is the use of artistic license with color and imagination to create an individual look. You will be pleased to know that the same care and attention to detail is taken in finishing the inside of our cabinets.
TEENA STERN - Limited Edition Individually-Made Cold Cast Bronze Sculptures
These exquisite pieces of art are made of “cold cast bronze.” It is a resin-based material that is impregnated with bronze powder, buffed and polished to achieve the luster of bronze. The artist creates the piece in clay, a mold is made, and each piece is individually cast.
These bronze sculptures are created for indoor and outdoor use. Weathering and time enhances their patina. They should be protected from freezing.
Teena Stern sculptures at Paddiwhack include “The Embrace”, “Hope” and “Girl in the Sun”.