Showcase – Page 3 – ASHFORD AREA ARTS COUNCIL

Michael W. Hughey

Michael Hughey, a Craftsman and Artist in letterforms and the book arts has had a love affair with beautiful letters and beautiful books since childhood. Originally from Asheville, he lived for many years in NC but now resides in Northeast CT. His calligraphic works are published both nationally and internationally and collected in public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum, NYC, and the Bahá’í World Centre, Haifa, Israel. He feels that even in an age of increasing technology, “…there is, indeed, an important place in human society for the warmth, beauty, and grace that calligraphy can bring to our lives.”

He exhibits note cards, limited-edition prints, and original calligraphy at the Ashford Farmer’s Market. He also teaches both calligraphy & handwriting privately.

John Boiano – Oakes Hollow Pottery

John creates usable art that reflects the beauty and spirit of the natural world. Each piece is as unique as nature itself, with subtle variations in texture, size, and color that make every item one of a kind. Making pottery is more than a craft — it’s a meditation and a spiritual connection with the elements of earth, water, air, and fire. Every piece is made with love and intention, bringing beauty, balance, and purpose into your everyday life through usable works of art. Find his work on Facebook

Oakes Hollow Mud Werks
John Boiano pottery bowls

Oakes Hollow Mud Werks
Ashford artist John Boiano pottery

AAAC Artists at the Ashford Farmers Market

The following artists will be vendors at the new INDOOR Ashford Farmers Market. This will be in the Knowlton Hall, Sunday mornings.

Michael W. Hughey, Craftsman and Artist in letterforms and the book arts has had a love affair with beautiful letters and beautiful books since childhood. Originally from Asheville, he lived for many years in NC but now resides in Northeast CT. His calligraphic works are published both nationally and internationally and collected in public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum, NYC, and the Bahá’í World Centre, Haifa, Israel. He feels that even in an age of increasing technology, “…there is, indeed, an important place in human society for the warmth, beauty, and grace that calligraphy can bring to our lives.”

He will exhibit note cards, limited-edition prints, and original calligraphy at the Ashford Farmer’s Market, Dec. 3rd & 17th, 10AM to 12:30 PM. He also teaches both calligraphy & handwriting privately.

John Boiano – Oakes Hollow Mud Werks
John is a potter who creates usable art inspired by nature. He is continually delving into new color schemes and design styles that borrow from the past while expanding creative boundaries.

Song baskets

Deb Aldo

Mosaic maker, teacher, explorer, and intrepid traveler.

Deb is a trained Landscape Architect who has spent years focused on the act of creating. She began drawing as a toddler and as she grew she moved on to painting, and finally to dimensional objects and the creation of spaces such as gardens, way-finding, and public art.

Deb began making mosaics in 1997. Her education and background in art and landscape architecture led her to work on large-scale outdoor pebble and stone mosaic terraces, fountains, and wall hangings. She has completed both interior and exterior works for residential and commercial clients such as hospitals, boutique hotels, and restaurants. Among her clients is the city of Hollywood FL, the town of Killingly CT, and most well-known of all Tom Brady and his wife Giselle Bundchen.

Deb has received numerous awards for her art and her work has been on exhibit at SAMA Mosaic Arts International, The Museum of Glass in Tacoma, WA, and Galleries in Ireland, Austria, and all across America. She has worked in collections internationally and has taught all over the world including in Guatemala and Europe.

Visit her website

Alison Ciarlante

I’m an artist and Peace Rock spreader. Spreading Peace One Rock at a Time! Mandalas are my fav. It all started on April 1st, 2009. I was having a bad day, so I decided to paint a picture to make it brighter. I took a rock and painted a Peace symbol on it.

My art centers around Peace, Love and Dogs. I love to paint on rocks. I love art that inspires and makes you feel good. I also love to make cards.
Find her on Facebook
Etsy
Instagram

Mark Drobney

Mark works in laser designs on wood glass and other items. He creates unique gifts such as glassware, kitchen items, coasters, window art. You can purchase through his website, Creative Mark Engraving.

Steve Gerling

Into the Lake Watercolor on Arches 140# cold press 8 1/2” x 11 1/2”. 2022

Steve Gerling has been doing relief woodcarving since the mid-1970’s. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UConn, with a major in sculpture. After school, he was drawn to the additional challenges of relief carving. Not only did an object have to be sculpted but it had to be skillfully distorted
in scale, perspective, and space to create an image convincing to the viewer.
Traditionally, most relief work was intended as decoration or embellishment to works of architecture or fine cabinetry. Steve chooses to make the carving the primary object. While much of the work were objects of fine woodworking, using them as a utilitarian frame, the main focus of attention has always been the carving.

Contact Steve via email.

Joe Burger

After retiring from a Mechanical Engineering career in 2009, I began my art journey with drawing and painting classes with a number of local instructors. I dabbled in pastel, oil, and colored pencil, but my preferred medium is watercolor, and my works are usually in the traditional realistic style. I belong to a number of art groups and am grateful for the many friends and acquaintances that art has brought my way. Sometimes I do commissions, everything from fighter jets to homesteads to puppy portraits and anything in between. Currently I teach watercolor at the Windsor Locks Senior Center.

“The Vermonter,” traveling northbound over the Warehouse Point railroad bridge.
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 20 x 26

“Wave Watchers,” a scene on a Florida beach.
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 23 x 19
Price: $250

“Somethin’ Fishy,” a work boat returning with the day’s catch.
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 26 x 21
Price: $300

“The Art Show”
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 14 x 18, framed
Price: $270

“Old Dogs,” buddies on Crane Beach in Ipswich MA.
Medium: Colored Pencil & Watercolor
Size: 14 x 17
Price: $500

“The Ocean Calls,”
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 16 x 20, framed
Price: $300

“Glory Days,” a Lockheed Super Constellation in Lufthansa markings.
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 39 x 14
Price: $400

To purchase originals or prints, please contact Joe directly.
Click on a pic above to see slideshow.

Sold Works by Joe Burger:

Nancy Bunnell

Nancy Cooke Bunnell, an award-winning pastel and acrylic painter. Her work ranges from realism to energetic abstractions. Her time is split between creating paintings and teaching others. She is an experienced artist and certified art teacher for over 18 years teaching to all ages with art trained at SCSU, UConn, and ECSU. She is presently teaching abstraction at the Glastonbury Art Guild and a skill and creative based program for homeschool children at Willington Library. She has also taught art at the Community School of Arts, the Art Center East, West Hartford Art League, and MCC. Her pastels have won first in the state at the CT Pastel Society and has won numerous high -ranking awards at Art Center East, the Munson Art Center. d throughout the state. Nancy has also shown work on Canyon Rd. in New Mexico.

Kathy Weigold, Weaver

Kathy Weigold

Kathy is working on her 300 year old loom making rugs to sell at the Holiday Artists Market on November 16 and 17 at Knowlton Hall in Ashford, CT. Kathy also will also have her all-time favorites including towels, scarves and mini capes. New this year are firewood carriers made with old clothing. Sturdy nylon straps make carrying easy; they hold at least 40 lbs of wood.

Kathy Weigold has made a career of production weaving. Subcontracting work from designers of handwoven fabrics, she makes their designs become a reality. Spanning 40 years plus, many miles of fabrics have been produced.
Kathy learned production weaving skills at The Marshfield School of Weaving in VT. A lifetime of honing those skills, both in operating the loom and seeing how colors interact. Kathy also developed her own line of woven goods. First with rugs, having a practical bent and using things on hand. What better use for old worn out clothes, sheets, blankets and the like then to make them into something usable again. Dish towels that are 100% cotton and really work.
Scarves that have their own personality; no two alike. Wooly ponchos, soft, light and warm.
Color interactions that simply amaze. These are some of the things that comprise her work and life.