A message from our Executive Director:
Welcome to Brookfield Craft Center’s Annual Faculty Exhibition! Though we are socially distant, we remain committed to our mission: to preserve the skills of fine craftsmanship and to promote creativity and personal growth through craft education. This, our first virtual exhibition, showcasing the artistic endeavors of our faculty, provides you the opportunity to see firsthand just a small sample of their work and explore their creativity.
Our exceptional faculty are dedicated to their art and to sharing their talents with the community through the exhibition of their work and teaching in our studios. I invite you to check out our class schedule and explore firsthand your own creativity.
Thank you to our sponsor Collins Hannafin of Danbury, CT.
Participating Faculty Artists:
*Click on the images for a closer look
Clay
Karen Dries
Karen, daughter of landscape artist George Stewart, was raised around art her whole life. She studied art at the Silvermine Guild and enjoys continually learning new techniques and styles. Her interests range from pottery to painting to woodworking. Her work with clay combines her love of the wheel and the whimsy of sculpture. Currently, she teaches pottery classes at Brookfield Craft Center. Her joy in creating art is only rivaled by that of teaching others.
Lattice Climber
Karen Dries
Stoneware
6”x4.5” NFS
Mug with Lid
Karen Dries
Stoneware, forest green glaze
3.25”x4” NFS
Ring Holder with Melted Glass
Karen Dries
4.5”x2” NFS
Planter Set
Karen Dries
Brown low-fire clay, white glaze
3.5”x1.5” NFS
Erin Singleton is a functional potter who enjoys creating unique pots and gift items for everyday use such as teapots, match strikers, berry bowls, planters and mugs. There is something magical about turning mud into functional and beautiful art.
Teapot
Erin Singleton
Brown stoneware, matte cobalt blue glaze
7.5”x7”x5.5” $54
Bubble Glaze Teapot
Erin Singleton
White stoneware, white glaze, spearmint and faux celadon bubble glaze
9”x9”x6.5” $82
Karin Mansberg
While staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic I have been sewing face masks with my block printed fabric. Fabric remnants were used to make a series of works titled Tiny Things, miniature collages made with paper and fabric. Leaves, flowers, and insects are small things I like to look at when out in nature, and nature walks have especially helped to revive my mind during this time forced to spend indoors.
Tiny Things Collection
Karin Mansberg
Tiny Things No. 1,2,3,4
Karin Mansberg
Watercolor, gesso, block printed cotton, linen, cotton floss
4.75”x4.25” $40 each
Katie Strano
I am a weaver, a mother, and teacher located in Southbury, CT. Focused on the functional side of weaving, yet drawn to the “what if?” I weave items that are made to be used, loved, and worn in with time. Handmade pieces are often thought to be delicate objects that should only be admired from afar, but to me, the best way my pieces can be best appreciated is by being used; bringing moments of simple pleasure to the everyday.
Deflected Double Weave Scarf
Katie Strano
Tencel – purple layer, 50/50 Merino/silk blend – cream layer
70“x10” with 4″ of twisted fringe on each side. $175
Hand wash in cold water. Air dry.
Please turn monitor up to full brightness for most accurate color representation. Colors may vary slightly from screen to screen.
Large Square Bandana Scarf
Katie Strano
American color-grown cotton, hand-dyed organic American grown cotton, cotton slub
40”x40” with 1.5” of fringe on two sides. $129
Hand wash in cold water. Air dry.
Please turn monitor up to full brightness for most accurate color representation. Colors may vary slightly from screen to screen.
Forge
Matthew Berry
I make blades because they are both art and tools, and require both creativity and a scientific mindset. Trying to fit my creative impulses within the parameters required for superior blade function is a challenge that I find irresistible. The deep symbolic resonance of blades, and especially swords, in European culture is something that I enjoy trying to evoke and manipulate. I make all my pieces to the highest technical and functional standards I can.
The Chelsea Ring
Matthew Berry
Solid sterling silver
Made to order in sizes 7-14. $100
Indo-Persian Kard
Collaboration between Matthew Berry and Robert Burns
Damascus steel, petrified walrus ivory, bronze, garnet
$8,000
Photography credit SharpbyCoop
15th Century Bastard Sword
Matthew Berry
Steel, wrought iron, bronze, hardwood, leather
NFS
Photography credit SharpbyCoop
Anglo-Saxon Sword
Matthew Berry
Damascus steel, bronze, silver, horn, petrified walrus ivory, jewelers resin, leather, hardwood, felt
NFS
Photography credit SharpbyCoop
Chris Doherty
Chris took his first class in blacksmithing way back in the twentieth century and has been losing ground ever since. His work attempts to accommodate the practical demands of functional objects while refining form and incorporating those time consuming touches that modern industrial production has no place for. Other objects are more cerebral and reflect his fascination with the material of steel and how it moves and a certain preoccupation with the boundaries of Craft, Art and the semiotics thereof.
Scrollwork Candlesticks
Chris Doherty
Steel, beeswax, linseed oil
9.5”x7.5”x2.5” $225 for the pair $150 for one
Pinstripe Damascus Knife
Chris Doherty
Steel, unknown wood handle
14.5”x1.75”x1” $400
Anna Koplik
My work focuses mainly on the creation of tools, utensils, and other functional objects. I am inspired by combining the strength of forging with a refined, delicate aesthetic to create powerful yet elegant objects.
Scissor Hand Samples
Forgings
Anna Koplik
Steel
NFS
Spoon
Anna Koplik
Steel
NFS
Scissor Coat Rack
Anna Koplik
Steel, Brass
NFS
Jennifer Petrila
Ferrous metals stern and strong, beautiful in color to be adorned, wrought into items the mind can conceive in fires of delightfulness for all to see. I enjoy forging items that one will put their hands on and use in such a way the item will be forgotten and only the action taking place is the focus.
Hatchax
Jennifer Petrila
Well figured wrought iron with a 5160 insert, hickory handle
NFS
Variety of Axes
Jennifer Petrila
Steel, hickory or ash handles
NFS
Fused Glass
Linda Banks
As a child I was sucked into fused glass during a school demonstration of the craft. I have grown and developed in glass over many years. I love to reflect the joy of life in teaching the process of fusing glass and in the many forms of my fused glass pieces.
Two Rivers Plate
Linda Banks
Fused glass, glass murrini
7.5”x7.5” $95
SOLD
A Bird
Linda Banks
Fused glass in a shadowbox frame
Bird 6”x8” in frame 10”x14” $80
Katherine Corigliano
I wandered into a glass fusing class fourteen years ago. I was captivated by the play of light on glass and the many forms and functions into which it could be made. I have been studying the art of kiln formed glass ever since. Using hand rolled sheet glass or powdered glass, frit, stringer and rods, and inclusions of copper, silver and gold, I employ many techniques to form the glass into functional as well as art pieces.
Spoon Rests
Katherine Corigliano
Fused Glass
9.5”x3.25”x1” Pink $40 Red NFS
Red Plate
Katherine Corigliano
Fused glass
9.75”x2” NFS
Moon Plate
Katherine Corigliano
Fused glass
9.5”x9”x1.25” $70
Bubble Plate
Katherine Corigliano
Fused glass, glass stringer
7.25”x7.25”x2.5” $95
Lightning Plate
Ellen Morrell
Fused diver reactive glass with other glass
9.75”x9.75”x1” $150
Sacred Feathers Plate
Ellen Morrell
Fused glass, platinum decal
10”x10”x1” $180
Glass/Jewelry
Maureen Henriques
Maureen Henriques has degrees in Photography and Graphic Design, and taken metalworking and jewelry classes at Parsons School of Design, so it was only natural that she go into waitressing. She first saw lampworked beads at a small craft show in 1996 and decided to take the plunge. Diving in, Maureen taught herself the basics of bead making. Maureen is now a full time glass and metalworker and teacher, selling her work, and teaching in galleries studios, and shops nationwide.
Bug Brooch
Maureen Henriques
Sterling silver, aquamarine, corundum, amethyst
3”x3” $375
Bug Brooch II
Maureen Henriques
Sterling silver, green sapphire, picasso jasper, peridot
3”x3” $390
Agita’s Choice Bracelet
Maureen Henriques
Sterling silver, idiocrase, prehnite, green sapphire, aquamarine, grey moonstone
8” NFS
Stick and Stone NecklaceMaureen Henriques
Sand cast sterling silver twigs, red, pink, blue, and green sapphire, tanzanite, grey moonstone
25” $2400
Dawn Lombard
Dawn spent nearly 25 years in corporate America where she had to ‘color inside the lines’. She began making glass beads as a way to relax from the daily grind. That was 17 years ago and today, she is living the dream as a full time artist in the Pocono Mountains. She now colors ‘outside the lines’ making whimsical and colorful art jewelry utilizing powdered glass and various metals.
Meta Necklace
Dawn Lombard
Copper, enamel, topaz, brass, leather
1.75”x1.75” $285
Meta II Necklace
Dawn Lombard
Copper, enamel, brass, leather
2”x2” $265
533 Brooch
Dawn Lombard
Copper, enamel, amethyst, stainless steel
1”x2.75” $120
Wings Earrings
Dawn Lombard
Copper, enamel, sterling silver
1.75”x7/8” $70
Gosia Paszczuk
While molten glass is an unforgiving and challenging medium, I also find it magical, captivating and mesmerizing. Using an age-old process of flameworking and driven by my fascination with color, I melt soft glass on a mixed fuel torch to create beads. Inspired by geometry, I seek balance amidst organized chaos. I incorporate my glass creations into original silver and copper jewelry designs using various techniques including wire wrapping, fusing and soldering.
Crayola Statement Necklace
Gosia Paszczuk
Glass, copper
Centerpiece – 5” wide x 3” high. 17” with 2” extender. $395
Field Flowers Necklace
Gosia Paszczuk
Glass, silver
Pendant 3.5”x2” with 16”chain
I Used To Be a Booze Bottle Earrings
Gosia Paszczuk
Recycled glass, Argentium silver .935
1.75” length $35
Jewelry/Forge
Nicholas K. Downing
Nicholas enjoys the challenge of creating objects that are functional and beautiful. He strives to make things that are pleasing to the eye, feel good in the hand, and perform their function well. He loves the visceral response that people have when they interact with handmade objects. His work strives to highlight the innate nature of the materials from which they were crafted. He looks to artisans of the past for inspiration but applies his own contemporary sensibilities.
Storm Sea Ring
Nicholas K. Downing
Oxidized sterling silver
Size 7 $200
Ring can be re-sized.
Forged Jade Ring
Nicholas K. Downing
Sterling silver, green jade, rhodolite garnet
Size 9 $375
Ring can be re-sized up to two sizes larger.
Apex Ring
Nicholas K. Downing
Oxidized sterling silver
Size 7 $150
Ring can be re-sized.
Sterling Cuff
Nicholas K. Downing
Sterling silver cast from a forged original
Size 6.5 $375
My work is an exploration of the physical relationship we have with jewelry -how this connection can influence both the piece and the wearer in hopes of developing an emotional connection to the work. These ideas manifest themselves through investigations of material, color, and movement.
Half Circle Swivel Brooch
Nathalie Maiello
Brass, sterling silver, powder coat
3.25”x1.5”x.25” NFS
Arch Swivel Brooch
Nathalie Maiello
Brass, sterling silver, powder coat
3.25”x2.5”x.25” NFS
Oval Swivel Brooch
Nathalie Maiello
Brass, sterling silver, powder coat
3.25”x2”x.25” NFS
Circle Swivel Brooch
Nathalie Maiello
Brass, sterling silver, powder coat
2.5”x2.5”x.25” NFS
Lori, metalsmith and designer behind LMM Design, creates handcrafted jewelry using modern & ancient techniques. After growing up in western NY and attending college in Rochester, NY and London, England, she moved to Connecticut in 2008 and found BCC where her love (addiction) for working with metal started. Finding inspiration in nature and geometry, she works in 24k gold, fine silver, silver, copper and gemstones, using various techniques including Keum-boo, Fold-forming, anticlastic/synclastic forming, forging and cold connections.
Ripple Necklace
Lori Meehan
Sterling silver
Pendant 2.5” chain 16” with 2” extender $80
Earrings
Lori Meehan
Sterling silver
3.5” $60
Fringe Necklace
Lori Meehan
Sterling silver
Pendant 3.5” chain 17” with 2” extender $95
Small Square Geometry Necklace
Large Square Geometry Necklace
Lori Meehan
Sterling silver
Sm Square pendant 1” chain 16.5” with 2” extender $70
Lg Square pendant 2.25” chain 20” with 2” extender $85
My jewelry involves the blending of organic shapes, contrasting crisp lines and geometrics. I consider texture, dimension, color, and even sound. I hand fabricate pieces with an eye towards both function and form, frequently including hidden design elements known only to the wearer. I work primarily in silver and gold, with pearls and cut and rough gemstones as accents.
The Raw Collection uses vivid stones whose colors and textures occur naturally, balanced with the flash of gold against black
Veldt from the Raw Collection
Rachel Morris
18kt gold, sterling silver, green Uvarovite garnet druzy, raw diamond, blackened sterling silver byzantine chain
1.75”x1”x0.5” $1,495
Petrified from the Raw Collection
Rachel Morris
18kt gold, sterling silver, petrified wood druzy, raw diamond, blackened nesting sterling silver chain
2”x1”x0.5” $1,495
Blushed from the Raw Collection
Rachel Morris
18kt gold, sterling silver, pink Cobalto Calcite druzy, pink sapphire, blackened sterling silver byzantine chain
2.25”x1”x0.5” $1,495
Painting
Souby Boski
Down time is a valuable artist tool – stirring up emotions, reactions and curiosity leading to creativity. When starting a painting I am not overly concerned with description. Merging descriptive incidentals captured during “down time” with immediate reactions and intuitive responses to the subject I strive to create distinct moods. I attempt to stir up the ‘essence’ of a remembered place, light on objects, a season or time of day…the magic before the light changes and the moment is gone.
Falls
Souby Boski
Oil on canvas
20”x20” $400
Falls #2
Souby Boski
Oil on canvas
10”x10” $200
Falls #3
Souby Boski
Oil on canvas
14”x11” $350
Rushing Brook
Souby Boski
Oil on canvas
20”x20” $400
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
More than just a Portrait moment caught in time, I have always loved and been intrigued by how some portraits capture so much more than “just the looks” of a subject – but the personal character within. This challenge to find inner spirit has been the driving force behind my Pet and Child portraiture my whole life. I strive to find this defining spirit through pencils or paintbrushes –whether I am working in Graphite, Charcoal, Watercolors, Pen & Ink, or Oils.
In loving Memory of Eric Sebastian Marsden
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
Charcoal on toned art paper. Framed
22”x20” $1500
Oak Leaves
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
Watercolor with Pen & Ink with mat in protective sleeve
11”x14” $150
Sophie Dreaming of Home
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
Oil painting on stretched canvas. Framed
11”x14” $2000
Sydney at Asbury
ShawnaLee Kwashnak
Acrylic on panel
20″x16” NFS Private collection
Photography
Colin Harrison
Colin grew up on the North Sea coast of England. Photography entered his life at age seven in the form of a Kodak Brownie and has been a continuing passion. After studying engineering and physics, he worked as an engineer in Europe and the United States. He is now “retired” in Brookfield, CT. Retirement has offered the time to concentrate on his passion and pursue his deeper interests in minimalism and photographing abstract patterns in nature.
Hidden Wolf
Colin Harrison
Digital Photograph available as a print
8”x11” $35 13”x19” $150 27”x40” $300
Elisabeth Levy
Photography for me is a Spiritual Practice — a continuous pursuit of a higher level of awareness. Essentially it is about connecting as closely as possible to Earth and the other Elements of my Life. Camera in hand, I am able to tune in to more of the beauty and profundity in the everyday. Words I live by and teach are: “Look, Look Again.”
Algae Art #4
Elisabeth Levy
Digital photograph on stretched canvas, gilted frame, linen liner
20.5”x29” $350
Algae Art #5
Elisabeth Levy
Digital Photograph on stretched canvas, gilted frame, linen liner
20”x24” $330
DR in Gold
Elisabeth Levy
Metallic digital photo print, matted frame
14”x18” $275
Moonlight ADK
Elisabeth Levy
Analog photograph, matted frame
24”x19.5” $250
Wood
Jim Degen
Wood is a fascinating medium used to create a wide variety of turned objects, from functional to purely decorative. Every piece has its unique features of color, texture, grain pattern and sometimes hidden defects (opportunities). I let the wood speak to me so I can maximize what it has to offer. I sometime enhance the features of the wood with piercing, carving, texturing, or color, but never mask or cover what the wood offers. The wood speaks for itself.