Artfully Elegant — Handmade Jewelry & Handcrafted Gifts

Alexandru Darida was born in 1955 in Transylvania, one of the most fascinating parts of Romania. He grew up in the picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful countryside surrounded by the legend of Dracula’s castle. The foundation of Darida’s accomplishments and international recognition was established at the Ecole de Belle Art in Romania. He expanded the dimensions of his artistic expression through further study at the Benadetti Liberal Academy of Art in Rome and the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Through his extensive travel, Darida has studied the art of the great Masters from Botticelli to Picasso at many of the art museums of Europe. His work has been featured at the Young Images Gallery in Rome, Municipal Comment across Romania, Tribune Gallery, Dales Gallery and the National Museum of Art in Bucharest, Romania. Additionally, his paintings were featured at a 1999 exhibit in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and Romanian Embassy. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Formello-Roma International Prize for Painting. Alexandru Darida’s paintings are romantic expressions of a different time.

3 Sprouts was created by three friends who share a love of babies and an appreciation for unique and modern products. Having worked in design in New York and Toronto for such high profile companies such as Kate Spade, Barneys New York and Holt Renfrew, we were inspired to create a collection that appealed to both parents and children. Since the birth of 3 Sprouts in Spring 2007, we have been fortunate to serve our customers who share our commitment for well-designed baby and children’s products. We love what we do at 3 Sprouts and find great joy in designing products that fit seamlessly into your life and leave you with a smile.

Jackie Huang is a 3D story artist and art teacher whose passion for art transcends the boundaries of various art forms. Three years ago, Jackie discovered the art of needle felting (a form of hand-sculpting objects with wool). What started as a hobby soon became a way for Jackie to bring his designs to life and offer each of his characters a distinct personality, look, and feel. In 2009, Jackie created WoolBuddy after searching for a unique collection of toys for his newborn daughter. Woolbuddy is a collection of unique characters who come to life through the art of needle felting.  Today, the WoolBuddy collection consists of colorful animals, vibrant sea creatures, friendly and lovable monsters, and much more. Highly sought after by fellow artists and art enthusiasts as well as adults and children alike, WoolBuddy has become a household name

Popclox seems to have injected some much needed levity into the world of wall clocks. His Popclox are colorful, fun and most importantly…they are unique. There doesn’t seem to be a child anywhere who does not either have or want to have a Popclox clock on their bedroom wall to enjoy. He starts with laser cut baltic birch plywood, prints it with non-toxic water-based inks, and pre-drills holes on the back for easy hanging. Popclox was formerly known as Modern Moose.

Trained as an industrial designer, Paul Ocepek (o-sep-ik) has been involved professionally in all phases of product development for the last 25 years. He’s designed everything from tvs and toys to telephones and trash cans. Motivated by a burning desire to design and produce unique, well-crafted, and locally made goods (plus the mid-life crisis need to buy a really cool laser cutting machine) Paul launched his first product line in 2010, calling his creations Art Thingys. As his number of product categories grew, the need for a more cohesive umbrella brand became apparent so Paul retired Art Thingys in 2012 and renamed his company Modern Moose. A nod back to his very first piece of 3D wall art, a modern moose design known affectionately as Snoutrageous. Of course, everything is made in Moosachusetts. Paul’s sense of humor, bold use of color and modern artistic sensibility form the backbone of his product lines.

The firing process I use for my pottery is often described as Raku, but the motivation behind my use of this technique might be considered its philosophical opposite. Rather than seeking a harmonious balance or simplicity through my work, I try to achieve dynamic and imaginative results by challenging the boundaries of gravity, material science, chemistry, and sometimes, common sense. Having no formal training helps. I’m not limited by what I’m supposed to know, nor do I feel obligated to follow any well-established procedures. Often, though, I will use traditional style glazes and classic post firing reduction techniques. Other times, I’ll use plant food, steel wool, and horsehair during the firing, and add African porcupine quills at the end to complete a composition. Most times, the results are dramatic. Sometimes the results are dramatically bad, but you’ll never see the bad ones! Each piece I create is unique, each one represents a new and exciting learning experience, and every one is an adventure.

John Sherman describes his paintings as ‘breakthroughs from the archetypal world’. Others have described them as ‘psychologically significant’ works of ‘contemplative artistry’. Sherman also describes himself as a ‘participatory expressionist’, an artist with a self-conscious rapport with the phenomenal world. His paintings utilize texture, color and symbolism to produce works of representational expressionism. Most of his paintings are multi-layer sculptural constructions of collage, paint, acrylic and other media. The surfaces are progressively built up and frequently ‘cracked’ intentionally before application of the final layers. For Sherman, many of his paintings are derived from colors and materials combining into something unexpected, where complex layers of form, line and color are woven together.

Influenced by natural and organic forms, Maeve Harris renders expressions of color and light. Created with a variety of inks and pigments, her paintings reveal a focus on the medium itself. She is interested in the integration of traditional subject matter with contemporary styles and techniques. She fell in love with the creative process at an early age. She feels fortunate to have spent her time exposing herself to a broad spectrum of influences, and is especially affected by works from living artists. Travel and adventure are an important part of her life and she draws from her experiences an optimistic and wholehearted spirit. She enjoys love, laughter, and a good bottle of wine, and is a storyteller at heart.

The Smoke-firing process is derived from primitive firings, in which a mound of burnished and decorated pottery surrounded by buffalo dung, grasses and wood is lit and allowed to burn down. The result is a reduction firing, producing a very earthy finish. I paint with terra sigillata and burnish each piece, bisque fire to 1800 degrees, and then ‘smoke’ each piece over a straw fire, playing with the flame itself. The carbon is then washed off, and the final step is a light coating of wax to bring up the soft shine of the terra sigillata. I am drawn to the primitive quality of this process. My aim is to contrast the primitive, earthy surface with contemporary forms, evoking the themes of ancient cultures. These cultures are the foundations of clay use and decorative techniques. Even in my sculpture forms, I maintain the connection to its core of earth and fire.

Susan Ward creates unique limited edition glass plates, bowls, trays and paperweights as well as picture frames, desk blotters and tables with painstakingly applied handcrafted original designs. She combines a collaged imagery with drawing and painting, reflecting a classical sensibility with a contemporary edge. Her designs are applied layer-by-layer making each an originally executed piece of art. Protected by seven coats of lacquer, these beautiful pieces are meant to be used, as well as admired. Of her artistic vision, Susan Ward says, “I believe that the subtle impact of beauty on individual lives leads to deeper, more permanent changes in society. This begins with our visual perceptions, which are influenced by our environment. By endowing functional objects with beauty, we not only feed the soul, but reinforce a sense of basic integrity in our lives.”

Each highly textured, individualized ceramic bowl or ceramic cup created at Zpots and Vnoelle Studio begins with a beautiful chocolate clay body. Artists Noelle Van Hendrick and Eric Hendrick hand-throw each piece, decorate it with slip to create a textured one-of-a-kind surface, and employ wax resist methods to create deep varied surfaces. The artists view each piece as a unique individual that is part of a family. The glaze colors of earth, forest, and water remain consistent, but the spontaneous line drawings that decorate each piece will vary.

To the artists of Zpots and Vnoelle a mission of world peace begins in home and heart. The studio’s goal is working toward a renewable future, and with this in mind, the electric kilns in the Zpots and Vnoelle Studio are powered by Vermont Cow Power, with electricity generated by the surrounding Vermont farms.

“The “art” of our work is not the work itself…the experiences and moments cultivated around the pieces…the genuine feeling that happens when you are with them…give them…and receive them…that is the art…” – Vnoelle