Our Instructors
Allen, Linda
Linda has been weaving baskets since 1987. Linda works with a variety of materials, including reed, bark and most recently waxed linen and beads. She is known for her intricate patterns and for incorporating various materials into her designs. Linda has won first place and best of show at the Lewis County Fair, as well as several awards at the New York State Fair. Her miniature basket won best at show at the Stowe Basketry Festival.
Barton, Gretchen
Educated as a teacher, Gretchen has done all kinds of needlecraft arts. Starting in needlepoint, she evolved into crewelwork, cut work, and black work. Through the Embroidery Guild of America, she started designing and doing pieces to become certified as a Master of Needlepoint. Gretchen then turned to knitting because it was the most portable craft. In 2006, she joined The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA) and in 2011 became a TKGA Certified Master Knitter.
Bigelow, Win
Win is a Glemville, NY resident and a retired GE employee.He is a life-long Adirondack sportsman, and has been a long time antique tool collector and user. Win belongs to several national early tool and trades organizations and is an active member of he Mabee Farm Historical Site in Schenectady County, where he can often be found demonstrating the use of early tools and techniques at events.
Blakney-Carlson, Robin
Robin is a felting instructor and fiber artist at Luckystone Feltworks Studio in the historic Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. She studied at California College of the Arts and Crafts, Munson Williams Proctor School of Art and with many master-feltmakers. Her work has been represented in exhibitions and galleries in New York and New England. Robin began felting in the mid ’90s, under the tutelage of her sister, Polly Stirling, well known in the fiberarts world for developing the technique she named nuno felt. Robin writes, “Our mother was an artist and an expert seamstress. She taught me to respect the need to create something uncommon, with a requisite technical skill. Making wearables is second nature to me, but the medium of felt expands the potential for exploration in every direction. When I am felting, I find my sense of balance; it’s a very tactile, meditative process.”
Braico, John
John, a Glens Falls resident, has grown up “with a fishing rod in his hand”. John settled in the Adirondacks to pursue his medical career, as well as his angling and environmental interests. He is the founder of the Adirondack Chapter of Trout Unlimited and he continues to serve as the TU President. His 25 year teaching career includes topics such as fly tying, casting and fishing, rod making, stream entomology, stream mechanics, stream analysis and stream restoration. In addition to awards too numerous to mention, John was the winner of the Silver Trout Conservation award, an inductee of the Outdoorsman Hall of Fame and was named the 2009 Conservationist of the Year by the NYS division of the American Fisheries Society. In addition to fly-fishing for trout in the Adirondacks, John loves fly-fishing for Atlantic Salmon in Quebec and Striped Bass in New England.
Breuer, Theresa
Theresa has been creating botanical lampshades for more than twelve years. She first practiced and learned the craft at Lean-2 Studio in Adirondack where she worked for over ten years. She is now the owner and head designer at Northeast Living Lights where her works of art include wall sconces, hanging pendants and even chandeliers. All of her shades are made by hand using botanicals she finds here in the Adirondacks. Theresa’s wall sconces and hanging pendants are crafted using the same technique and feature birch bark and driftwood accents.
Carter, Connie
Connie, whose family is Mohawk Indian, was born and raised in Fulton County New York. Her father who was an accomplished wood-carver, bead weaver and ink artist, schooled her from a very young age. She has been inkle loom and finger weaving since 2001. Each of the Indian Nations have a unique perspective of colors and patterns. Connie shares he art, as well as her love and appreciation of history, by providing demonstrations at Mabee Farms, historical events, guild gatherings, art shows and pow-wows.
Caldwell, Sam
Sam grew up in Bolton Landing, NY and then went off to college outside of the area and got his degree in history. In some ways this might have prepared him for the career which is deeply rooted in historical and traditional building methods. He moved back east and started working on a carpentry crew building a post and beam house. This led to Sam becoming more interested in timber framing and after reading everything he could get his hands on, he started on his own building more and more unique timber frame structures. He did his first frame building with minimal tools and his books spread out in front of him. The frame was 12×16 and he lived in that structure for several years. Since that time, Sam has build the same frame structure four more times gaining more and more skill. With his brother Ruben, a licensed architect, they started Blue Line Barn several years ago. They are focused on traditional as well unique and challenging frame structures. Anything from outhouses and woodsheds to cathedral like massive barns. The Toad Hill Maple Farm sugarhouse in Thurman, New York is our most public frame.
Cassevaugh, Connie
Growing up in the Adirondack Mountains, Connie was fortunate to have Rockwell Kent as a family friend and neighbor. She remembers visits to his studio and being impressed by his powerful paintings and by his philosophy of art. This relationship, as well as a natural ability, helped form her decision to become an artist. After graduating from Pratt Institute she continued in the art field. In the past few years her interests have turned to researching 19th century paintings and the impact technology has played in influencing what was painted and how it was painted. Connie paints full time and incorporates much of this research into her current work.
Cassidy, Betty
Betty an avid storyteller has taught college English and Speech for over 23 years. Having lived in or near the Adirondacks for all of her life, she has participated in regular Capital District Story Telling programs in Saratoga. She was a featured artist in the Story Circle at Proctor’s Tellabration, Caffe Lena, and A.L.L. (Academy for Lifelong Learning) in Saratoga to name just a few.
Collins, Sandy
Sandy Collins is an accomplished self-taught quilter having designed and completed more than fifty quilts in the past 20 years. Her skill and willingness to share her knowledge led to teaching friends and neighbors, eventually conducting classes in her home. She is accomplished in both hand and machine quilting and always enjoys learning new techniques from other accomplished quilters. Students can expect a thoroughly enjoyable learning environment from a master quilter with love for the art and concern for her student’s experience.
Cooper-Kenny, Hilary
Hilary Cooper-Kenny retired after 30 years as a nurse to embark on her career as a weaver. She is the owner of “Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio”, on Rte 4 in Hudson Falls where she weaves rugs, scarves, towels, totes, placemats, table runners, and more. Her hand-woven rugs are very much in demand. She is the happy owner of 15 looms to date, all sizes, ages, and kinds. Hilary sells her wares from her shop, as well as on-line and at various stores throughout the United States. She is an accomplished instructor offering personal, one on one instruction in weaving, and also hosts weaving weekends for 1-5 people at her studio in Hudson Falls.
Cornelius, Beverly
Beverly, an outstanding artist began weaving in 1996. Her hobby quickly became a serious study of decorative, as well as utilitarian basketry. Initially, she hand-shaped her baskets on a reed foundation and then she studied extensively with Master Shaker Weaver Joanne Kelly Catsos. Her baskets can be seen in many local art shows, including, but not limited to The Designer Craft Council at the Schenectady Museum and the Fence Show at the Arts Center of the Capital Region. Beverly has demonstrated her weaving skills at the Mabee Farm Historic Site for 3 years, Fort Crailo and at the Schenectady Green Market. In addition to teaching and sharing her skills and her love of the tradition of basketry, Beverly an active member of the Northeast Basketmaker’s Guild.
Easterly, Eileen
Eileen, with a Master’s degree in Education has taught her entire adult life. Her career has been built on creating training and curriculum for adult learners. Eileen, has been invited to teach weaving at many different well-known fiber-arts festivals, including the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival, Maine Fiber Frolic, Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival, Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival, and the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival. She has been teaching hands-on classes for over 15 years. She is also a member of the Hudson-Mohawk Weaver’s Guild and studied weaving at the John C. Campbell Folk School.
Eberhardt, Christine
Chrissey believes in the priceless value of traditional skills and the need to pass them along to others. Her aunt taught her the art of soap making more than thirty (30) years ago. Today, she has a small soap making business and is frequently featured at local farmers’ markets. In addition to soap making, Christine is an avid spinner, weaver, flax-processor and does pot-dyeing using materials gathered from the woods.
Evans, Deborah
Deb has been a professional potter and fine artist since for the 70’s. Holding a MFA in ceramics from the University of North Dakota, Deb has taught ceramics and sculpture since 1985. A former Raku Artist in Residence for the Syracuse City Schools, she has also worked for the Metropolitan School for the Arts in Syracuse, taught pottery and crafts at the Adirondack Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake and the Arts Center in Old Forge, NY. As an artist, she has had a wide range of awards and exhibitions to her credit and volunteers regularly for many activities within the park.
Finchbaugh, Janet
Janet received her degree from Ball State University and was a speech therapist for several years. During that time, she took classes in needlework at the Elsa Williams School of Needlework in Massachusetts. She taught needlework for several years and was a member of the Adirondack Artisans (a group of artists from the Adirondack area). More than 25 years ago, she studied floor cloth stenciling with a member of the Society of Early American Decorators. Janet and her art have been featured in several publications, including Early American Life Magazine’s Directory of the 200 best craftspeople in the country. She has rugs in several state and federal historic sites, including the John Jay House in Westchester, New York.
Fleming, Walter
Walt is a well-known 19th Century Tinsmith from Saratoga County who learned his trade as an apprentice with Master tinsmith Charles Hartwell in 1985. He has lectured and demonstrated his trade for museums and historical societies in New York, New England, Virginia including the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and the Rushlight Society. On several occasions, he has been judged best early tradesman in the United States by Early American Life magazine. He has produced pieces for collections ranging from the Farmers Museum at Cooperstown, NY, Sacket Harbor Historical site, Abraham Lincolns home, to the White House. Walt is a consultant on a permanent exhibit of early American Tinsmithing at the Farmers Museum and also teaches for the New York State Historical Association and many other historical sites.
French, Margaret
Margaret has always told stories to the children in her life. Since retiring, she enjoys sharing stories with adults as well: of her Canadian heritage, her home in upstate New York (especially Saratoga where she has often led summer walking tours), folktales from around the world, and personal and family stories that reflect her gently humorous take on the foibles of humankind. She has performed at Tellebration, Proctors, Glen Sanders, the Riverway Storytelling Festival, Caffè Lena, senior groups, Fall Fest in Saratoga, Freedom Park in Scotia, the Capital District Story Circle, the GE 50 year club, libraries of the Southern Adirondack Library System and upper Hudson library system, and other venues in New York, Connecticut, Kansas, and Texas. In addition, she has led storytelling workshops for Hospice, the Academy for Lifelong Learning and others.
Games, Roberta
Roberta, an Adirondack resident, spends countless hours in the outdoors observing and gathering the natural elements she incorporates into her designs. She was the owner of Fern Mountain Designs, that was well know for their distinctive floral arrangements. A Biology and Art major in college, she loves to create with an emphasis on the natural surroundings found in the Adriondacks blending her two majors. She also brings her knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area to her classes. As a multiple award-winning designer, Robert has many years of experience teaching and sharing her “Floral Art”.
Ginter, Laura
Laura is a registered nurse who had a wonderful career in the field serving in maternity, school nursing, nursing education, and health education. She held certifications as a school nurse-teacher, health educator and diabetes educator. Then taking her teaching experience, Laura turned her attention to basket making in the early 1990′s, operate a business, BasketThyme, and enjoy the bounty of the Adirondacks with her husband, two children and grandchildren. She has been taught by many national and Adirondack basket weavers and holds membership in the Northeast Basket Guild.
Goldberg, Patricia
Patricia is a former computer programming consultant and owner of her own consulting company. Her interest in gardening stems from her early years in the Adirondacks, watching her parents work with their rock garden, vegetable garden and houseplants. She brings to the garden her love of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers, and the excitement generated while watching a seed turn into a dinner dish. Patricia has been gardening in one form or another for as long as she can remember. She was introduced to the square foot method about 20 years ago and has used it ever since. Patricia has been a member of the Lake Luzerne community since childhood and as an active resident of our town, she hopes this class will be yet one more way she can give back to the area she loves.
Guenther, Steven C.
Steven, a NYS Forest Ranger, has extensive experience in forestry and land surveying. Prior to becoming a Ranger, Steven taught surveying at Paul Smith’s College. He has taught map and compass programs to search and rescue organizations, including volunteer fire departments. Based on his skill and knowledge, Steven has developed and presented exhibits and seminars at the NYS White Tail Exposition, the NYS Sportsman’s Show as well as at numerous high school career days.
Haas, Franz
Franz has an unquenchable passion for the science of home brewing beer, meads, and wines. An engineer by training, he has been an active brewer for over 25 years. Franz is a Recognized Beer Judge and has trained with master brewers to better understand the ingredients and methods for creating quality craft beverages. He claims to be nearing his life quest – to create The Ultimate Beer. He has often been daunted by production of mere Great Beers, but soldiers on, sculpting new recipes, hunting down elusive ingredients, and perfecting the methodologies of the home brew craft. He comes to the Adirondack Folk School to spread the message of Great Beers and to enlist others in the quest for The Ultimate Brew.
Havens, Susan
Susan was born and raised in Fort Edward, NY and her interest in multiple mediums of creativity as a means of self-expression translated into her being a life-long student as well as a self-taught artist. With the discovery of her Native American Indian heritage, which introduced her to beadwork; it offered an opportunity to take her “jack of all trades, master of some” creative talent and combine it with a historical and cultural perspective. She has created her own jewelry line of one of kind beaded embroidered pieces, unique and individual as the artist in her. She has taught Native American Indian culture to children locally, as well as showcased her beadwork in many venues throughout the Northeast and the South. She now feels she has a deeper appreciation for the work involved in the finished project, as this is how the Grandmothers preserved their culture, their history, and built relationships. It is for this reason, that teaching beadwork will bring the roots of her family full circle.
Hart, Carol
Carol grew up in Marin County, California, where the fields, beaches, and mountains inspired her interest in natural science. She began making basket and teaching as part of an Indian Studies Program at the Pratt Education Center in 1970. Her initial interest in Eastern Indian Woodland styles led to experimenting with natural materials. Carol has taught basketry at the Brookfield Craft Center, the Niddy Noddy, and the Craftsmen’s Guild in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New York.
Heilman, Carl
Carl Heilman II has been photographing the wild Adirondack landscape since 1975, working to capture on film both the grandeur of this special region, and the emotional connection he has felt as well. As a full-time professional photographer, his work has been published in many regional and national publications including: books, magazines, calendars, posters, and prints.
Carl Heilman has also produced several multi-image programs on the region that have been shown all around NY State, as well as on PBS. His most recent show, ‘Wild Visions’, available on video, is a program about our relationship with the wilderness, and our spiritual connection with the Earth. His program ‘Adirondacks: A Wilderness of Waterways’ is shown daily at the Adirondack Park Visitors’ Interpretive Centers.
Carl Heilman’s photography was recently published in a book by Rizzoli. This celebrated panoramic format book, ‘Adirondacks: Views of An American Wilderness’, includes panoramas and standard format images from all over the Adirondack Park. His latest books include ‘Contemporary Landscape Photography’, ‘The Landscape Photography Field Guide’, and ‘The Adirondacks’.
More information about his work can be found on his website, www.carlheilman.com.
Ignatuk, Wayne R.
As a child, his father would always enlist his help with woodworking projects. Mainly refinishing and rebuilding antique furniture picked up at the curb or in a garage sale. The experience gave him the love of woodworking and a fundamental knowledge of furniture construction. He graduated from Clemson University with a BS degree in Engineering Technology and spent 18 years in the laser industry working with optics and crystals before his woodworking hobby became his career. Over the past 10 years, his style has evolved from twig chairs and tables to more complex designs that he now describes as “organic arts and crafts”. The deep seeded knowledge of strong, lasting joiner from his childhood projects is evident in every piece. Predominantly self-taught, he cuts most of the joints with hand tools, not even owning a table saw. Using no veneers or plywood, he spends an inordinate amount of time selecting wood and carefully matching color, grain and figure in symmetrical patterns that can’t be fully understood without an explanation. With each new piece, an attempt is made to improve in some way, upon the design or craftsmanship of the previous piece. Wayne’s work was profiled on HGTY’s “The Good Life” (episode 1104), Mountain Lakes PBS’ “Rustic Living”, Ralph Kyloe’s book “Adirondack Home”, Adirondack Life Magazine and several other publications. He has exhibited at the Rustic Fair at the Adirondack Museum, the Western Design Conference in Cody, WY and the Philadelphia Fine Furnishing Show. A recent noteworthy project was collaboration with Architect David Childs on a desk and chair for a traveling exhibit which started at the Adirondack Museum and ends at the D.Wigmore Fine Art Gallery in Manhattan.
Ingram, Carol
Carol’s formal background in painting, printmaking and graphics led her to a career as an art instructor and then as a graphic designer. She has studied feltmaking with internationally known US and European feltmakers, and has now found a love in making felt and teaching this ancient craft. Carol is a member of the Northeast Felters Guild, and her work appears in publications such as 1000 Artisan Textiles and 500 Felt Objects.
Janasson, Olof
Olof is an experienced and extremely talented smith who has taught various blacksmithing classes at the Early American Industries Association’s summer workshop program for the past 5 years. He co-taught the Sheet-Iron Weathervane workshop at Eastfield Village in 2011 and has demonstrated blacksmithing and tinsmithing at various public venues including the Montgomery County Fair, Johnson Hall State Historic Site, Maybee Farm, Fort Klock Historical Restoration and others for over ten years. His work is of the caliber that he has created and reproduced numerous historical items for the collections of Johnson Hall State Historic Site, Herkimer Home State Historic Site, Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, Fort Klock, among others.
Kiphuth, David
David began studying art in 1958 at the age of 12 with Yale Professor Emeritus Deane Keller, drawing and painting figures from life. 6 summers of study led to his ABFA from Silvermine College of Art in New Canaan, CT, and later a BFA from the University of Hartford Art School. David has concentrated on drawing and painting and studied with the great natural history painter Rudolf Zallinger, who painted the huge dinosaur murals at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. From Rudy, David learned drybrush watercolor, and egg tempera, the method favored by mediaeval and early Renaissance painters. He also learned silverpoint, the ancient drawing method using sterling silver wire.
David has always been an avid drawer of the natural world around him, which has led to many illustration projects, including 485 watercolors of fish for Ken Schultz’s Fishing Encyclopedia, published by IDG books. He carries a book with him and draws compulsively. In addition to being a skilled artist, David is also a very talented banjo musician.
Koch, Karen
Karen is a respected artist known for her homemade traditional Appalachian brooms. Ms. Koch has studied at Augusta Heritage Center at Davis and Elkins College . She has shared her skills and taught in workshops in Bridgton, Maine, Ludlow, Vermont and Marilla, New York to name just a few. Karen’s workshops have been part of the Fiber Festival which took place at Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, NY.
Krisniski, Claudia
Claudia Krisniski, owner of Countrywool, has been teaching facets of the fiber arts for 30 years. Originally trained in the Elizabeth Zimmermann approach to knitting, she branched out to hand spinning with the arrival of 3 angora rabbits in 1992, and has been a fiber breeder of French, English, and German angoras, and a spinning techniques writer for the National Angora Rabbit Breeders Club. Founder of the Columbia County Knitter’s Guild, founding member of the Elmendorf Spinning Guild, she enjoys teaching in a variety of locales, private and public schools in the Hudson Valley, at Countrywool, Columbia-Greene Community College, Columbia County Cooperative Extension, local fiber fairs and fiber-centered workshops. An innovative knitting pattern designer, she has won many awards for her hand spinning, knitting and garment design. Her sock pattern written for Children In Common, an international charity knitting and adoption agency, is highlighted in KNITTING FOR PEACE, published in 2006. She is featured along with her handspun angora designs in KNITTERS STASH published in 2001. Using fibers grown and processed in the Hudson Valley, she is dedicated to enhancing the local fiber community’s health and productivity.
LaFrance, Donna
Donna has been an avid self-taught bread baker for nearly 20 years. Through extensive research, and trial and error, she has refined her craft to include new techniques to fit in with today’s busy lifestyle while keeping with the old school traditions of bread baking. Her passion for this culinary art comes through loud and clear!
LeClair, Walt
Walt is a major artist in the field of bird carving. Having been a carver for more than 22 years, Walt has shared his skill with many and has continues to enhanced his art by training with known artists such as Helen Gibson, a well- known Brasstown carver from North Carolina and Ernie Mulmatt. Walt’s work has consistently won numerous awards at New York State Fairs though the years.
MacKenzie, Tom
Tom is one of the most knowledgeable and talented canoe builders in the country today. Originally from Minnesota, he now lives in South Carolina. He started building canoes in the early 1970’s learning traditional Birch bark canoe construction techniques from Bill Hafeman in Northern Minnesota. His outstanding canoes can be found in museums and many private collections throughout the country. After building more than 20 Birch bark canoes, Tom switched over in 1985 to building some of the finest “modern” wood and canvas/fabric canoes. He has built over 120 of them, each custom made for their proud owners. As one of the initial founders of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, Tom served as a long-time board member and authority in canoe building. He was also instrumental in the development of the FreeStyle Paddling movement for the American Canoe Association, and is an active instructor/trainer.
Maher, Carol J.
Carol Maher is an experienced teacher, as well as an accomplished artist. She holds a degree in Art and has taught classes in calligraphy, oil painting and many outdoor traditional crafts and activities. She has a love of local history and shares her knowledge of gourd crafting in order to deepen her student’s appreciation of the original interdependence of native and pioneer cultures in the Adirondacks. Carol was a member of the Kentucky Gourd Society and was the winner of numerous ribbons at state and county fairs.
Mayhew, Mark
Mark, a Lake Luzerne resident, who by training and profession is a mechanical engineer, as well as a skilled teacher, brings his love of the Adirondacks to his classes. He truly enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with others. In addition to being an avid hiker, (ascending a number of the High Peaks), Mark brings more than 45 years of experience in the woods whether hunting, fishing or kayaking to his hands-on workshops.
McCarthy, Michael
Michael McCarthy is one of the most respected blacksmiths in the country. In his own words, his mission was, “Preserve, study, advance and exchange the techniques of the pre-industrial metalworker.” He became intrigued with the work of Paul Spaulding and went looking for an apprenticeship with him. He thought he would stay in his shop for a year or so and “bone up” on his forging skills, but instead found himself working with Paul for 5 years. He went on to run the blacksmith shop at the Farmer’s Museum, Cooperstown NY for the next 8 years. Michael makes his living as a professional blacksmith and owner of the Mohawk Valley Forge Works.
Miller, Nancy
Nancy Miller has been creating versatile yet uncommon jewelry since 1993. She takes full advantage of the unique characteristics of pure silver metal clay that accepts textures readily, forms fluid curves and invites spontaneity during the design and construction processes. Nancy has received awards for her jewelry at Colorscape Chenango and Art on the Mountain shows. She developed and continues to coordinate a jewelry program for seriously ill children at the Double H Hole-in-the-Woods Ranch, a camp founded by Paul Newman and Charles R. Wood. The program has the full support of the PMC Guild and Rio Grande. Nancy was an invited presenter at the 2006 PMC Conference.
Mohrmann, Joan
Joan has been rug hooking for 40 years. She is a long-time member of The National Guild of Pearl K. McGown Rug Hookcrafters, Inc., and the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists, The Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild. Joan attends workshops regularly at the Northern McGown Teachers’ and Green Mountain Rug School. Her rugs can be seen on thewelcomemat.ning.com that features the work of many national rug hookers and yearly exhibition of the Green Mountain Rug Show hosted at The Shelburne Museum in Shelburne VT.
Moody, Doug
Doug also known as “The Fishin’ Musician” for Doug also is a freelance musician, playing violin and singing with many regional and international acts. As a professional Cane Rod maker with over 20 years experience, his rods are highly prized for their superior craftsmanship and their lively action. A passion for Adirondack small stream fishing led him to create unique rods for local waters and form his company, Bark Eater Bamboo in 2006. He has demonstrated both his Fly Rods and Cane Rod building at the Adirondack Museum and his rods are sought after by a steady growing number of fly fisherman throughout the region. It is no wonder that Doug’s rods which require over 3,000 individual steps and countless hours range in cost to well over $1,200 and more.
Mosca, George
George apprenticed as a stonemason in 2001 after a career in other types of masonry work. He is native to the Adirondacks and has been practicing stone masonry for more than a decade. He specializes in stone veneer, creating fireplaces, building facades, entryways, and patios, and has served as a consultant on projects in the Midwest. George’s work has been featured in area publications and can be seen in the finely crafted fire ring and wood fired bake oven at the Adirondack Folk School.
Nedbor, Jonathan
A full time blacksmith for over 35 years, Jonathan is a popular teacher and demonstrator, able to share his insights into the forging process. In his study of historic forged ironwork, he has specialized in the early hardware of New York’s Hudson Valley. Much of his work is used on historic houses and museums, many of which are listed on the National Register. He also designs and produces contemporary ironwork, furniture and household accessories.
O’Brien, Betty
Betty O’Brien is a regionally known artist known primarily for her landscapes in the “expressive realism” style. Throughout her career, she has taught her students how to create works using multiple media and techniques while allowing the subject to dictate the medium. She has exhibited throughout the Northeast and received numerous awards in many regional competitions such as the Hyde Collection’s Adirondack Show, the Lake Placid Center for the Art6s and LRAC Centennial Exhibition.
O’Brien, Tom
Tom O’Brien is a painter, sculptor, writer, poet, teacher, art restorer, author and an exhibiting artist with works in bronze, terra cotta and pastel. He has earned critical acclaim for his sculptures and paintings for The Franklin Mint, Willits Design, the Bradford Exchange, CUI and The Danbury Mint. His relief steins and mugs developed for Avon Products, Inc., are unique in the field. Tom started his career in advertising on Madison Avenue and was an art director in advertising and publishing for ten years prior to embarking on a career as an illustrator and sculptor.
Ornstein, Marc
Marc has worked his craft of building custom paddles and cedar strip canoes for more than fifteen years. His canoes and paddles are truly an art form, and he prides himself that they are enjoyed “for what they do, even more than for how they look.” Marc has won the national Interpretive Freestyle Canoeing competition for a boat and paddles of his own design and construction. He is an instructor for the Rochester Woodworkers’ Society and the Genesee Valley chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club.
O’Toole, Jude
Jude’s inspiration comes from her love to explore nature. She incorporates colors and lights from nature into her fiber art. Jude is an experienced teacher having taught such subjects as rug hooking, knitting, hand dying and spinning for numerous art organizations in upstate New York. To name just a few, she has taught at TAUNY (Canton), the Frederick Remington Museum (Ogdensburg).
Pintar, Eric
Eric has taught box making workshops for 12 years. He is a partner at the Home Shop in Charlotte, Michigan, which supplies woodworkers worldwide with instruction and materials for making Shaker oval boxes. Coming on board as a junior in high school 16 years ago, Eric has made a career serving the needs of craftsmen near and far. Eric has taught at the Nantucket Historical Association’s 1800 House, Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts, the Northwest Indiana Woodworkers Association, the Porcupine Mountains Folk School, and the Anderson Center for the Arts.
Priddle, Rodney
Rodney has been a fly fisher and tyer for over 20 years and a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers Fly Tyers guild. He has taught fly tying for more than 18 years at the Capital District Fly Fishers Annual Tying classes, as well as teaching fly tying at numerous public events. He has been a featured tyer at the Goldstocks Annual Cabin Fervor Days, in addition to multiple personal demonstration events. He is an avid caster, fishing all waters, cold water, warm water and saltwater.
Puntel, Carol
Carol has been knitting for too many years to count. She also worked for 28 years for the State of New York managing programs for people with developmental disabilities and training staff. She has combined her loves of teaching and knitting in Colonie and has been an instructor at a yarn store in Saratoga since 2004. Carol has grown her skills by attending nationally ranked knitting workshops sponsored by The Knitting Guild of America and Knitter’s Magazine. Her philosophy is that knitting is something to be enjoyed so her teaching style is humorous and relaxed.
Schatzel, Eric
Eric has been blacksmithing since the age of 13, with his primary focus being traditional ironwork of the 17th through 19th centuries. After several years of blacksmithing as a hobby, he reached a point where he was comfortable doing custom work. In the years since he has done commissioned work for numerous private customers as well as several musuems in the Northeast. In addition to working from his home shop outside of Cooperstown, NY he is one of several blacksmiths who work in the Fields’ Blacksmith Shop at The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, NY.
Schreiner, Jim
Jim of Great Sacandaga Designs has been building rustic and traditional furniture professionally since the early 90′s. His designs are outstanding works of arts, as well as functional treasures. Jim lives and works in one of the three octagonal log cabins that he built with his family in the 70′s and 80′s on the South Shore of the Sacandaga Lake in Day, NY. Jim’s furniture is seen regularly at the Rustic Furniture Fair held at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. If there is an unusual or large custom piece of Adirondack rustic furniture to be created, more times than not, people will seek Jim out for these one of a kind pieces . . . and they won’t be disappointed. Earlier in Jim’s PF period (pre-furniture), Jim was an alternate on the US Olympic Kayak Team. While missing the final cut by a tenth’s of a second, Jim was recently inducted into the Canoe, Kayak, and Cycling Hall of Fame in Utica.
Shafer, John
John is the owner of Treehouse Post and Beam LLC, a design & build construction company that specialize in log and timber construction. He has been designing and erecting timber framed structures since 1997. His firm has built over 75 structures ranging from backcountry cabins to 9000 sq. ft. homes. John has been a member of the Timberframers Guild since 2003. He lives with his family in an off the grid solar powered home he built. He also designs and installs renewable energy systems. Besides his career in timber framing, John is a licensed NYS guide, avid backcountry skier, and instructor of telemark skiing for 7 years.
Simpson, Kenyon
Kenyon will not only have you cooking with flare, and we suspect entertained as well! He has taught the ‘art’ of Dutch oven cooking in Vermont at the “Becoming an Outdoor Family” program, the NRA Whittington Center’s Adventure Camp in New Mexico, and at the 4-H Shooting Sports program in FL, not to mention for a long time at the Saratoga County Fair.
Kenyon’s Grandmother Simpson cooked in logging camps and ran a boarding house. His Dad and all of his brothers learned how to cook from their Mother. Helping in the kitchen was a part of their life and part of his life as he was growing up. The first meal he cooked “ by myself “ was on an old kitchen woodstove, when he was probably, seven years old and had already been “ helping “ in the kitchen. He considers himself extremely fortunate to come from a family that enjoys cooking together.
Hunting camp, camping, home, he enjoys cooking, especially cooking with family and friends. Come cooler weather in the fall to warmer weather in the spring, just about all of our cooking he does is still done on a kitchen wood stove. Using a Dutch oven about the only foods he says he cannot prepare are butter and ice cream.
Sinicki, Paul
Paul has been a fly fisher for over 15 years and is the president of the Capital District Fly Fishers. He has taught fly tying and casting for the Capital District Fly Fishers for a number of year and was a featured tier at the Goldstocks Annual Cabin Fervor Days, The American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont and can often be seen at the fly fishing booth at the Saratoga County Fair. In addition, Paul teaches rod repair, as well as tying flies for earrings and pins.
Therio, Susan
Susan has been a lover of fiber arts, sewing and crafts since she was a young girl. She desperately wanted to become a Home Economics Teacher, but due to the cut backs in education at the time she graduated from HS, and opted to go into accounting – quite the change! Her interest in fibers continues and she has been a 4-H instructor, knitting teacher at her daughter’s school, and teaches quilting classes. Rug twining was something she stumbled upon while vacationing in Michigan. Intrigued by it, she studied the craft, and how to teach twining as well. When not working with fiber, Susan currently is a manager at IBM but earlier in her career, she honed her teaching skills while instructing people both in and outside the company with software programs.
Thorman, Art
Art has been teaching and demonstrating tinsmithing for over twelve years. Drawing on his experience as an American history teacher for over 35 years, he is able to combine teaching and craftsmanship in a way that makes learning fun. Art specializes in 17th and 18th century reproductions. He can often be found at French and Indian War and Revolutionary War reenactments peddling his wares to soldiers and their wives. Art’s work can be found in the gift shops at Fort William Henry, the Old Stone Fort, and the Mabee Farm as well as gift shops throughout the Capital District. He also has extensive experience cooking over open fires with a variety of cast iron ware and tin roasters. He claims he can cook anything over an open fire that can be cooked in a modern kitchen.
Ulrich, Walter
As a child, Walt watched and learned woodworking skills from his grandfather and then his father. With over 50 years of experience, Walt uses designs developed by his grandfather, as well as others for projects such as rustic wooden puzzles. In addition to being a teacher of math and various sciences, Walt is an accomplished artist creating inlay stain trays, traditional wooden toys and small pieces of wooden furniture. Over the years he has expanded his techniques to include the production of wooden folk art pictures in a primitive style. Walt is also known for the restoration and repair of wood and canvas canoes and guideboats.
Van Alystne, Linda
Linda has been sculpting wool, both wet and dry, for the past 10 years. She transforms soft wool into substantial firm wool felt with incredible dimension. She has explored many techniques in attachments and layering to create her one-of-a-kind mask faces. Linda’s masks have been shown in galleries by invitation throughout the United States. One of her masks was privileged to be on the home page of International Feltmakers Association for 2004. Linda travels with her masks throughout the United States, speaking about mask making and teaching classes in sculpting wool. Her talents are not limited to masks; she concentrates on 3-d “containers,” wearable and non-wearable, to include hats, slippers and boots, and ornamental works.
VerDant, T. Breeze
T. Breeze VerDant is a man of many talents. Besides being recognized as one of the finest marquetry craftsman around, Breeze is singer/songwriter/guitarist/poet and an activist for peace and the environment. He has been practicing marquetry full time since 1988 and is a regular instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School in NC since 1998. Large amounts of wood used in his jewelry pieces are made from scraps and recycled wood. The veneers he uses are approximately 1/50″ thick, which means there is no waste. Breeze has been featured in the many books, including The Art of Making Elegant Jewelry Boxes by Tony Lydgate, Simple Marquetry by Mike Burton, and numerous others. He also does exquisite inlay work for Carvin Guitars.
Walp, Robert
Bob received his MFA in book arts for the University of Alabama, which included coursework in letterpress printing, printmaking, hand bookbinding and papermaking. Bob makes his living as a full time book artist working under the imprint of Chester Creek Press in Chestertown, NY. Most of Bob’s work consists of entirely handmade, illustrated books of contemporary poetry and prose. Besides teaching at his studio, Bob has taught the art of papermaking at the Great River Arts Institute in Bellow Falls, VT, and the Penland School of Crafts in Penland, NC.
Watts, Peter
Peter is an avid gardener and lifelong teacher, with a strong desire to share what he has learned from others as well as from his varied experiences. He has mastered the raised garden process to overcome the trials of the short Adirondack growing season. Peter is a modest man as well as one of the finest volunteers serving our greater community. Soft-spoken, this gardener has a vast wealth of “green” knowledge.
Wilder, Sue
Sue has been sewing since her grandmother taught her how to thread a needle to make her own doll clothes. She has attended several sewing seminars and learned from some of the best tailors and fashion designers across the nation. Her training has included learning to drape fabrc to making patterns and more. Sue has operated her own sewing business “Sew Pretty” in Hadley, NY since the early 1980′s where she custom designs gowns for weddings and proms as well as alter ready made clothing.
Wormwood, Donna
Donna Wormwood and her Adirondack Rustic Miniatures all began as a joke played on her husband, Richard. He’d been admiring rustic furniture at craft fairs where Donna sold baskets, wildlife drawings and other handmade items. “They didn’t fit our budget,” Donna said, so she went outside and collected some sticks and built him a chair about three inches high. After they enjoyed a good laugh over Richard’s new “chair,” he suggested that she set it out at her next show. It sold. Thus began their business. She makes mini chairs, settees, coffee tables and bookcases. Now Donna makes all sorts of furniture to fill the needs of collectors. Her items are scaled (one foot to one inch) and half-scale. Everything to scale including sideboards, beds, dining tables with teeny plates of food and vases of flowers that are unbelievable and so tiny you have to see them. More than 50 pieces in assorted styles. Donna has exhibited at juried craft shows from Maine to Virginia, winning numerous first-place and best-in-show ribbons. Donna sells her miniatures to dealers across the country and has shipped pieces internationally as well.