Danielle Ryan
(10/27) The 12th Annual Foothills Artists studio tour will be held November 17 and 18 at six locations throughout Fairfield and Cashtown. Ten artists and artisans will open their homes and studios in a special pre-holiday show and sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..
See first-hand where the artists create their work and have the opportunity to buy directly from them. The six studio locations will feature original paintings, pottery, sculpture, furniture, woodworking, stained glass, photography, fabric arts, enamels, and jewelry.
This is a self-guided tour that can be completed in any order. The website, www.foothillsartists.net, includes a map of each studio’s location and street address, as well as links to each artist’s individual website. It also includes biographies and artwork examples for each artist. The artists featured this year include:
Judy Pyle, guest artist — showing with Ann Ruppert and Rod Stabler. Judy’s work -jewelry and small sculptures - is hand-fabricated sterling silver, torch-fired enamels, and Precious Metal Clay. Judy, most recently, has been creating small sculptures using enameled items and other found objects.
Joh Ricci, guest artist — showing with Geoff Grant. Joh is a fiber artist creating contemporary baskets & sculptures, weavings & tapestries. She is nationally recognized for her fiber art and has received numerous awards. She also creates unique jewelry using beadweaving and recycled paper techniques, as well as paintings in oils and acrylics.
Geoff Grant – Geoff is a fine art photographer whose subjects include painterly interpretations of landscapes, architecture, and street photography in the U.S. and overseas. His work has appeared in several shows, including the ACAC in Gettysburg and the NOMA in Frederick.
Jack Handshaw – An active local artist for 35 years, Jack is a potter working in all forms of clay, particularly reduction fired glazed porcelains. He is a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, and has been accepted into numerous juried shows and received many awards.
Michael A McCullough - Michael is a visual artist of abstract paintings, whose work has been featured in exhibitions in various galleries and museums. His work is held in national and international collections.
Sharon Pierce McCullough – A painter and sculptor of abstract and minimalist work, Sharon is also an internationally recognized artist and children's book author and illustrator. Her sculptures have recently been recipients of several major awards, and her work is held in private and public collections.
Don Rinehart – Don specializes in watercolors, pastels, oils, pencil, stained, and etched glass. He has won a number of awards and has shown in local galleries and exhibits.
Ann Ruppert – Ann designs and creates jewelry and works in two-dimensional media including pastels, oils, watercolors and colored pencil. She has been accepted into the Adams County, PA Arts Council juried show and has earned awards in the Franklin Co. Art Alliance annual show and the Franklin County Arts Council miniature show.
Rod Stabler – co-showing with Ann Ruppert. A fifth-generation woodworker and retired cabinet maker, Rod creates useful and practical woodcraft "with a flair", each piece is one of a kind. He strives to make objects of utility which also are objects of beauty.
Geoffrey Thulin – Geoffrey is a painter specializing in abstracts, landscapes, and animal imagery. He works primarily in watercolor and gouache, and also various drawing media. His award-winning work explores rhythm, pattern and color and their connection to the spiritual aspect of nature.
