Leave the internet and malls behind for the weekend of June 19-20 and walk the paths of beautiful Essex County's Brookdale Park on the border of Bloomfield and Montclair to shop for handcrafted jewelry, furniture, glass, fiber, pottery, leather, fine art and so much more.
In its 22nd year, Fine Art and Crafts at Brookdale Park will feature over 160 juried professional artists, photographers and craft artisans from throughout the country displaying and selling their hand-crafted work, on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm rain or shine.
Come and watch the young and talented, Danielle Schaefer, of Hatfield, PA, demonstrate weaving. Schaefer's tapestries, and woven sculptures and baskets, highlight her use of many different types of textures in her artwork. "I use many unusual fibers such as caution tape and metal chain in my weavings and sculptures," said Schaefer.
"I really like the idea of creating something functional that looks like sculpture. I have also expanded my use of color and color mixing emphasizing the form and creating a transition from one part of the sculpture to another. The color keeps the eye moving around the piece," Schaefer added.
Demonstrating wheel thrown pottery, Adar and Brian O'Hare of Rumney, NH create colorful unique handcrafted garden ornaments. Their combined talents create a colorful forest of clay mushrooms to please every homeowner's taste.
Animal lovers will enjoy watching Helen Weichmann, of Ground Hog Blues Pottery located in Raeders, PA, demonstrate the hand building of clay dogs. Loving animals, Helen has developed a unique sculptural technique starting with the potters wheel, and does custom sculptures and covered jars from pictures of customers pets.
"I have been working in clay since 1970, combining my skill on the potters wheel with my delight with the animal world. I throw each piece on the wheel, altering it and sculpting until I find the hidden form. I use different firing techniques depending on the sculpture and function...a bulldog may require being fired in a high fire salt kiln to bring out the ruggedness of his features, a reclining cat may inspire raku firing, while a rabbit soup tureen may call for gloss electric stoneware firing for function. I love to make soup tureens with the head of the animal on the ladle. The pieces take on a personality and life of their own, and I grow very fond of them as they create themselves. They usually have a smile on their faces when they are done," said Weichmann.
This free to the public show, co-sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and Janet and Howard Rose of Rose Squared Productions, Inc., is located on Watchung, Bellevue and Grove Avenues in Bloomfield/Montclair. The park can be reached by taking the Garden State Parkway to Exit 151, Watchung Ave, traveling one mile towards Bloomfield/Montclair on Watchung Ave.
Got a GPS? Use this address: 473 Watchung Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ
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