.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;} &>
 

Monday, November 17, 2008

A Family of Creators on Rte. 11 in No. NY

On Monday, Nov. 10th, on the way to Malone from Champlain to present the Marketing segment of the Business Planning Course at Comlinks I stopped at 8247 Rte. 11 at Holmes Made Art and Crafts. The sign, great play on words, is quite visible from the road and is in front of their home just to the east of Chateaugay on the north. Martin, a master mason, is tackling the huge work of recreating the traditional exterior stone walls of their house built at least 100 years ago which they have been renovating for the last 20 years.

Anne welcomed me into their living room where she showed me the many wood accessories and furniture her husband, Martin, makes. They hope to have a shop open by the fall of next year. They prefer to sell directly to the customer.

Martin has always made wood pieces for family and friends. Most of the pine and cedar is harvested on their land or nearby. At the annual summer craft show now run by the Foothills Art Society (518.483.9411) held on Chateaugay Lake this summer, he sold three of the birch/pine rustic style pieces which he just started making earlier this year. The pine Martin selects for the tabletops has knots which give them great character. They are very sturdy. I sat on a coffee table and wrote notes on the night stand and there was absolutely no movement. Martin also makes wall shelves, frames, towel stackers, boxes of all sizes and shapes with or without drawers, foot stools and more. Anne provides some of the most innovative design ideas and finishes the pieces. Simple, clean lines predominate.

Their daughter-in-law, Alison Holmes, has been selling her painted ornaments at craft shows in No. New York for 23 years. She customizes the bulbs at shows. Her scenes painted on skates, saw blades, etc. are also popular.

Anne and her sister makes geometric pattern quilts out of brightly colored recycled fabrics. Her jellies are delicious. Her grand-daughter, Megan, makes purses out of kid's jeans that she buys at garage sales. Everyone's work is well finished in this family of creators/makers/artisans. Look for them at craft shows in Northern NY. 518.497.6570.


Labels: , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home