now before the Stecoah Artisan Gallery closes for winter for a break between seasons. This weekend (Dec. 7,8/24) is Breakfast With Santa, holiday shopping for arts, crafts, and goodies at Stecoah's Christmas in the Mountains and the Christmas Cantata.
At the Gallery Open House on December 17th, 2024 the Stecoah Artisan Gallery will be open longer than usual for late holiday shopping: 10am-7pm.
And on the 12th of December at 5:30pm there will be a Winter Recital by JAM--Junior Appalachian Musicians.
Kids in pajamas and Christmas color outfits came to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus this morning! Pancakes and sausage and goodie bags abound.
Plus I had the chance to talk with local artist Melinda Jester Donaldson. Her impressive array of art goods speaks of her talent and willingness to try different materials to paint on and woodburn. She explains of a walking stick adorned with basket-weave pattern and feathers that she harvests her own wood from her property. And for this particular stick she researched what particular Native American feathers were part of custom. She uses a handmade Japanese tool to peel the bark, triple sands, and polyeurethanes each walking stick.
She also paints in oils, water color, oil pastel, and acyrilic ink. The acrylic ink dries fast, can be layered, and has vibrant colors. It's more subued coloring that blends with the piece of oak that is done in acrylic and woodburning.
Until now I hadn't met anyone who paints on two easels at the same time. Melinda explains this keeps the color palette the same in different paintings. I also hadn't seen dynamic water sport acrylics. Wow! A kayaker in action paddling in a wallop of whitewater.
Melinda has done photographic potraiture of pets and people, murals (like on the bottom of a pool in one instance), and puts Scripture on leftover building materials/found objects. She likes to do stuff even while watching football. Like painting flowers atop poured paintings. And adding layers to artworks to give them dimension.
She does teaching of art as well. All ages. Says to people, "If you can write your name, I can teach you art." She's taught at Stecoah, Tapoco Lodge, and Art Explorations in Bryson City.
On a visit to family Heather Sharp, owner of Imperfect Perfections, tends the goodies for holiday cheer. "Home-made, from scratch! Cakes, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, cupcakes, and more" treats extravaganza!
About a decade ago Heather made a 60th birthday cake for her stepdad and discovered a satisfaction in treat-making. While working another job she's built up her baking skills. The Stecoah Christmas in the Mountains festival is a three-table event and it's a lot of detailed work. From home before traveling Heather decides what to bring based on what's sold well in the past, the holiday, and customizing for the crowd (sugar-free, kids, pets).
Then she gets to baking! Working in a small kitchen from eye-catching recipes she employs strategy. Cookies cooling while packaging baked and chocolate treats. Decorating, perfecting not just flavor but presentation. Gift-worthy foodstuffs fill her tables. Festively drizzled and adorned pretzel sticks, ricekrispy sticking stuffers, ginger snap truffles, candied pecans, and brownies. Allergy warnings are clearly posted. And assorted treats displayed in windowed boxes alight the hopes for merriness. Even her pieces of cake are extra-ordinary with frosting painted into holiday dogs. The peppermint merengues invite in small packaging. And the possibilities are punctuated with sweet potato and pecan pies.
Heather's Auntie Mabel Smith has been making jewelry since she was eleven years old. When she was little she'd visit with neighbors on Cape Cod who were an artistic couple. The lady made jewelry and her husband was a painter. Mabel first learned beading, then more intricate beading, then the differences in materials such as stones and metals.
At Stecoah some of her jewelry is sparkly and could be sitting among such finery at a department store. And some is bright colors, gypsy whimsical. Beads and stones delicately wound and blended with silvers and golds. Dream catchers and windchimes round out the gifts on this trip to Christmas in the Mountains at Stecoah.
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