Introducing Ed and Kate Coleman

The Bud Vase Series
Approximately 5" - 7" tall, this is a series of bud vases that is a collaboration between Ed and Kate. Each one is handbuilt. They are great for a single flower of found object — sticks, branches, etc. $36

Large Clique Vases
Approximately 12" tall, shown with the regular size clique vase. Each large clique vase is an original one-of-a-kind. $68

Clique Vases
Approximately 8" tall, each clique vase is unique. They come in a variety of textures, forms and glazes. $38

Clique Mugs
Approximately 5" tall, these mugs are oversized for many uses. They are dishwasher and microwave safe. $38

Tumblers
Approximately 7" tall, these tumblers can be used as drinking glasses or vases. $36

Ed and Kate Coleman's work is a collaboration between two artists, separate people with ideas that merge. They believe that life is more beautiful and more livable when surrounded by things that are made by hand. Their work is created for those who search for this quality in fine crafts and objects. They share this connection with those who own their work.

Each piece is one-of-a-kind and handmade in Swannanoa, North Carolina by Ed and Kate. Because of this, their work is sold in assortments. They will always take special requests for colors, designs, and other specifics, but feel the work is stronger when they are given the freedom to create. Each piece is truly a work of art when it is an original.

For more information or for our current selection, call Gallery Fifty at 231-932-0775.

'Confetti Quilts' are affordable and original

Ann Loveless is a native of Frankfort, Michigan, which is located on the shore of Lake Michigan. She attended Michigan State University and received her degree in Clothing & Textile Design. The artist began sewing her own clothes as a girl and in 2004, she fell in love with the art of Landscape Quilting. Most of her designs come from nature and the beautiful lakes and woods of her region. Ann works from photographs and sketches made on location.







All mini confetti quilts are one-of-a-kind originals and are signed and titled by the artist. They all come in 6" x 4" on an 8" x 10" white mat board for $42 and 6" x 8" on an 11" x 14" white mat board for $70. Stop by either Gallery Fifty location or call to order: 231-932-0775.

Evoking early childhood memories

Traverse City artist Linda Chamberlain's primary focus in designing her mixed media paintings is the exploration of man and his relationship to the natural environment. Her pieces evoke conceptual references to nature, botanical themes, the figurative form and early childhood memories.

Linda draws upon the simplification associated with the Arts and Crafts Period. She creates works that eliminate the superfluous in life, reducing reality to the essentials. The artist's most recent series explores man's fascination with life and spirituality. The bird image is used to examine this quest. Childlike figures lead us to the path of our own introspective journey. Man's fascination with his surroundings is examined within these confines.

We've been carrying Linda's original paintings and assemblages for years, but recently we've added her giclee prints and blank greeting cards. They are an affordable way for collectors to acquire images that they connect with. The "Friends," "Max," and "Up North" series are all best sellers and range from $40 for a 10" x 10" to $85 for a 14" x 14" giclee print. Greeting cards are $4.50 each.

Please contact Gallery Fifty directly to purchase or for a special order: 231-932-0775.

Arthur and the Red Ball

Moving Day

Bird in Hand

Emma

Eli

A Good Day

On the Pond

Road Trip

Rocket Dog

Bob the Bear with Cabin

Bob the Bear in Canoe

Bob the Bear with Rock

Painted glassware with flair

When we purchased the former Belstone Gallery, the number one question we heard was: "Are you still going to carry the martini glasses?!" Well, we are thrilled to continue the tradition at Gallery Fifty Downtown.
Each martini or wine glass is hand drawn (ensuring that no two glasses are exactly alike), hand-painted with thermo-hardening (non-toxic) paint and finished with dimensional lines which further enhance the design. These dimensional lines are what sets Canadian artisan Triste September apart.

She is an accomplished artist, with many years of extensive experience in a variety of visual and artistic mediums. Her unusual approach to color and form along with her endless creativity keep the design selection fresh and inspired.

Glasses are $45 and can be purchased individually or in sets. Call Gallery Fifty for our latest selection: 231-946-0610.

Lampwork Glass Wine Bottle Stoppers

Tennessee glass artist James Lang usess a glassblowing technique known as lampworking. The glass is known as borosilicate glass and is stronger than regular glass because it can be heated and cooled without cracking problems. This makes it perfect for use as a wine bottle stopper.

End of Day Wine Stopper
Made with lots of tiny pieces of cane and murrine providing a detailed display of color and designs. 5-6" tall with chrome stopper. $35

Heart Murrine Wine Stopper
Little glass murrine hearts go in to these unique wine stoppers. 5-6" tall with chrome stopper. $35

Kiss my glass

Tennessee glass artist James Lang creates these kisses to last forever. They come fumed with sterling silver and are about 1" tall. An excellent stocking stuffer or Valentine's Day gift, they can also be used as pendants. Just $5.00 each!

Call Gallery Fifty at 231-932-0775 to order.

Good, clean fun

Massachusetts designer Rebecca Townsend has packaged these wonderful soaps and potpourris. We find that they make popular "hostess" gifts. (Think: "I spent a week at your beautiful lakeside cottage and all you got was this lousy bottle of wine." You can be a lot more creative than that!)

The potpourri contains oodles of shells, sea glass, scented rock salt and tiny fragrance pearls. Gallery Fifty carries Cottage, Beach, Beach Grass, Sea Warm Sand and Skinny Dip fragrances. Each are 8 oz. and cost $15.00.

We love the frosty, colorful shards of moisurizing glycerine soaps that really look like beach glass! These unique soaps have a wonderful clean, breezy scent. There are approximately 20-25 pieces per package and the cost is $7.50.

Fiber as inspiration for glass

Alaska artist Tamara Johannes is a multi-media artist who has worked clay, metal, fiber and most recently warm glass. She creates these great handcrafted, kiln-fired, dichroic glass barrettes. They make wonderful gifts of "wearable" art.

Tamera was originally a hot glass beadmaker, but then she began experimenting with the art of fusing glass as a way of combining torch work components into more complex glass jewelry. Using dichroic glass has become one of her trademarks.

Early work in fiber and clay were instrumental in forming a basis for work with glass. Many of her designs have elements of her original quilt work and patterns.

3" barrettes are $24; 4" are $28. We also carry Tamera's earrings and brooches. Come into Gallery Fifty to see our current color/ pattern selection: 800 Cottageview Drive, Suite 50, Traverse City, Michigan 49684.

Leaving our shell behind

The world we live in, even where we have made a mess of it, is full of incredible sights. Tennessee artist Jennifer Adair believes that art should make us pause in our rush to wherever we are supposed to be. "Art should make us remember to be alive right here, right now," she says. "Art should help us see the world we live in."

Jennifer is fascinated by how hard people work in order to make things that look like they were made by something other than a human. "It takes a mollusk to make a nautilus shell. Humans use computers to create fractal images; wind does it with some sand. An agate, a sunset, a butterfly wing: our imperfect copies, whether of manmade stone or canvas and paint, require great effort on our part."

So her glass is about color and light, texture and pattern. And if she really gets it right, an explorer from some other world would wonder, when he looks at her work, what creature had left his shell behind.

Gallery Fifty carries her fused dichroic glass frames and triangle plates. Frames run $42 - $48; Plates are $75 - $95. Call for our current selection: 231-932-0775.

Fun and 'folky'

Pennsylvania artist Ed Brownlee creates functional, joyful ceramics often referencing art history, folk art and cartoons. He creates with the collector in mind. "My pieces are ambassadors of enjoyment and individuality," he says.

His ceramics are wheel thrown stoneware and fired to cone 6. Ed formulates his own glazes and overglazes utilizing a “majolica” technique of overglaze decoration, but at a higher temperature. Ed received his BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1985; MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1987.

Gallery Fifty carries Ed's jars, casserole dishes, teapots and plates. We love his double-sided face cups. Contact us for our current selection: 231-932-0775.

Tiles for the nature enthusiast

Ceramic artist Leif Spörck creates these incredible stonewear tiles with themes dear to any northern Michigan resident. Nature, botanicals, fish and wildlife — each with his unique design and glaze color.

Leif's tiles are approximately 5" x 5" and have a hole on the back for hanging. They are for indoor/ outdoor use. Gallery Fifty always has a great selection of his work. They make great "guy gifts" and are popular with collectors.

Spörck Tileart was founded by Leif Spörck. Being the son of accomplished ceramic artists, Leif has had his hands in clay since he was 2 years old. After receiving his pre-law degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, Leif decided to pursue his desire to design and produce a line of artistic ceramic tiles that would reflect his love of the natural environment. He decided to design a line of tiles that represent his perceptions of the colorful wildlife, the blue waters, the verdant farms and the various and beautiful locations that surround him.

Light the dark corners of your world

Washington state artist Beth Spadafora creates these contemporary and colorful glass nightlights. Many layers of colored glass are cut and assembled, then fused together in a hot kiln resulting in these playfully elegant nightlights that cast an ethereal glow. Light the dark corners of your world with these hip nightlights!

The look she tries to evoke is casual and somewhat organic, a little bit crazy and just plain fun. "I believe in spontaneity both in art and in life," she says. "Although the glass does take a number of steps in the fabrication, the design work is usually quite spontaneous."

All work is made with special glass formulated especially for kiln firing. The process involves cutting, shattering and rearranging layers of colored glass and then firing it in a kiln to melt it all together. This new piece is then cut into the shapes required for nightlights and fired again into final form. The resulting glass is wildly colorful with an intense depth. Abstract images appear to those who take the time to observe.

Each one is approximately 4" x 2.25" and individually packaged in a clear oval box for $35. Gallery Fifty has a great selection. Call 231-932-0775 for more information.

'Wired' for vintage appeal

New Jersey fiber artist Beth Whiting uses ribbon to fashion these little brooches and barettes. Primarily, she uses French wired which allows her to sew, pinch, twist and otherse coax the flowers into shape. It also allows her pieces to age gracefully as they are worn and loved, giving them vintage appeal. The craftsmanship is superior and each is backed in soft suede.

We've been carrying Beth's work for over a year and her pieces make popular gifts. Brooches start at $20 and go up to $48 (see top photo). Barettes run $22 - $26 each (bottom photo). Call Gallery Fifty for our current selection: 231-932-0775.

Stand out in the leather and pleather crowd

We've just ordered our Fall 2007 selections from Maruca's line of tapestry handbags, and expect the order mid-September.

Why does Maruca Design continue to be so popular? Because in a sea of leather and pleather purses, there remains a devout customer with whom we share a common thread: an appreciation and passion for fabulous textiles.

They are recognized for their custom-designed fabrics, fashion-conscious shapes and commitment to making bags by hand in Boulder, Colorado.

We hope you are inspired by their colorful world. Here are the season's fabric swatches:



We're especially excited about two new designs Maruca is offering. The "Metro" is a courier-style bag (see above) with a broad adjustable woven strap and big flap with pockets for pens, phone, glasses, etc. The "Soho" is large enough for daily use, but small enough to make a statement with a single strap — short enough to hand carry, and just long enough to fit over your shoulder. We love the two exterior pockets — one for your cell, the other for your keys.

Check out their website to your selection at www.marucadesign.com. Then call Gallery Fifty and make your order: 231-932-0775. We'll offer free shipping on any order over $75.

Modern and easy to wear

Michigan jewelry artist Kristin Perkins has been drawn to the pure and natural beauty of glass all her life. Her jewelry is among the most contemporary that I have seen. While the colors make them fun to wear, the geometric glass shapes or silver shapes that she uses to accent them make them very modern and easy to wear.

Kristin makes each of her distinctive glass beads using a process called lampworking. Lampworking is an ancient term referring to melting glass and forming beads and other small glass sculptures by oil lamp. Glass bead makers now use a special torch to melt the glass, but the term lampworking continues to be used today for this type of art.

To make her beads, Kristin uses colorful rods of glass and heat them with my torch, which is fueled by natural gas and an oxygen generating machine. When the glass becomes molten, she winds it around a steel rod that has been coated with a clay-like mixture that will later allow her to remove the bead from the steel rod.

Kristin shapes beads by evenly applying the glass to the steel rod, keeping the molten glass constantly turning, and allowing gravity to do most of the work. What is not achieved by gravity can be done by using graphite and steel tools to attain the desired shape. Rods of glass in other colors are used to decorate the surface of the bead. Once the bead is complete, she properly anneals it in a kiln. Annealing is critical to the glass bead making process because it allows it to cool down slowly, which removes stress in the glass that could cause it to crack.

As a jewelry designer, she considers her lampworked beads very special because each bead is created with an end use in mind. Kristin is a trained silversmith, so she has the advantage of customizing each piece exactly as she envisions. What further differentiates her work from other lampworkers is the use of clear or transparent glass in every piece so that the fascinating properties of glass become the focus.

Her prices are extremely reasonable: $34 - $50 for earrings; $56 - $95 for pendants; $95 for cuff links. Contact Gallery Fifty for our current selection: 231-932-0775.

Get on 'board' with these popular gifts

Michigan wood craftsman Matt Joppich creates these one-of-a-kind cutting boards from his furniture making scrap. Constructed of local hardwoods, the sizes range from 7.5" x 5" up to 15" x 10". The small boards make excellent gifts for the barteder or boat owner. Prices are $18 - $55. Call Gallery Fifty for our current selection: 231-932-0775.

Nordic symbol of life

One of the most popular "point of purchase" items that we sell at the gallery are these little pewter pocket charms! "The acorn was the ancient Nordic symbol of life. An old folk belief holds that carrying an acorn insures a long life," they say.

Each comes with a fortune-shaped enclosure card with the saying above. They sell for $2 each or $2.50 with a pretty organza bag. Call for availability: 231-932-0775.

A fascination with fireworks

Michigan artist Brooks Bouwkamp has always been fascinated by fireworks and flashing lights, so it's no wonder that he's attracted to crystalline glazed ceramics. He makes an effort to keep his forms uncomplicated so as not to fight with the visual excitement of his surfaces.

The artist enjoys mixing glazes and firing the most. He knows how to adjust each firing to ensure the best crystal formations, and because of this glaze and firing process each piece ends up being one-of-a-kind.

Brooks is known for experimenting with new colorants, materials and effects. We never know what to expect when he sends a new shipment — it's like Christmas every time we open a box from him!

We always have a nice selection of colors and forms from which to choose. Call Gallery Fifty for more information: 231-932-0775.