I never thought of myself as artistic, but my inner artist has emerged when I discovered Precious Metal Clay. Since being introduced to the medium, I have studied with some of the premier artists working today in precious metal clay, and as a result have become certified in this medium.
Simplified, Precious Metal Clay is a powdered form of pure silver that is combined with an organic substance to create a clay. As such, it can be molded, sculpted, carved, formed and sanded. It is then fired in a kiln and sanded again, polished and colored, leaving a one-of-a-kind piece of art that is 99.9% silver…a higher quality silver than Sterling, which is 92.5%
Now that I have retired from teaching in the Oswego City School system, I look forward to my new career as a Precious Metal Clay artist and my association with the Lakeside Artisans.
Elena Alechina was trained in leathercraft in her native Russia, where she worked as a mechanical engineer at the time. Her leather and semi-precious stones jewelry have been exhibited and sold at Toledo Museum of Art in OH, Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, and in stores in PA, MD, OH, IN, as well as here in Oswego. Her clients in Russia, France, Japan, and New Zealand proudly wear her works.
Website : sites.google.com/site/originalbyelena/
Original Member of Lakeside Artisans
My painting career began in 1994 with decorative wooden signs. In 2001, I went through a rapid evolution and began painting portraits and seascapes. I have since settled into creating the whimsical Cranky Cat Collection.
Website: crankycats.com
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Most of my paintings are of local subjects in and around the upstate New York area, particularly the Fair Haven and Sodus Bay regions. There is magic in watercolor for me as I am not always in control of what goes on. The spontaneity and unpredictability of the medium is exciting.
My artistic talent is a God-given gift. As far back as I can remember, I have been drawing, painting, or doing some kind of art related project. My Mom and Dad were also artistic, as well as my sister and all my children. Painting and drawing was just a way of life. I majored in art in high school and remember drawing the poets for better grades in English. My classmates would pay me 50 cents to sketch their boyfriends. My current work focuses on wildlife and birds. In addition to full size paintings, I make jewelry and paint portraits of family pets.
It wasn’t until my late husband got very sick and we had to do home dialysis that I began to sell my paintings. I sold my artwork to many shops in the Oswego/Fulton area, as well as the Adirondacks. In 1982, I opened my own wild bird gift shop, which I named “The Back Wood Shed.”
Now, I am very honored to be a member of the Lakeside Artisans and having my art in the company of so many fine artists of the Oswego area.
Bert, a retired elementary school teacher who lives in Oswego, has studied art with nationally known watercolor teachers in numerous workshops from Maine to Florida. She has created collographs, woodcuts, linocuts and watercolor monotypes while developing her interest in printmaking. In the past few years she has developed an interest in creating collage paintings as well as using sunlight to process solar paintings.
She has been a member of and exhibited work with art organizations in Oswego and Onondaga Counties, the Adirondacks, the Thousand Islands in New York State, as well as in New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina and Canada. One of Bert’s miniature paintings was included in the World Federation of Miniaturist’s Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC in 2004.
Her art is all original one-of-a-kind creations that are created individually. Each piece is created, signed and numbered exclusively. There are no reproductions. Her solar paintings, leaf paintings and pounded petals and leaves portray and preserve nature so the essence of the living plant will linger forever.
I am a retired elementary school teacher who resides in Fulton, NY. After my retirement in 2000, I returned to SUNY Oswego to pursue a life-long ambition to study art. I started showing in about 2002 and have been fortunate to be accepted in many local and regional shows as well as national shows. I have been a visiting artist at Onondaga Community College and Syracuse University.
My work is the result of mixing various media. I try to create unique surfaces using tissue paper, packaging paper, mat medium, glue, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, etc. Then I combines the more intuitive and emotive surface with a technically detailed drawing. I create the drawing and the surface and attempt to meld the two elements to create a unified, finished piece. At times, the surface is the source of inspiration; at other times it is the image itself.
I have been making my own jewelry and love having, unique, simple and elegant jewelry for my daily work wear. I come from a design field. My creative side has always been inspired by architecture and art. I like to create one of a kind jewelry with a fun approach.
When I work, shape, proportion, texture and color are very important to me. I make hand made porcelain beads and mix them with different materials such as pearls, glass and wood beads, silver and stainless steel wire.
I enjoy making jewelry as it is a creative outlet for my daily life.
