The Fiber and Rug Merchant in Oregon Wine Country

              Maybe it was in the souks of Marrakessh?  We were there almost 40 years ago.  We walked down the narrow, twisting, intertwined alleyways.  Merchants and craftsman were elbow to elbow in their open shops. Stepping around a tiny donkey loaded with heavy crates of Coke Cola, we headed down an alley with brightly covered wool roving hung like lanterns between the buildings.  The sun came filtered through the shades of red, yellow, gold, green, and browns.  There was the tap, tap, of a floor loom.  Children, no more than 9 or 10 spun thread with ornate drop spindles.  We were in the Rug souk of  Marrakessh..

              Men in striped jalabas smiled at us and patted at a pile of rugs they sat on as we walked by.  Row upon row of shops full of very similar rugs, it is a mystery to me what makes a person stop and look at a particular pile of rugs.  A wrinkled man with a white mustache and a wide smile greeted us in German.  We looked blank.  He tried French.  Americans we said, he nodded, and called back through a curtain at the back of the shop.  A teenage boy in a white jalaba came out to greet us.  He spoke with a slight American southern accent.  They were Berbers, he explained.   This was his uncle’s shop.  The family was from the Atlas Mountains not far from Fez.  They had just delivered some of the most beautiful rugs they had ever made.  We were extremely lucky to happen upon his uncle's shop. 

            The old man began to roll out one beautiful rug after another.  Here, feel the fiber.  Look at the backing.  We knelt down, felt the wool, admired the strong backing and the elegant design.  These rugs are made to last a lifetime, several life times.  And as I type this I look down at one of the rugs, just as beautiful as that day we first saw it.

            During this year's Art Harvest Studio Tour I think Elizabeth was remembering that day in the rug souk of Marrakessh as she rolled out her rugs for a young couple that came by her studio.  They felt the fiber.  They felt the quality of the backing.  They admired the design.  And they took one of her rugs home with them.

            It was a good Tour.

Art Education and helping a worthy charity

Salud! group watch Liz demonstrate felt making

On Saturday July 13, four Carlton Artists, Dwight Evalt , Lorri Lewis, Liz Santone and Mike Santone who donated an artist tour as part of a Salud! auction package, got to "show and tell" to the auction winners.  


Held in November the Salud! auction benefits the health care for migrant farmer workers through the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center.  Many of the wineries and vineyards in Yamhill County get involved with the auction in one way or another.

We were happy when Reed Oliver, the tasting room & hospitality manager for Winderlea Vineyard & Winery asked us to be part of an auction package which included wine tasting, our artist tour and then dinner at Cana's Feast.

The group spent about 45 minutes with each artist's studio.  It was a great opportunity for us to help a worthy cause and to educate interested Portland folks about our art. 

I got to demonstrate making a clay mask, throwing a bowl, trimming a bowl and my favorite pulling 1800 degree glowing red work out of a Raku kiln and putting in a reduction chamber to flame up with drama.  Raku being fast.  The group got to see the finished glazed work before they left the studio.

I'm not sure how things will work out for next year, but I hope we can do another Salud! auction artist tour.  Showing interested folks what we do and how we do it is great and helping a good cause makes it that much better. 

Arts Alive appearance talking about Pottery

On October 18th we went down to the McMinnville Community Media studio to appear on Arts Alive the local arts and culture show.  Liz talked with host Lynda Phillippi first.  I posted the video of her.  I forgot to post my interview.

We talked about clay and pottery and the Art Harvest Studio Tour, of course.  The Tour was last weekend and the second weekend is coming up.

We had students on the Student/Education Studio Tour today.  They all seemed to come at once.  It was kind of frantic for awhile.  Still fun.

Art Harvest Student Education Studio Tour

Liz Santone demos felt making at her studio

The Art Harvest Studio Tour is on its 20th year.  For several years some of the Tour artists host an Art Harvest Student Education Studio Tour during the week between the regular weekend public Tour.

Today Liz and I hosted students from the Yamhill Carlton area.

Making a mask

Show youth how to make something from a fluff of wool or a lump of clay is a pleasure.

Making felt 

Some Tour artists across Yamhill County are opening their studios this Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday to demonstrate or talk about the art that they do.

Those who visit Liz get an extra surprise.  They get to have a hands-on experience of making felt and taking it home with them.

Because of the nature of clay, the students get to touch the clay and watch as I have all of the fun.  There is a magic in sharing a craft skill and the excitement of creating with young hearts.