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Event Recap: The Nature of Craft

Last Saturday, September 29, the Gilsland Farm apple orchard and visitor center overflowed with beautiful Maine crafts as well as the visitors enjoying them. Forty-six artists set up on the grounds for the Maine Audubon craft show.  At first we were concerned by the light rain on Friday morning, but it cleared up and Saturday was a perfect fall day with low humidity and lots of golden sunlight.

About 1,200-1,500 people came through the show either to shop (we saw a lot of bundles heading out to the parking lot) or just to enjoy the day! Local food truck Mr. Tuna certainly helped keep the energy up with delicious sushi rolls.

Michael Boardman gives an owl sketching demonstration
Michael Boardman gives an owl sketching demonstration.

Demonstrations included an owl sketching session with Michael Boardman from Coyotee Graphics, and Manchester artist Hélène Farrar shared the process involved in creating her encaustic paintings.  Austin Smith from Hadley Road Woodcraft even showed how he carves wooden spoons with hand tools including an axe.

Encaustic artist Helene Farrar's display at The Nature of Craft
Encaustic painter Hélène Farrar’s display at The Nature of Craft.

With the legacy of John James Audubon’s art as part of our history, bringing Maine artists together to share their talent made perfect sense. Nature has always inspired artists, and we saw that on full display. From jewelry to ceramics, silk scarves to original works of art, everything sparkled on this special day. We can’t wait until next year!