Our intern, Nel Pilgrim Rukavina, has made some picks from collections by our local jewelry artists – enjoy!

While in the depths of winter, jewelry may be just the thing to get our minds off the cold weather. The work of jewelers Heinz Brummel and Devin Johnson offers a departure from the gray shades of winter with their exuberant and innovative designs.

Assorted work by Heinz Brummel

Assorted work by Devin Johnson

For those who choose to embrace this season rather than hope for the next, jewelry from Emily Johnson may be a subtle reminder of our Minnesota pride (is there any pride left when it is 30 below zero…?)

Pin and necklace by Emily Johnson

Whether you chose to embrace winter or are just waiting for it to end, stop by The Grand Hand Gallery to see the wide array of jewelry offered this month!

We launch our 2012 exhibition schedule Saturday, February 4 with Peter Kramer – Postcards to Save the Post Office and Kathy Wismar – paintings and ceramics. The show runs through Sunday, March 4.

In the meantime, we’ve been in touch with many of our regular artists and are expecting new work from gallery favorites throughout the season. Look for new furniture designs from Dan Dunbar, fresh pottery from Sandra Shaughnessy and Mike Tonder‘s glass bowls very soon!

The Grand Hand conducts regular reviews of work submitted by prospective gallery artists from across the country. As we begin the new year, we welcome two artists whose distinctive media caught our eye in the course of the last review:

Andrea Martin, Prefab Housing

Trained as a biologist, Andrea Martin explores themes of adaptation, evolution and the interaction between humans, animals and the environment in her cut paper art. Cutting away paper to release an image in a process similar to her work with dissection, the artist crafts each image entirely from one piece of black paper. Colored Japanese papers are sometimes added to highlight design elements before the work is mounted on archival museum board.

In 2011, the St. Paul artist, who is a member of the Guild of American Papercutters, earned both a Merit Award and a Friends of the Fair Award for her work at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.

Andrea Martin, The Harvest

Patti Roberts-Pizzuto, Spring #12

Patti Roberts-Pizzuto applies painting, drawing, collage and embroidery techniques to handmade paper, creating meditations on what she describes as her “observations of the passing of days, the drama of the unseen, the meaning of stillness, and the witness of the objects around us.” She achieves amazing detail and texture in her works.

The artist earned a BFA at Florida’s Ringling College of art and Design, and stayed on at the school for 25 years as a library cataloger and curator. Currently living and working on the banks of the Missouri River, she finds inspiration in the history and the spirit of the land near her home in Burbank, SD.

Patti Roberts-Pizzuto, Scroll for Letter B

Autumn meals and holiday menus are on our minds. In our opinion, baking and serving in handmade pottery enhances any dish.

Grand Hand ceramic artist Lisa Buck – who crafts especially “cook-friendly” casseroles, bakers and servers – has graciously shared a few of her family’s favorite recipes. Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip with Ahoohaa

This artichoke dip has evolved over the years at our house and has a nice kick from the addition of chipotle peppers.  It is always made in an earthenware baking dish.  Adjust quantities to fit the size of the pot and crowd.

2 cans of artichoke hearts, halved or quarters, drain
1 cup grated good parmesan (or more!)
3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp- tbsp chipotle pepper with sauce (from a can of chipotle, like La Morena brand…the peppers are in a smoky, thick delicious sauce- cut off a little pepper and scoop a bit of sauce with it.  You can transfer the rest to a small lidded jar and it will last in the fridge for almost ever.)
1 baguette, sliced diagonally, brushed lightly with olive oil and toasted to a bit golden in the oven….do this when the dip is almost ready.

Using a food processor, begin by adding artichokes, then mayo, Parmesan and chipotle to taste.  Blend until nicely mixed, a little chunky or smooth if you like.  If a little dry add more mayo, if very wet add more Parmesan. Spread into baking dish not more than 2 ” thick.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden on the top.
Enjoy on toasted baguette.

Radiant Eggplant Terrine

We call this our “Wedding Dish”, because we served it at our wedding.  It can be chilled, sliced and served on a handmade platter or assembled in a long oval baking dish where it moves from oven to table beautifully.

1 or 2 eggplant (about 1 pound size)
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying
1-2 cups Tomato Vegetable Sauce (recipe below-worth it!)
2 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ squares
4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and cubed
8 oz. fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
3 or more TBSP fresh grated parmesan
2 TBSP butter
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
* you can always adjust quantities depending on the size of the handmade baking dish you are using

Cut off top and bottom ends of the eggplant.  Do not peel.  Slice lengthwise into very thin slices. Freely salt each eggplant slice and lay in a colander to drain for 1 hour.  Rinse off salt and pat each slice dry and set aside.  In a heavy skillet, fry the eggplant and place on paper towel after to drain off oil.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the tomato vegetable sauce, red peppers, eggs, fontina cheese and seasonings to taste. Set aside.

Butter the inside of the earthenware baking dish and then line it with the eggplant slices placed snuggly side by side so that they move in a radiant pattern around the pot.   At this point, about 1/3 or more of the eggplant will hang outside the pot.  With a large spoon transfer the vegetable mixture on top of the eggplant.  Gently fold over the eggplant that is hanging outside the pot to hold in the mixture. Then add any remaining slices as needed to create an enclosure.
Sprinkle Parmesan generously over the top

Bake for approximately 30 minutes until rather golden and any liquid that oozes out is bubbling.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and serve with warm crusty bread, a nice dry red wine and a simple green salad. 6 servings

Tomato Vegetable Sauce

2 pounds tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup onions, chopped
2/3 cup carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh, Italion parsley
2 Tbsp fresh oregano
2 Tbsp fresh basil
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh ground pepper
(you can also add red peppers to the sauce, we always do)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, starting with olive oil, onions and garlic, then carrots and tomatoes, followed by spices, etc.  Cook uncovered over low heat for 30 minutes stirring frequently until delicious and thick.

Lisa also recommends Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share

Afton, MN potter Lisa Buck’s red earthenware pots show the influence of her explorations in clay at home and abroad. She uses a combination of wheel-thrown and hand-built techniques to produce works that often feature generous forms, fanciful feet and fluid handles. An interplay of glazed and unglazed areas is characteristic of her pieces, which are fired in an electric kiln.  Lisa’s pots are oven, dishwasher and microwave safe.

Click HERE for more on Lisa’s work.

New Arrivals in the gallery include…

Pottery by Simon Levin, Bill Gossman, Ed & Kate Coleman, and Marge Margulies, Lucy Grantz whistles, and Andy Shaw. Glass pumpkins by Nolan Prohaska. Jewelry by Fullerton-Bahr, Britta Kauppila and J.Lynn Brofman.

Handcrafted Holiday Sneak-Peek!

As the holiday season quickly approaches and the weather gets colder, our wonderful artists are beginning to send us their amazing Handcrafted Holiday items! A selection of holiday cards and winter wearables are already available. Ornaments and other holiday items will be available at the beginning of November. Our full “Handcrafted Holidays” show will be up and running on November 18th in time for the Holiday Open House! Buy holiday cards online here!

Joel Nichols

New furniture has arrived from Stillwater artist Joel Nichols! He creates fine hand-crafted furniture from a variety of woods, referencing traditional styles in his own designs. The new pieces include two benches, one hall table, and a wall mirror made from cherry barn wood. These are the perfect accent pieces to get your home “holiday ready”.

Reiko Ishiyama

New York City based jewelry designer and metalsmith Reiko Ishiyama is now showing work at the Grand Hand! Her elegant brooches, earrings and necklaces are made of sterling silver and 14k white gold. Reiko says of her work “Each idea for my pieces begins with the pure forms of a circle or a square reshaped and combined to form spirals, cylindrical curls and other three dimensional shapes. Through techniques of hammering and heating, oxidation and heating patina these simple forms are transformed into small works of sculpture designed to be worn.”

Time to dig through your kitchen cupboards…our 2nd Annual Ceramics Makeover is coming! October 7-16th bring in any mass-produced mug, bowl, etc…and get 25% off a comparable hand crafted item. All trade-ins will be donated to a local charity. The Grand Hand Gallery has a whole slew of events coming up during American Craft Week including gallery talks and book signings. See event page for details.

September Featured Artists

Although we may not want to admit it…summer will be turning into autumn all too soon…and with this change we will soon be enjoying beautiful fall colors. In honor of this yearly metamorphosis our featured artists for the month of September are Duluth native Ann Jenkins and Afton potter Lisa Buck. The rich colors of Ann’s paintings portray the brisk and watery landscapes of Duluth with the warmth of autumnal colors. Lisa Buck’s stoneware pots pair wonderfully with Ann’s fall colors and create a warm and rich palette for the coming season. Their work is on view in our front displays as well as online. Shop the September collection here.

New Jewelry!

The Grand Hand Gallery is very pleased to announce that we have taken on Stephen Vincent Design jewelry! Master goldsmith Stephen Vincent creates pieces from a variety of materials such as gold, silver, steel and diamonds. We are also taking on work from Collection 522 that incorporates gemstones with a crocheting technique using steel wire. The flexibility of this work is astounding…you can actually stretch out the necklaces and bracelets to make them longer! Absolutely fascinating work… Keep your ears open for trunk show details!

Our Treasures: Highlights from the Minnesota Museum of American Art

This beautiful catalog contains images and information about the wonderful work in the Minnesota Museum of American Art collection. Although they are currently working on finding a new home, the Museum’s collection remains as vibrant as ever. Excerpt from book: “Thea year 2011 is an exciting one for the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Over the past two years, Kristin Makholm, our new Executive Director, has masterminded a series of “gem” exhibitions… another in this “on the road” series is taking the collection farther afield – to Duluth.” Artists such as Warren Mackenzie, Thomas Hart Benton, Robert Henri, Peter Voulkos and more. The MMAA collection contains more than 3800 artworks representing the 19th century to the present. For more information about the museum, visit their website www.mmaa.org

The catalog is available in three different cover designs here at the Grand Hand and online at http://shop.thegrandhand.com

Every year we try to come up with ways to make our sales new and exciting. Since they only happen twice a year (January and August) we have plenty of time to scheme! This year we’ve upped the ante by having gallery wide discounts each week. Check out our Summer Sale page for full details here. If that weren’t enough, we are also going to have our first ever “Make Us An Offer” days on August 30-31st! On these two days you can come in and shop, haggle, and take home some beautiful handcrafted items.

Natural Elements Exhibition September 10-October 9th 2011

Gallery artists Fred Kaemmer and Sarah Wieben are well known to many of our customers as they have been with The Grand Hand since our very first year back in 2004.  Both artists have exciting new bodies of work for this show.  Fred Kaemmer captures the glow and flow of hot glass in his new sculptural vessels while Sarah Wieben’s abstract landscapes are focused on the dramatic forces of weather. Opening reception Sept 10th 5-8pm.

About Fred Kaemmer: This St. Paul artist has been creating hand-blown glass pieces for more than a decade. He enjoys forming simple, functional shapes then altering them to create objects of great visual interest and appeal. Fred is known for the use of metal leaf decoration in his work. After earning a degree in religion from Bates College in Maine, Fred became a special student in glass at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. He states, “I began working with glass as a distraction from the nagging question of  ‘What now?’ While at first glance there seems to be no common theme to my work, there is one overriding idea that repeatedly influences what and how I create each piece. It represents my own exploration of the ‘Craft vs. Art’ debate that is so common to this medium. I relish the ability to make a simple form well, but I love the idea of taking that piece just slightly further and turning it into something that would be awkward or difficult to actually use. Most all of my work reflects my enjoyment of moving a piece from its safe, traditional and utilitarian foundation to something more artistic and interesting to look at. The potential for this kind of work is nearly limitless and still, ironically, leaves me wondering, ‘What now?’ ”

About Sarah Wieben: Sarah, a Minneapolis oil painter, focuses on landscape. In her work, she addresses the impact of diverse influences – from the American political scene to dramatic weather events –  on the environment. “It sometimes happens in life that events compel us to face the fact that none of us has as much control over our own lives as we like to think we do,” states Sarah. “I see this too in the landscape when I paint it.  We have our hands on the land.  We attempt to harness its power, to use it, to change the face of it, forgetting all the while that it is our host, and we may someday wear out our welcome.  My current work reflects man’s constant, often futile struggle to control our lives and the natural world.” The artist, who pursued Soviet Studies at the University of Minnesota, lived in Moscow in the late 1980s and early 90s, working at the U.S. Embassy and teaching school.  In Russia, she discovered her passion for art. After returning to the U.S., she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

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Are you one of our regulars? Do you stop by to purchase beautiful artwork for friends and family? We know there are a lot of you, and we want to say thanks! We are happy to introduce the Grand Hand Collectors Club, a loyalty program for frequent Grand Hand shoppers that gets you access to special discounts and events.

Here is how it works…  when you make a purchase we will automatically give you one point for every dollar you spend. When you reach 350 points you will receive a 15% off coupon good for ANY non-sale item in the gallery! There is no punch card to keep track of, no membership card to carry around in your wallet…we will take care of everything. Questions? Just ask any of our gallery staff, or email us at sales@thegrandhand.com

Summer Dreams III Exhibition Mentioned in Knight Arts Blog!

“Minnesota summertime captured in handblown glass and ‘drawings in light’”

See full review here. Thank you Susannah Schouweiler

Deborah Foutch

As a fiber artist, Deborah studies the effect of light on her assemblages and often plays with a variety of materials and textures. In her recent series of bird drawings, Deborah explores the application of oil pastel to archival paper. Crow is pictured below.

Originally posted by Susan on April 7, 2011