PA Guild of Craftsmen :: Online Chapter

Pocono Mountain artist Vicki and Hilton Byrd combine unique talents with a love of adventure, and have lived, loved and worked together for 40 years.

Vicki and Hilton in Mexico

Juried members of the Pennsylvania Guild for over 27 years, Hilton is a founding member of the Online Chapter and Vicki is an active member of the Pocono Chapter of the Guild. Hilton has been an active volunteer for the Guild, serving on many show committees,  the Board of Directors for many years, the Review Board and a past member of the Guild Standards committee in metals. They were craftsmen in residence at the Pa Guild State Crafts Gallery in Bushkill, and served as managers of the Gallery to provide a successful market for Guild members.

Hilton also served the Guild as assistant Director for the Guild,  helping to keep the shows on course during a time of transition.

HVQ Byrd jewelry and sculptures are made by what is called bronze fusion, using an oxygen-Acetylene torch to melt bronze rods at 1600 degrees. Every piece is built drop by bronze drop, starting from nothing to create each piece of original art. Each piece is its own sculpture, highly regarded and extremely collectible.

Hilton and Vicki Byrd do juried art shows across the country and are represented in several well known galleries.

So who are these incredible artists?

I have known Vicki and Hilton Byrd for a long time, and love them completely. They met 36 years ago in Mexico,as a matter of fact, while they both there finding themselves. Vicki’s background as a dancer encouraged her to use the human figure as an expression of human aspiration. Hilton’s background as a psychologist encouraged him more to use the human figure as an expression of character and whimsy.

And so you dance!

When you meet them, you get a sense of how complete they are…how comfortable in their beings, how much joy they find in each other, how delighted they are for each new person they meet and each new experience theyhave.

They love to travel, having lived in Wisconsin, the Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania and…who knows where they will wind up next?

Their family is completed by their three children, Kurt, Quijana and Oliver,  their extremely talented and handsome best grandson in the world Wendall, and their beloved Petite Bassett Griffon Verdeen Ra.

The Famous Ra

With Kurt in San Francisco and Quijana and Oliver in Hawaii, they have lots of reasons to travel and take advantage as often as they can.

A Dancing Life

They are constantly an inspiration to  me, just in their way of accepting and challenging the world. I believe that an artist puts a piece of themselves into every piece they make, and you will be in a better place with a piece of these artists in your heart.

Hilton explaining why YOU need his work more than he does

Check out their website: http://www.hvqbyrd.com. You can meet them in person at the upcoming  Sugarloaf Craft Festival this weekend in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Download directions and discount coupons by  this link:

http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/festivals/gaith/november/

Other Online Chapter members doing the Sugarloaf Gaithersburg show are Arlene Freed, Armand Scavo, Groundhog Blues Pottery and Willow Creek Pottery.

Vicki and Hilton in Hawaii with world's best grandson Wendall

Upcoming Shows:

Langhorne Pennsylvania artist Arlene Freed brings a new life and interesting curves to handcrafted jewelry. A juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen for the past 15 years, Arlene is also a member of the Online Chapter and the Bucks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild.

With a Fine Arts degree under her belt, she went back to school when her two sons were 2 and 3 to get a BA in Advertising and Design. Her 20 years as a graphic designer greatly influenced her design sense which she has brought to her unique jewelry line.

Arlene has developed a process of combining different mediums…fusing, fabricating and texturizing the metals and sometimes incorporating handpainted silks.

This process using handpainted silk was developed with her sister, a fine artist and silk painter. One evening talking long into the night they put their heads together and came up with an idea where they could combine their talents. At 3 am the silk concept was born! (It took a year and a half of research to develop a way to prevent the silk from changing, or loosing it’s color, when imbedded in resin, as well as how best to create the bezel.)

All metal work is done first, then cut pieces of handpainted silk are placed in the handcrafted bezel and resin is used to fill the bezel. Each piece is then sanded and polished for a silky smooth gem.

She distinguishes herself as a “Jewelry Artist”, not a jeweler. Arlene says, “ A jewelry artist takes more chances .We’re freer with our designs, use of color and materials”.

I think what strikes me first looking at Arlene’s work is her use of color…the textures and richness of the stones she chooses, the subtle tones of the handpainted silks and how it all works together. You know her work the minute you see it……the mark of a designer craftsperson.

In her own words: “The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen has allowed me to express myself through my art, and to present it to others in the community,” Arlene said. ” I have also made so many friends within the guild, that have become like family.”

Married to her husband Stan Freed for 25 years, Arlene and Stan are involved in ex racer greyhound Rescue. They share their home with Smurf and Rosie, two beautiful greyhounds with a taste for remote controls and cordless phones. Also joining the family is Smoky the cat.

Arlene has an active show schedule. You can see her work at the following shows:

Wheaten Village  October 3 and 4 http://www.wheatonarts.org/

Sugarloaf Gaithersburg Show Oct 9,10 and 11 http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/

Morristown Kiwanis at the Armory Oct 16-18 http://www.morristowncraftmarket.org/

Tyler Craft Center Show October 23 to 25 http://www.ec4ta.org/

Sugarloaf Somerset Show Oct 30 to Nov 1 http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/

Sugarloaf Oaks Show Nov 6 to  8 http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/

Pennsylvania Guild Show at Manheim November 14 and 15   http://www.pacrafts.org

Sugarloaf Gaithersburg Show Nov 20 to 22  http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Trunk Show

Long time Guild member Louise Mehaffey was a founding member of the Online Chapter, a long time member of the Board of Directors for the State Guild, and the perfect person to start off our Online Chapter blog! We’ll be featuring an artist a week, plus special events, shows, profiles on Guild chapters and other fun things we haven’t thought of yet
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Louise has been a member of the Guild since 1985 when she moved from Cleveland and joined the Reading Berks chapter, and immediately after joining became an active member. I’ll let her tell her story in her own words.

Louise: I started stained glass in the late 70’s I think,
and got totally obsessed with it. Got into painting and firing glass,
sandblasting it, fusing it, and now melting it in a torch. I cast glass
as a hobby when I have the time. I have been on the chapter board for a
long time, serving in several positions- standards chairman, shop
chairman, vice president, president, state rep, and now standards chair
again. On Sept 15, 2001, I did my first bead show- didn’t expect much
but sold really well, and the rest is history. I did that show with a
friend, and on the way home, we decided since there weren’t any local
bead shows, we would produce our own. How hard could it be? So the
Berks Bead Bazaar (http://berksbeadbazaar.com) was born in 2002, and has
been very successful. I did both stained glass and beads for a year or
two, but the beads won. At this point, I exhibit mostly at bead shows,
doing only a few craft shows- my chapter’s 2 shows (spring and Holiday
show), and the Hidden Treasures Tour in the Allentown area. (Plus the
new Tyler show now in late October!) Most of the bead shows I participate in are
produced by bead societies.

I love making beads in my torch! At some point, I was overwhelmed with
beads so I started putting them into jewelry, and discovered I really
enjoy that process too. Last year Stackpole Publishing asked me to
write a book about how make beads (Glass Beads, Tips, Tools and
Techniques), and that was published last Aug. It can be purchased or
ordered at any book store.

In 2000, I designed and programmed my first website. Unfortunately, I
haven’t done anything to it since. Just this week I have been working
on it, but it will be a long, slow process since my old program is so
old it won’t install on my new computer. I had to get a new program,
and there will be a long learning curve! I have kept my show schedule
and teaching schedule current, and look forward to starting a blog.

Several years ago, the Goggleworks, a huge community art center, opened
in Reading, and I have been teaching lampworking there. By the way, the
term “lampworking” means melting glass in a torch. It is an ancient art
(think Egyptian), and the term came from the early lampworkers using oil
lamps instead of torches. I concentrate on making beads. I love the
idea of people wearing my works of art, keeping my beads close to them.
Many of my beads are very organic in design, and customers often ask me
what kind of stones they are; I take that as a compliment. (Check out the link to
Louise’s website)

My next show is Sept 26-27 in Allentown PA sponsored by
Innovative Beads Expo, (http://www.innovativebeadsexpo.com/), Oct 3-4
in Vienna VA sponsored by the N VA Bead Society
(http://www.nvabeads.org/), Oct 31-Nov 1 Reading-Berks Guild of
Craftsmen Holiday show (http://www.rbcrafts.org) at the Kutztown U
fieldhouse, Nov 14-15 Hidden Treasure Tour
(http://www.hiddentreasurestour.com). Plus the Tyler show in Oct. Plus
I am teaching a few classes in there. In between everything, I make beads!

Welcome to the new blog of the PA Guild of Craftsmen’s Online Chapter!

My name is Tara Gentile, the designer of this site, as well as the editor of two blogs, Scoutie Girl and Handmade in PA. This site was created using Wordpress, a FREE & easy-to-use blogging & content management software.

What is a blog? Simply enough, a blog is an journal, a website-based newsletter, a marketing tool, and a great way to draw search engine traffic to your brand. Blogging helps you connect with your customers – key to marketing your arts & crafts business – and keep them up-to-date with your life & work.

I specialize in blog design and also offer creative business consulting services, copywriting, and public relations services.

Interested in how to get started with a blog? Check out a series I wrote for Handmade in PA, called the HiP blog challenge. In 4 thorough posts, I outline simple steps to begin your blogging experience or improve the return your current blog is giving you.

If you’re interested in how I can help you start blogging or improve the internet marketing for your business, don’t hesitate to contact me via email. Or check out my portfolio site: taragentile.com.