A self-taught jeweler with a fine arts background, Rona Fisher earned a BFA in painting from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) in 1980. Rona discovered crafts as a valid artistic medium while living in San Francisco in the early ’80s. She then moved to Munich, Germany, where she discovered a love of goldsmithing, reached an artistic turning point, and began to make jewelry.

Rona returned to the United States in 1991 and immediately embarked upon the adventure of developing a viable jeweler’s workshop of her own. “Making a living as a designer is a continuous process of tempering fantasy with reality,” she says.

As well as being a member of the Online Chapter of the Guild, Rona is a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen since 1993 and a member of the American Crafts Council.  Rona has taught jewelry classes at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts and was the 1992 and 1997 recipient of the Manayunk Purchase Award for Excellence in Design.  Rona was the winner of the 2001 Niche Award in the category of Jewelry, Gold, and the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen’s 2001 Best in Show Award in the category of Best Contemporary.

Rona’s collection includes rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings crafted in sterling silver and 14 karat gold combinations, and in all gold. Her all-gold selections include pieces in white gold, tri-color gold, and yellow-and-white combinations. Many pieces feature precious or semi-precious gemstones. Her pieces are made to be worn for a lifetime.

Rona’s background in painting and her and five years’ experience as a freelance jeweler in Munich helped her develop a strong understanding of design. This design sense, combined with the expertise of her small staff of experienced, professional goldsmiths, results in uniquely handcrafted pieces. “My goal,” she says, “is always to let the original inspiration come through in the final piece so that the wearer shares in my vision.”

Rona’s partner, Emily Sims, handles the marketing, communications and customer relations end of their jewelry line, while Rona does the design work.  With a background in communication and public relations, Emily has worked full time in the business since 2000.

In Rona’s own words: “Using jewelry as an expressive medium is a balancing act between process and idea. Getting too tangled up in the technical aspects can stilt the flow of a piece, putting the visual emphasis on technique rather than on the beauty of a line or a sensitively placed sphere. For me, intuition is more important than technique. Technique is empty without inspiration.”

A very special aspect of working with an amazing jeweler like Rona is the fact that she can make something just for you. Custom work is always available at her studio. She can design a setting for your own stones, or design a piece for you and provide you with the stones. Or you may want to have her set your stones in one of her existing designs. The possibilities are endless!

More Rona Fisher jewelry at their website: http://www.ronafisher.com/

You can meet Rona and Emily at the following upcoming shows:

March 27 – 28, 2010     

       

        Gaithersburg, Maryland (D.C. Area): Sugarloaf Craft Festival 
           Montgomery County Fairgrounds
           16 Chestnut Street • Gaithersburg, MD 20877          

           Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

        Booth #144

 

        www.sugarloafcrafts.com

April 16 – 18, 2010

       

        Timonium, Maryland (Baltimore Area):  Sugarloaf Craft Festival 
           Maryland State Fairgrounds
           2200 York Road • Timonium, MD 21093

           Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

        Booth #204

 

      www.sugarloafcrafts.com

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 April 24, 2010

        

        Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Spring Open House in Rona’s Showroom      
           104 S. 8th Street, 3rd Floor
           Philadelphia, PA 19107

            Saturday Noon till 4

 

 

 

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May 8 – 9, 2010

                                                                                                      

 

 

 

       Bethesda, Maryland (D.C. Area):  Bethesda Fine Arts Festival

          Woodmont Triangle • Bethesda, MD 

          Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

 

        Booth #52
           

        www.bethesda.org

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May 22 – 23, 2010

                                                                                                      

 

          Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Shadyside Art Festival on Walnut Street

          Walnut Street between South Aiken Avenue and South Negley Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA

          Navigational Address: 739 Bellefonte St., Pittsburgh, PA 15232

          Saturday 10-8, Sunday 10-5

        www.artfestival.com    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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       Northampton, Massachusetts: Paradise City Arts Festival 
  Three-County Fairgrounds
          Route 9 & Old Ferry Road
          Northampton, MA 01060
          Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5, Monday 10-5

June 26 – 27, 2010 

July 15 – 17, 2010  

                                                                                         
       Guilford, Connecticut: Guilford Craft Expo
          Guilford Green
          31 Park Street
          Guilford, CT 06437
          Thursday 12-8, Friday 12-8, Saturday 10-7

     www.artrider.com 

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Pocono Mountain potter Allen Weichman has worn many hats during his adult life: Army Intelligence, Executive Director of the Monroe County Conservation District, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, Soil Conservationist, and potter and co-owner of Groundhog Blues Pottery.

A founding member of both the Pocono Chapter and the Online Chapter, Al has served the Pennsylvania Guild as State Board member for over 20 years, as VP Membership, VP Administration, State President. and Executive Director.  He has chaired many State Guild committees, including F&M show chair during the great years, Tyler Show Chair and Site Chair, Long Range Planning, and was actively involved in acquiring both Tyler State Park and the Bushkill Gallery for the PGC. He wrote and set up the Review Board for the PGC among many other accomplishments. Currently, he is President of the Pocono Chapter and Site chair for the Pocono State Craft Festival. He also chairs the Festival of Wood for the US Forest Service.  He devotes his volunteer time locally these days.

With his wife Helen he maintains a full show schedule, and is the demonstrating potter for Sugarloaf Craft Festivals.

In 1973,the Weichmans moved to the Pocono Mountains so Al could get his Masters in Environmental Science at East Stroudsburg University.  They became caretakers of a 300 acre farm, with two barns, a lake and stream, and proceeded to fill the barns Noah style with animals of every description, fur and feather and opened their pottery studio in 1973.

Working together for 35 years has allowed them to produce both a functional line of dinnerware, with our trademark carving of mountains and trees being our most popular design,and a line of sculptural soup tureens and jars. Throwing each piece by hand allows them to do custom orders.

You can meet Al and see his pottery demonstration at the Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Somerset New Jersey this upcoming weekend and at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at Oaks next week.http://www.sugarloafcrafts.com/

You can follow Groundhog Blues Pottery blog at : http://site.groundhogbluespottery.com/journal/ They post what’s new and what shows they are doing each week.

Groundhog Blues website: http://www.groundhogbluespottery.com/

You can also find Al at the following shows:

RoseSquared Productions in New Jersey: http://www.rosesquared.com/

Kutztown Folk Festival http://www.kutztownfestival.com/

Pocono State Craft Festival: http://www.poconocrafts.com/

People’s Choice Festival: http://www.peopleschoicefestival.com/index.php

Philadelphia Folk Festival: http://www.pfs.org/PFF.php

Tyler State Park Crafts in the Meadow: http://www.ec4ta.org/commactiv.html

Spring Crafts and Fine Art  Nassau County Museum of ARt Roslyn Harbor, New York http://www.craftsatlincoln.org/

Patriot Arts Festival in Harrisburg: http://www.harrisburgarts.org/artsfest/