Author Archives: Katie

A Potter with a Twist, Hadrian Mendoza

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Here at Hardwood Artisans, we are always so excited about the local artists who display their artwork in our showrooms.  From woodturners to painters, they all possess amazing skills. The latest addition to our showrooms is a wonderful potter, Hadrian Mendoza.  Hadrian works out of the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center along with many of the artists who display their works in our showrooms.

Hadrian definitely has a way with manipulating the clay, turning it into fascinating bowls, trays, teapots and vases.  Of my favorite pieces are his round vases with square twisted necks such as the one below.

Twisted Bottle

Hadrian graduated from the Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA.  In 1994, at the age of 22, Hadrian took an elective course in college, and since then has had a passion for making pottery.  Originally from the Philippines, he went back in 1997 to rediscover his roots and learn about the craft along with the different techniques of pottery making in his homeland.  He came back to Virginia in late 2009 and since then has been working in his studio at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA.

Hadrian is inspired by the environment that surrounds him, whether it be near or far.  You will also find a lot of southeast Asian influence in his works, and in the simplicity of his forms, such as this stunning teapot set below:

Fish Tea Set handmade by Hadrian

Hadrian starts by kneading the clay to warm it up and to get rid of the air bubbles.  He then bisque fires the piece, a process which is important to potters if they want to use more decorative stains and glazes without risking damage or cracking of the pottery.  Below is a picture of Hadrian shaping the clay to make a tray:

Hadrian sculpting a tray at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center

He then adds his glaze and fires the piece again in temperatures as high as 1300 C (2372 F).  He will sometimes add a little salt to create more movement in the glaze.  After the kiln has cooled, he opens it and the process starts all over again.  The end result, is a magnificent piece of artwork such as this beautifully glazed bowl:

Hadrian is currently on the hunt for wood firing kilns in Virginia.  “As a potter”, he says, “the most important thing for me is the clay and the kiln.  Without clay, [you] can’t make anything.  Without a good kiln, the pieces can’t be finished the proper way.”  He is constantly on a journey, learning new things about the pottery-making scene locally and nationally, always appreciative of new challenges.

Hadrian’s beautiful pottery is on display at our Fairfax and Alexandria showrooms.  You can also see more of his artwork at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center or click here to be directed to his website.

Inspirational Art by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

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Old paintings made new, or more like new paintings made old. Suzanne Clifford-Clark is a local painter who is inspired to do just that; bring that antique feeling into her works of art. Her motivation comes from traditional paintings and she uses the same age-old methods and tools to create art that will give you a feeling of nostalgia.

The Sliding Hour by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

The Sliding Hour by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

Suzanne has loved art since she was a child, and quickly became enthused in creating her own works. With a family that frequently moved, Suzanne took up the portable habit of drawing and it quickly became an activity that she enjoyed. Soon drawing escalated to painting, and a wonderful relationship was shaped.

We’re proud to showcase 16 of Suzanne’s paintings in our showrooms, all of which are available for sale. Suzanne is a noted equestrian artist, inspired by the gracefulness and muscles of a horse’s large form. When she paints horses, Suzanne tries to portray the individuality of these animals. She doesn’t remember exactly when she first painted a horse, but she is continually trying to improve by not only studying photographs of them, but also by spending time with her own horse. She studies their hair growth, the way their bodies move, even the personalities that many of them convey.

Horse #1 by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

Horse #1 by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

Suzanne  enjoys working with paint; from the way you can apply it to a canvas with broad strokes and thick lines or loosely and light. She’s inspired by colors, the ever changing way you can mix two colors to make another, the different tones and brightness. However, despite the obvious love expressed for such art, painting is a skill that Suzanne sometimes has a love/hate relationship with. When you have such endless possibilities, she does occasionally find herself frustrated with the inability to find that perfect color effect, the details she’s looking for, or even the tone of the piece itself. Painting never leaves her bored, but it does require a couple steps back to reevaluate the art being expressed.

Late Day by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

Late Day by Suzanne Clifford-Clark

To create such a beautiful piece, Suzanne starts by stretching a fabric over stretcher bars and tightly securing it. She then paints the first layer of her painting, a layer that is called imprimatura.  This layer consists of a single color that covers the whole surface, therefore making it easier to estimate the value of a stroke on a solid background.

Imprimatura Layer

Imprimatura Layer

The next step is emphasizing the subject of her piece with either charcoal or thinned paint. Suzanne has to wait for this layer to dry before continuing onto the next layer, which is painting from the general to the specific. This layer usually consists of two or three layers, both of which have to dry before she continues on. This step is when the details begin to form.

General to Specific

General to Specific

Suzanne’s work is a slow and deliberate process, which pulls from years of painting and centuries of tradition. She has accomplished the goal of creating the traditional and now has several paintings to prove such skill. If you want to see her beautiful paintings or contact Suzanne, you can visit her website or you can visit our Rockville, Alexandria, or Fairfax showrooms to see these gorgeous works in person!

Showing Art through the Glass

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Have you seen the art glass in some of our furniture?  Those beautiful creations were made by our skilled Edwin Moncada, who is also a craftsman, sales person, webmaster, and my dad!  He designed and crafted this piece:

"Fall Begins" An Art Glass Screen

"Fall Begins" An Art Glass Screen

 

Back in 2005, when he first began working for Hardwood Artisans, he started with sanding pieces, making cabinets, and enjoyed working as a craftsman in our shop; later on, people got to know him better and learned that he had other talents, which let him into working in his career which is Systems Engineering.  He turned into our webmaster.  Being the company’s webmaster taught him about the 800 products Hardwood Artisans builds, designs and sells.  Edwin soon became a valuable salesperson.  
 
Javier's Mirror with Edwin's Art Glass Design

Javier's Mirror with Edwin's Art Glass Design

His interest in art glass sparked when Greg Gloor, our previous art glass creator, told him that it was time for him to learn something new. He started to show him what he knew about art glass and taught him until he mastered the creation process. The lessons started with stretching lead, cutting and breaking glass, and occasionally getting bloody fingers (tee hee!)  Even with the “suffering,” he likes creating the art glass a lot. “I like the fact that you can create new things with feeling towards what you build, which is also applied in furniture making,” my dad says proudly. He has now been making art glass for three and a half years now and shows progress and new ideas with every design. 

Here is a design for Greg Gloor’s home:

Edwin's Art Glass for Greg Gloor's Home

Edwin's Art Glass for Greg Gloor's Home

 He makes his art by first sitting with customers and designing a style that would be suitable for their furniture. Then he comes up with the measurements, drawings and the template, and afterwards choosing the glass that best fits the design (“The most difficult part” he said). The fun part starts when he has to put all the pieces together to see if it looks like he planned. Finally, after welding them together with lead, he goes to wash his piece and… It’s ready!

Edwin's Art Glass up close

Edwin's Art Glass up close

 Our customers have been happy and proud of their new furniture, because not only has the design come to life; it also shows a light of its own. At the moment, he is working on doors for kitchen cabinets (pictured below), so keep in touch to see the result!

Edwin working on a kitchen cabinet art glass design

Edwin working on a kitchen cabinet art glass design

If you would like to see his creations, or talk to him about a project you can email him: Edwin@hardwoodartisans.com.  You can also come to our Woodbridge showroom/woodshop to see my dad in action, or visit one of our other three showrooms to see more of his designs.

Written by Edwin’s daughter: Adriana Moncada, 14

New Artist: Woodturner Patrick O’Brien

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At Hardwood Artisans we love local artists.  We have found a very talented woodturner, Patrick O’Brien.  His carefully crafted work of bowls, platters and wine stoppers are currently being shown in our Fairfax showroom.  Including this piece:  

Russian Olive Tall Bowl

Russian Olive Tall Bowl

Patrick is kind enough to be doing a demonstration at our event on June 26th, our 4th Annual Lemonade Social.  He will be doing his demonstration at 11am and 1pm and will have a small lathe with him to show and teach you what he does.  Come on it and see what he can do!  You will also get a chance to see this beautiful piece of his:  

Fluted Sycamore Bowl

This 14" by 5" bowl had 36 flutes hand carved with a die grinder with carbide drums and hand finished

Cherry Fluted Bottom

Cherry Fluted Bottom

 

Patrick fell in love with woodturning one summer when he saw the work of Alan Hollar in the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville,North Carolina. He has since studied with Willard Baxter and Bobbie Clemons at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, many others and even the very Alan Hollar whose work inspired himto take up the art of woodturning in the first place.   

In 2003, he began a business called OhBeWood and started selling his work.  In September 2008, he moved to the Lorton Workhouse Art Center in Lorton, Virginia, a new artists’ community with more than 60 studios and several galleries where their works are sold.  A small selection is also available at the new Del Ray gallery, A Show of Hands, at 2301 Mt. Vernon Avenue.  You can view his work in our Fairfax showroom as well as on his website: ohbewood.com.  He welcomes your comments and observations about the pieces featured.

Exotic wood stainless steel wine bottle stoppers with nitrile rings

Exotic wood stainless steel wine bottle stoppers with nitrile rings

 

Three of his turnings were selected for inclusion in the 2005 and 2008Washington Wood shows.  He has had pieces juried into the March, April, May, July, August, and October 2004 and the March, April, May, and July 2005 Art League of Alexandria shows at the Torpedo Factory.  He is a member of the Washington Woodworkers Guild, Del Ray Artisans, and the Art League of Alexandria.  We hope you can join us to see his demonstration on May 15th in our Fairfax showroom at 2pm. 

Beaded Box Elder 12.5" x 5"

Beaded Box Elder 12.5" x 5"

 

Patrick’s Artists Statement:

What I love about woodturning is the way the wood reveals itself as I work. Michelangelo is reputed to have said in answer to the question about how he created his famous statue of David from a block of marble, “I just cut away everything that wasn’t David, and there he was.” I imagine it’s debatable whether or not Michelangelo actually said that, and I am certainly not comparing myself to him, but I feel similarly about working with wood. As I ‘turn” a log or block of wood over and over again in my hands I begin to feel what it might become. Then, as I actually begin to turn the wood on my lathe and the grain, the spalting, and the “flaws” of the wood are revealed, I feel as if the soul of the wood is coming out. In all of my work, I try not to get in the way of the spirit of the wood. 

It’s finally here: our Kitchen in Fairfax

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We have finished installing our fully working kitchen in Fairfax.  Our showroom staff have been enjoying the opportunity to bake fresh cookies and sit at the bar to relax.  Co-owner Mark Gatterdam tells the story of how and why we went into building kitchens: 

“In 2001 I needed a kitchen to go into the new home my wife Erika and I were building. I actually went to Home Depot and to get an estimate for a kitchen design. It was $12,000 for just the cabinets, and was not what I actually wanted. They were simply stock cases that didn’t fit the space and left a lot of wasted areas in the design. I felt that I wasn’t being heard by the sales person and it became clear to me that this was not going to work.

I was too busy to build the cabinets myself – I was building a house! I hired Ricardo, then a craftsman and now my partner, to build my kitchen.  I designed it, and he executed it. I was asked my opinion on how I wanted things to look or work, and he would then get that done. I got exactly what I wanted, and it was perfect.”  Here is a picture of it:

Mark's Kitchen

Mark's Kitchen

 And one more: 

Mark's Kitchen

Mark's Kitchen

“We have been building vanities, odd spaces, unusual looks, that sort of thing, but not kitchens. After Greg built his home and subsequently his kitchen using some of the craftsmen in the shop, we decided that doing kitchens was sort of different and fun.

We had always resisted doing them because we felt we could not compete with companies who do it exclusively. The reality is that people are willing to pay a little more to get the service, attention, and product they need. So, here we are launching off on our kitchen cabinet venture. Typical Hardwood Artisans quality and construction. Designed and built to meet your individual wants and needs.”

Greg's Kitchen

Greg's Kitchen

We have two kitchen designers if you need help designing or visualizing your space.  Any thoughts or questions you have e-mail us at info@hardwoodartisans.com.