Charlie Feathers’ table at One Good Woman
All right, kids, it’s a Saturday morning, so get your magic decoder rings out to decipher this message.
In 1934, the radio show, “Little Orphan Annie,” sponsored by Ovaltine, used this format to send a cryptic challenge for listeners to solve. This art blog headline reads, “Oh my gosh,” “American Craft Week” at “One Good Woman” in Camp Hill.
The two—crafts and the establishment—have gone hand-in-hand since founder and 20-year proprietor, Holly O’Connor, sold the tea and coffee emporium to owners of the past four years, Michele Koch and Mechelle Webster, who, last Saturday, were found at their newly built flagship store, anchored at 1801 Market St.
American Craft Week truly signifies the arrival of the fall season with its celebration taking place nationally the first two weeks of October. One Good Woman culled local talent with a threesome of artists, each a master craftsperson in their respective fields.
The one good woman, prolific painter, Gail Walden Coleman of Mechanicsburg, draws on a color palette she perfected creating sublimely elegant, multi-faceted necklaces and earrings. She has taken that expertise and transferred it to canvas now using acrylics and oils (pictured). The end result delivers a cornucopia of color with dramatic destinations left up to the imagination, informing a final narrative. Coleman’s work can be viewed at the Art Association of Harrisburg in its “Hope, Memory and Pride” exhibit that runs Oct. 18 through Nov. 21. In addition, her work will be featured at the Cornerstone Coffeehouse in December.
Master wood-turner from Liverpool, Toby Bouder, selects his woods based on the strength of their intrinsic properties. Bouder draws from a forest of trees including ash, elm, maple, oak, holly, hemlock and boxwood. Their inherent beauty comes through in the aging process and in his rendering on the lathe. The dyes used, comprised of primary colors, red, yellow and blue, mix to provide unique transformations, as the wood never reacts to the dyes quite the same twice. Bouder’s works (pictured) can be viewed at the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen show at the All Star Sports Complex in Gettysburg the weekend of Nov. 16 and 17. His collection will also be part of the Odd Ones Bazaar on Nov. 30 at the Millworks in Midtown.
At a coffee and tea purveyor (OGW), of course, the Mad Hatter would be there. This time, it in the guise of artist Charlie Feathers, who held court at his table dressed for Alice and friends—all customers of One Good Woman. Teapots of all varieties clamored for attention (pictured top) while Charlie grinned like the Cheshire Cat. An artist who eludes the trappings of a label, Feathers always colors outside the lines, blurring reality and fantasy with a dollop of whimsy on top. A painter, sculptor, potter, clothier and jeweler with his Bootleg Collection of wearable art, his works adorn H*MAC on a rotating basis. Charlie’s offerings have been featured at the Susquehanna Art Museum and Metropolis Collective and are among an upcoming group at the Art Association of Harrisburg with his collaborator, Reina Wooden. In addition, Charlie is the featured artist at H*MAC for 3rd in the Burg on Nov. 15.
American craft is alive and well in central PA as viewed last Saturday in Camp Hill. One Good Woman in this edition has featured its crafts collective as part of its repertoire. Discover for yourself and be sure to look for these artists at galleries, art associations and events near you taking place this autumn.
One Good Woman is located at 1801 Market St., Camp Hill. For more information, visit their website.
