Artisans 2014

Wool Felting
Jean O. Hearn

Guitar Maker
John Whiteside

Blacksmith
Garry Kalajian

Chinese Brush Painter
Bruce Iverson

Cooper
Ron Raiselis

18th-Century Printer
R.P. Hale

Wildfowl Carver
Fred Dolan

Newmarket Mills
Original woodcut by R.P. Hale
Created for the
Heritage Festival, 2009

Fly Tier
Bob Wyatt

Potters
Deb Moran & Jessica Seaton

Letterpress Printer
Tom Johnson

Artisans at Work

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BLACKSMITH

Garry Kalajian operates Ararat Forge in Bradford, N.H., where he produces functional pieces based on both historic and original designs. The common denominator is the nearly exclusive use of traditional tools and techniques. more
Level 1: Trolley Stop

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COOPER
Craftsmen who make wooden barrels are called “coopers,” a word probably derived from the Latin word for vat, cupa. In New England, coopers arrived with the first English settlers in the 1620s, and their craft was essential to commerce and daily life. The fishing industry used barrels for shipping pickled and dried fish. Farmers used them for storing grains, butter, and cider. Merchants used them for hardware and dried goods. The whaling industry used barrels to store tools, provisions, and, of course, whale oil. Ron Raiselis, a cooper at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, makes his living demonstrating the traditional art of barrel making.  more
Level 1: Trolley Stop

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GUITAR MAKER
Luthier John Whiteside makes acoustic guitars and teaches guitar making in Fremont, N.H. John has been named a Master Guitar Maker by the New Hampshire Council on the Arts (National Endowment for the Arts), and also certified as a league-juried guitar maker by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. He founded the Luthiers Group of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers. John teaches in extremely small class settings (1-2 students) and also builds on commission. He believes each guitar should be designed and built to the player’s unique needs, like a tailor-made suit or architect-designed home. John is also an avid finger-style player, currently studying with local recording artist and performer David Surette, and has recently mastered thumb-finger independence.  more
Level 3

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WILDFOWL CARVER
Fred Dolan grew up next door to a bird carver. During stints in construction, school teaching and family business, Fred pursued his own passion for carving, eventually turning his hobby into a full-time profession in 1989. Fred was among the New Hampshire craftspeople featured at the 1999 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC.  more
Level 4

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18th-CENTURY PRINTER
Wearing period costume, R. P. Hale demonstrates wood engraving and letterpress printing. On his 18th-century printing press, he creates original engravings of some of Newmarket’s historic buildings. Shown below: Newmarket Mills, original woodcut created by R.P. Hale for the 2009 festival. more
Level 3

“Try-It-Yourself” Artisans

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CHINESE BRUSH PAINTER
Create traditional Chinese brush paintings and calligraphy with Bruce Iverson.
Level 4

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FLY TIER
Try fly tying with Bob Wyatt, who uses his artistry to imitate the look, flutter, wiggle, color, and silhouette of a bug or bait fish.
Level 4

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POTTERS
Witness the process of creating unique handmade pots with Jessica Seaton.
Level 3

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LETTERPRESS PRINTER
Join Newmarket resident Tom Johnson for demonstrations of the art of printing–and create your own bookmarks using an antique letterpress.
Level 4

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FUSED GLASS ARTIST
Make glass and ceramic magnets with Alesia Dopson and the folks from To Your Art’s Content.
Level 4

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WOOL FELTER
Get your hands into fluffy fiber, add warm soapy water, and create felting magic with  Jean O. Hearn. Jean created her first wet felted wall hanging seven years ago as a final project for an herbal apprenticeship class. She used flowers, roots, and bark to make strong teas, drawing out the color of the plants to dye the wool. “I love the process of working with wool to make it colorful and transform it into art,” says Jean. “And I love to share this natural medium with children.”
Level 3

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