Mystic Woodworks featured at Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Chip and Dip by Mystic Woodworks

Smith Galleries features the functional wooden ware of Mystic Woodworks.

Ray and Jamie Doubleday (owners of Mystic Woodworks) make high quality wooden ware in mid coast Maine. They find their inspiration in where they live and the medium they have chosen.

Ray and Jamie write..."In everything we do we feel that it is nature, not we who is the artist. Many of our designs are a direct reflection of nature, such as our fish board and our many leaf shapes. Other designs are a celebration of the wood itself. We see the layout process (where we assemble strips of differing woods) as a way to highlight the beauty of the wood. The shite of maple is striking in itself but when it is placed next to a piece of black walnut, the combination becomes synergistic. Add the bright red of padauk, the golden tones of ash and oak with the earth tone of cherry and we have an explosion of beauty."

Ray writes..."As an engineer, I am constantly looking for ways to improve our manufacturing processes. Although wood is a renewable resource, we take our stewardship role seriously and try to maximize the use of the wood we buy minimizing the scrap. This is why you see some very thin strips of wood in our breadboards. The finishing of our boards is done with food save oils and a touch of bees' wax."

Jamie writes..."Living in coastal Maine we are surrounded by spectacular natural beauty. Everyday

Cracker Tray with Cheese Dome by Mystic Woodworks

the changing palettes of the mighty Atlantic Ocean and the subtle textures of the mysterious Maine woods provide inspiration and encouragement. We try to capture the changing beauty of these natural resources through our design and use of various woods

All of our products are functional, we find it a constant and rewarding challenge to design new objects. We take pride in the quality of our work. There is a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction in speaking with customers who tell us they have had one of our cutting boards for many years and it still looks great."

Smith Galleries is located in suite J11 of The Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday. 843.842.2280 info@smithgalleries.com

Danica Design Candles are Featured at Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Smith Galleries features the beautiful hand made candles of Americans Cindy and Erik Laustsen,

Cindy and Erik write..."We began dipping candles in 1980, after apprenticing with an uncle at his candle factory, in the lovely village of Karlebo Denmark. After returning to upstate New York we began making candles in a friends barn and circa 1810 schoolhouse. In 1982 Danica Design moved to the coast of Maine. We then occupied three floors of a Victorian carriage barn and expanded our line of hand-dipped tapers. In 1991, we designed a building with candle making, retailing and architecture in mind, and moved to West Rockport.

We added scented jar candles, votives, scented and unscented pillar candles, and tea lights to our line. In 1992, we were given the Commercial Building Award from the Camden Rockport Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce, and in 1995 the Retailer of the Year Award from the Maine Merchants Association. We use a blend of beeswax and other premium waxes in our tapers. No lead wick or animal by products are used. All of our candles are solid color and long burning. Our scented products have fragrances throughout."

Smith Galleries is located in suite J11 of the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The gallery is open from 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday year round. 800.272.3870 info@smithgalleries.com

Art Glass by Melanie Guernsey featured at Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island

Glass Cairns by Melanie Leppla at Smith Galleries

Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, features the art glass of Melanie Leppla. The gallery has focused on Melanie's lanterns and cairns. See a video here. Other pieces of Melanie's which have been on display at Smith Galleries are here.

Melanie has been working professionally with glass since graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in 1986. Her professional career includes shows internationally as well as across the United States. Honors include two fellowship grants from The Creative Glass Center of America and a fellowship grant from the New Jersey Counsel for the Arts. Her work is included in the Museum of American Craft and the Museum of American Glass as well as numerous important private collections.

Smith Galleries is located in suite J11 of the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island South Carolina. 800.272.3870 info@smithgalleries.com

Don Drumm featured at Smith Galleries

The metal sculpture of Don Drumm is a continuous feature at Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Don Drumm was born in Warren, Ohio in 1935. After studying medicine for two years at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, he decided to pursue a career in art. He transferred to Kent State University where he received a B.F.A. and an M.A. He subsequently worked as a designer for the Industrial Design firm “Smith, Scherr and McDermott” for two years.

In 1960 Drumm opened his own studio, as a full time practicing Sculptor and designer/craftsman near the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. In 1971, together with his wife, Lisa Drumm, he expanded the studio to incorporate a one-room gallery. Since then the enterprise has grown extensively and now embraces eight buildings, providing gallery facilities for over 500 artists and studio space for three resident artists.

In the late 1950s Drumm pioneered the use of cast aluminum (aluminum) as an artistic medium. In addition he has been a pioneer in the use of contemporary building materials, and techniques for the creation of Arts and crafts. The 1960s brought about many teaching opportunities for Don as he was artist-in-residence at Bowling Green State University and taught at Penland School of Crafts.

He continues experimenting and constantly creating to this day. Drumm has won numerous awards along the way, including: Ohio Designer Crafts' “Lifetime Achievement Award”, “Outstanding Contributors of the Century”, to the Akron community by the Beacon Journal Publishing Company, first recipient of the Outstanding Visual Artist Award from the Akron Area Arts Alliance in 2000, and the first recipient of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) “Artist and Craftsman Excellence” award.

Smith Galleries is located at in suite J11 of the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday. 800.272.3870

Art Glass by Ed Branson Featured at Smith Galleries

Ed Branson at work

The art glass of master glass blower Ed Branson has been featured at Smith Galleries for many years. Jean and Wally Smith selected Ed's work for the gallery because of the beauty and excellent craftsmanship.

Tropical Wave Bowl

Ed writes..."Since 1982 glass has had a constant presence in my life.  Our relationship has been enhanced and explored with some of the world’s glass masters, but predominantly my knowledge of this magic material is built on day-to-day experience and practice in my studio.  This path has led me to a fairly simple artistic approach; trust the glass, have fun, accept mistakes, study nature and search for beautiful forms and colors inherent in glass’ personality."

See Ed make  a "Tropical Wave" bowl.

See other pieces of Ed Branson's glass at Smith Galleries.

Smith Galleries is located in suite J11 of the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday. 800.272.3870 info@smithgalleries.com

The jewelry of Philippa Roberts is featured at Smith Galleries

Philippa Roberts

The jewelry of Philippa Roberts is a mainstay at Smith Galleries on Hilton Head Island. The gallery is featuring a special exhibit of her jewelry as part of their 26th anniversary.

Philippa was born in South Africa to a jewelry making family, she was naturally drawn to working with metals and stones. She graduated from Miami University (in Ohio) with a BFA in Metal Design and Photography. With California calling, she moved to San Francisco in 1994 to begin her career in jewelry design. Philippa started out working for different designers to develop and hone her jewelry and business skills. In 1996 Philippa established her first studio in the basement of her San Francisco apartment building. What started as a small, hopeful business has developed into a large design studio and retail store. She now works from a studio attached to her shop in Oakland.

Philippa’s signature look is simple, organic shapes combined with beautifully cut gemstones. Her love of the ocean plays a large role in the selection of clean, blue and green stones in many of her pieces. Philippa’s creativity stems from the nature around her, yet she also incorporates a feeling of the urban, with lines and patterns that imitate architecture and design seen around the city. Philippa creates all the original pieces by carving in wax or fabricating in metal. Her selection of new stones for each season defines how her collections will come to life. “I love going to the gem shows and being inspired by all the stones I see. To put the colors together and develop a collection is one of my favorite parts of the job.” Once the pieces are ready for production, her team of skilled crafts people make each piece by hand in her Oakland studio.

Using silver as her main medium, Philippa creates necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings that can be worn formally or informally, with an appeal to all ages. “I love to hear from customers that mine is their favorite everyday jewelry, or that they have been wearing one of my pieces for the past ten years. It is my goal to make jewelry that is beautiful, simple, wearable, and most importantly, timeless.”

Philippa Roberts jewelry is carried in specialty shops around the world. It has been a dream come

Necklace and Earrings by Philippa Roberts

true for her to be featured in such esteemed art museums as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the DeYoung Museum, and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. Philippa lives in Oakland with her husband, Brian and their daughter Charlotte.

Smith Galleries is located in suite J11 of the the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday. 800.272.3870

Glass Eye Studio featured at Smith Galleries

Paperweight by Glass Eye

    Smith Galleries is known as the premier source for art glass on Hilton Head Island. The ornaments and paperweights of Glass Eye Studio have been a continuous focus of the gallery for many years.    
    Glass Eye Studio has designed and created exquisite handmade glass for more than 30 years. Through vibrant paperweights, innovative ornaments, functional bowls and vases, our family of glass artisans strives to pass to our customers the same marvel and appreciation that we have for blown glass.
    The process, from start to finish, creates the true beauty and mystery of glass. Applying immense heat to a mixture of mostly sand, glass evolves. Each individual piece begins by gathering a precise amount of glass on the end of a blowpipe or rod. To reach the desired look, the blowing team uses a wide array of color and materials. Many of Glass Eye Studio's designs require days of preparation before a single piece is even made. Manipulating the look of the glass, the blower shapes the molten mass with light but precise touches of manual tools. After a quick fire-polish, the product is slowly brought to room temperature over a period of days. Finally. and annealed solid piece is finished using diamond wheel grinders and polishing stones. The artisans at Glass Eye studios create each blown glass vase by hand. Use with your favorite flowers or display as art in your home. Each piece, all handmade, receive individual attention as it is carefully crafted into it's final form. The process itself is almost as amazing as the final product. Because each piece is handmade the color or size may vary and bubbles may appear in the glass. This is not a flaw but your assurance that each piece is handmade.

Glass Eye Studio in operation

    Glass Eye Studio pieces are hand made by skilled artisans at the Seattle studio. Glass colors are from Germany, New Zealand and some from China. The colors are manipulated in the Seattle studio to produce cane, murrini and stringers. These cane and murrini pieces are used to create wonderful and beautiful handmade glass paperweights, votive lights and ornaments.Glass Eye Studio creates some of America's finest art glass,including ash from Mount St. Helens in some of their pieces.
    Smith Galleries maintains a large selection of glass ornaments and paperweights from Glass Eye. The gallery is located in suite J11 of the Village at Wexford at 1000 William Hilton Parkway on Hilton Head Island. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday. 800.272.3870