Photos by Angela Shoemaker
A Mist That’s a Hit
Distinctive and eminently comfortable, this 32-by-28-by-32-inch armless scallop-back slipper chair, manufactured by Pearson Co., is upholstered with high-density plush but durable “Sea Mist” chenille fabric and costs $1,052 (prices vary according to fabric chosen). It can be found at Blue Nest, 4984 U.S. Hwy. 42 in Glenridge Plaza (394-9200, www.thebluenest.net), which specializes in fibers for the home. The price range for all the store’s items is $15-$7,000.
Cruising in Circles
For the past nine years, Louisville School of Art graduate Rebecca Graves has had the enviable job of working as events designer aboard the globe-cruising passenger ship Queen Mary 2. “I’ve kept sketchbooks of paintings and drawings of the ocean, which I then take back to my New York studio and use for inspiration for larger paintings,” she says. The result is her “Porthole” series, which can be seen locally at B. Deemer Gallery, 2650 Frankfort Ave. (896-6687, www.bdeemer.com). Her 30-inch-square oil-on-steel painting Borneo Morning/Rain #2 costs $2,300, with the price for all her work ranging from $2,000-$2,500.
Cool From the Hotshop
Brook Forrest White Jr.’s signature blown glass is the patterned, dual-colored “Noble” series, set on a clear pedestal base. “Most vessels are decorated only on the outside,” the Flame Run Hotshop and Gallery co-owner says. “I put as much work on the inside as I do the outside. All pieces have the same patterning. There’s depth in the color, with a very painterly effect.” Spring Noble, shown here, is priced at $3,000 and stands 22 inches high with a 6?-inch-in-diameter opening. Besides Flame Run, at 828 E. Market St. (584-5353, www.flamerun.com), you can find his work at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St. (589-0102, www.kentuckyarts.org). The price range for his art glass pieces is $40-$20,000.
Packing a Picnic?
The selection of table linens at the international crafts fair-trade store Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Ave. (897-7319, www.justcreations.org), is impressive, especially the variety of beautifully decorated cotton napkins (16 or 17? inches square for $5-$8) and tablecloths (60 inches square to 60-by-120 inches for $34-$48).
Feat of Clay
Ceramicist Laura Ross specializes in functional tableware and imaginative pots made from stoneware clay. “The freshness and spontaneity of cut clay ? ragged edges and undulating rims combined with the accidental quality of the flame patterns ? impart an energy and spiritual edge that I want in my work,” she says. This 11?-inch-tall, 13-inch-wide and 4?-inch-deep vase costs $180 at Thrown Together, 1806 Frankfort Ave. (896-1667). Ross’ pottery is also available at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St. (589-0102, www.kentuckyarts.org), and at the studio/showroom she shares with ceramicist Judy Miner at 2510 Belknap Beach Road in Prospect (553-8766). Her ceramics range from $28-$600.
With Flying Colors
Muhammad Ali could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” and it makes sense that the gift shop at the newly opened Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St. (584-9254, www.alicenter.org), would carry items with these symbols. The African company Penzo, with its handcrafted ceramics by Zimbabweans, makes the “Papillion” series, covered in African butterflies and bees. Microwave and dishwasher safe, the series includes a 7?-by-11-inch rectangular platter for $48, a sushi tray for $40, a five-inch-tall coffee mug for $27 and a five-inch-in-diameter Kalla coaster for $18. Penzo contributes a portion of its sales to African wildlife conservation and educational programs.
