Follow Holiday Art Trail to Help Homes With Hope

For the first time in its three-year history, the Holiday Art Trail is donating a portion of its proceeds to Homes with Hope, a local nonprofit organization that provides housing and programs for homeless and at-risk individuals in Fairfield County.

The Holiday Art Trail, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, features Westport and Weston artists who open their homes and private studios to the public for a behind-the-scenes look at what they do.

The participating artists work in a range of media and styles from glass table ware, sculpture and watercolors to handmade accessories, scarves and ceramics. Each of the artists will be featuring their newest work.

The seven participating studios are located within close proximity to each other.  In Westport, those studios include that of Karen Ford, Sophie Acheson and Elise Black. In Weston, studios include those of Leslie Giuliani, Ellen Schiffman, and husband and wife Hans Wilhelm and Judy Henderson.

KAREN FORD'S STUDIO

Close to the Post Road in Westport is the studio of Karen Ford, who creates award-winning Asian inspired porcelain items. Karen often fires her pieces with small fragments of beach glass, creating unique gemlike imagery in her work.  New this year in Karen's studio will be square dinnerware with textures reflecting nature, organic shaped serving pieces in earth tones and in white, and some teapots. Her current work is about the relationship between form and function, creating pieces that are art, but can be used every day.

Joining Karen Ford in her studio will be Jean Melillo who creates table runners and place mats crafted of textiles from around the world. Her designs range from traditional to contemporary and encompass many styles.

ELISE BLACK'S STUDIO

Elise Black, whose Westport studio is off Compo Road near Winslow Park, is a multimedia artist and designer specializing in paintings, sculpture and assemblages often incorporating architectural elements, found objects and surface textures. This year she will be featuring collectable boxes. These painted boxes feature unusual objects and unique flea market finds such as knobs and feet, and are lined with lush fabrics, suedes and leathers.

Showing with Elise Black is Marty Kremer, an award winning glass artist who creates fused glass sculpture. He has been influenced primarily by texture and pattern from Native American fabrics, Italian masonry, Japanese architecture, classic American quilts and wood marquetry.

SOPHIE ACHESON'S STUDIO

Sophie Acheson is best known for the vividly colored abstract etchings she has been creating for over 30 years. In addition to these etchings, her newest gold leaf/ oil miniatures, inspired by medieval manuscripts, will be on display. Her Westport studio will also feature hand marbled small boxes, stationary, journal books, hand built clay tiles, origami cranes and miniature boxes.

LESLIE GIULIANI'S STUDIO

Leslie Giuliani, in Southern Weston, paints, prints, sews, knits, hooks, and makes jewelry. She will be presenting her encaustic and mixed media paintings, primitive hooked textile pictures, hand-knitted and felted wool scarves, black and white prints and knitted pearl necklaces. This year Leslie Giuliani will also feature her newest work: embroidered drawings.

ELLEN SCHIFFMAN'S STUDIO

Just north of Weston town center is the studio of Ellen Schiffman. Ellen will be showing the work she is best known for: nature inspired creations - from wall hangings to jewelry - which incorporate real botanical materials. Additionally she will be introducing a new body of work. Ellen has discovered a passion for felting and will be showing a range of new creations from elegant scarves to dramatic wall hangings.

Joining Ellen in her studio this year will be Roedean, a clothing designer from New York City.

HANS WILHELM AND JUDY HENDERSON'S STUDIO

Here, Judy Henderson creates whimsical, colorful ceramic pieces, both functional and decorative. The studio includes a gallery in which she shows her work on paper, ceramics, and paintings.   

Hans Wilhelm is one of America's bestselling author/illustrator of children's books. He has released five new books this year, which he will be autographing along with favorite older titles in his studio. This year he will also include prints for your children's rooms.

For the first time this year Hans and Judy are featuring 'Jolanthawear', a line of T-shirts designed with Weston's famous town mascot in mind. Jolantha is the pig which graces the entrance to their studios, and is beloved by all who know her.

There is no admission fee for the show and all are welcome. For more information about this show and for a map of the participating studios visit www.holidayarttrail.com  or call 203 222-9264. Maps will also be available on the day of the show at all venues.