November 2019: Janet & Jay O’Rourke & Jennifer Mercede

Janet & Jay O’Rourke create one of a kind vessels and wall panels. They have been involved for over 45 years in the woodworking media. Janet’s pencils, paint brushes and carving tools are her magic wands. Jay’s lathe and carving tools are his magic. Together they create unique, one of a kind work. The pair carves each piece by hand; “We salvage logs from fallen trees after storms, let the wood cure for about a year. We then turn hollow form lidded wood vessels, create one of a kind hand carved sculptures.” They also cut panels out of wood to create a 3 dimensional work. We carve each piece by hand, we use dyes to get a water color effect where you can see the wood grain, pyrography, Prismacolor pencils, Swarovski rhinestones, acrylic gold paint. 10 layers of lacquer. “This is a technique we have created for our work that is distinctly our original media and our distinctive look. Our inspiration is from nature, birds, insects, gardens and magic. “

Jennifer Mercede uses a vaiety of mixed media to creat her paintigs.“My art is best described as street art meets toddler art meets fine art. I love scribbling, doodling, being silly and expressive with paint, markers, crayons and/or whatever is closest and suits the mood. My goal is to get into ‘the zone’, the flow zone, where I can forget all else and surrender to the joy of creating. I am spontaneous in my creation and I love to think on a whim in a variety of expressions, including art, music, writing and play. I enjoy working with kids and adults alike. I teach workshops occasionally throughout the year. I love to encourage people to free up, have fun and play in their art (and life)” She is inspired by funky color combinations, children’s art, graffiti and abstract expressionism. Her process is spontaneous and expressive