Page 19 - Paradise City Guide Fall 2018

Furniture & Home Furnishings

Patrick Moriarty's passion for woodworking started when he purchased a
40-year-old table saw in the late 80’s and taught himself how to build tables,
doors and bookcases. In an effort to challenge himself, Moriarty decided to
try his hand at sculpting dining chairs, arm chairs, rockers, and stools. As a
lifelong martial artist, he enjoys the pursuit of perfection. “Sculpting chairs is
an important part of this process. It’s a kind of Zen experience for me,” he
says. Each chair develops its own personality as he sculpts, formed by the
unique characteristics of the wood.
While sculpting a chair requires many tools, Moriarty’s favorite is hand-stitched rasps, which have a
slightly random pattern to the cutting teeth and produces a smoother finish. He finds these tools give
him better feedback as he works. “I use my hands rather than my eyes during final sculpting. While
eyes can trick you, hands do not deceive.” Moriarty hopes his gracefully sculpted furniture will become
a cherished part of its owner’s life and proudly passed down to be enjoyed by multiple generations.
You can test the comfort of Moriarty’s chairs at both the Northampton and Marlborough shows this fall.
Low Back Chair, cherry. 23.5” x 24” x 38”.

Glass just seems to bring out the ocean in Jeremy Sinkus. Sinkus had
the rare privilege of growing up on the beautiful sweep of Cape Cod,
where he spent many happy hours fishing, snorkeling and diving. A
childhood centered on the sea has become the focus of his life as a
glass artist. “The visual experience of the deep helps create variety
and emotion in my work. I love to translate the sense of harmony I
experience when immersed in the ocean through the color and clarity
of glass,” he says.
Sinkus was a mineral collector and miner who put down his hammer and chisel to start his
journey in glass art. He fell in love with the possibilities of borosilicate glass, which can
withstand the high temperatures required for his detailed flame-worked and lamp-worked
pieces. Sinkus mirrors sea life in an incredible array of work, from pendants resembling drops
of water encasing translucent jellyfish to sculptures of miniature reefs alive with neon blue
tang fish and waving glass corals. His earlier work with minerals has led to a new experiment:
borosilicate resembling tourmaline and made into drinking glasses, shot glasses, small vases
and even lighting! Visit this Massachusetts artist at Paradise City Northampton.
Tourmaline Decanter Set, borosilicate glass. Decanter, 8” tall x 3.5”, and Toasting Glasses.

Suzanne Crane’s work does not actually begin in the studio. Instead,
each piece starts with a walk in the mountains and woods of Central
Virginia to gather wild plant specimens. These woodland plants
become part of her wheel-thrown stoneware as she presses
the specimens into the wet clay to create true-to-life fossil
impressions on teapots, jars, tiles, sinks, and even furniture.
As a child, Crane watched her botanist mother create
patterns by collecting and pressing native prairie plants. These early experiences
with preserving the natural world infuse her work today.
Her stoneware technique is an exacting one, requiring care to press and remove
the delicate plants from the wet clay. She uses a churchkey to hand-press repetitive
designs in the work. Each piece is finished with a range of glazing techniques
including waxing, dipping, wiping, and brushing. Firings take up to 12 hours with
another two days cooling in the kiln. The result is work of unusual color, depth and
crackling, highlighting the woodland ferns and flowers that drift across the surface
of each piece. Suzanne Crane returns to Paradise City Northampton for the first time
since 2001. Welcome her back!
Amber Rattlesnake Root Platter, wheel-thrown stoneware with porcelain slip, using
real leaf impression and amber celadon, temmoku black and poppy red glazes. Fired to
cone 7 in oxidation. 14” in diameter.

call 800.511.9725 for more information | 19