We just received new work from Scott Summerfield. His pears are so beautiful — take one home!
Denby Dale | Encaustic Art
@denbykdale | www.denbydaleart.com
Denby Dale from Weaverville, NC will be showcasing her work for the upcoming Art in Autumn festival at Artisans on Main. In what will be the 11th anniversary of the festival, visitors and locals alike will stroll down Main Street this September to experience all that the area’s artisans have in store!
11th Annual Art in Autumn Arts & Crafts Festival
Saturday, September 16, 2017, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Main Street in downtown Weaverville, NC, located 7 miles from downtown Asheville. Learn more about the event here.
Denby Dale is a mixed media artist working primarily in encaustic, cold wax and oils. She also creates small format mixed media assemblages, framed in pewter and sealed in resin.
Although her larger works are two dimensional, they often feature three dimensional sculptural elements that taunt the viewer with the suggestion of another layer,plane or surface of perspective – be it obscured or exposed – exploring the notion that not all is revealed or understood upon first blush or experience. Her small assemblage work relies on the careful calibration of seemingly disparate elements and objects to create a narrative of sorts. Her work in abstraction explores the juxtaposition of the organic and linear, the sparse and saturated, as well as the minimalistic aesthetic of subtle variation within repetition and pattern.
Denby moved to the WNC area in 2011, seeking a change from New England. She maintains a studio in Weaverville, NC and currently shows her work at Artisans on Main and Contemporaneo Asheville. Please see some questions we asked her below!
Your work has incredible detail! There seems to be a story with each piece as the viewer is invited to take a closer look, and then an even closer look at all the details. Can you describe your process and the materials you use?
Each of my small assemblages has a pewter base and frame, be it a belt buckle or my new 4” x 6” plaques. The integrity of the pewter provides a solid foundation for building and housing the design. I use all manner of papers, ephemera, postage stamps, maps, small grommets, brads, miscellaneous bits of metal and hardware, wire, thread, seed beads, bb’s and more. Pretty much any structural or design element I think will work in a small format and inform a future design. I try to always have as many visual resources as possible at my disposal, in order to generate ideas and options for future designs.This means amassing a collection of stamps, maps, papers, graphics etc. to mull over as I start new projects. When I start a new batch of pieces, I have much to choose from and get whims based on the stock I have accumulated.
I might suddenly zero in on images I have had for many years, or ones I just found. I find doing a sequence of 3 or 4 like minded themes works best. Such as – now I will do a series based on cool Japanese postage stamps, or now a series based on the London Underground map. That way I can volley among several works with a cohesive theme, and produce a mini series of pieces. Having those options helps keep the work stimulating and hopefully well rounded in content.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Solving puzzles! This is what these pieces are really about for me creatively, and what drives the process.
The content varies, always. But the end goal is to find a way to reconcile how the piece starts – with one element – and how it can be solved to be something greater than it’s initial parts. In terms of content, I enjoy playing with master artist inspired postage stamps, unusual graphics (drawings of victorian era children’s clothing, for instance), maps, papers and prints.
Be sure to drop by to experience Denby Dale’s incredible work in person!
Artisans on Main | 14 N. Main St | Weaverville, NC | Facebook
Please join us at Miya Gallery September 8-9 for our 4th annual trunk show. Meet the artist, Elizabeth Hake, pick up some of her fabulous jewelry. Opening Friday night, September 8th from 5 to 8, drink, food and ART!
Mark your calendars for the 2017 total solar eclipse! Make sure you are prepared to experience the phenomenon with proper ISO Solar Shades! It may be a once in a lifetime experience but you only have one set of eyes so make sure they are protected! Check out some fun facts on the total eclipse here.
Support Weaverville’s Reems Creek Greenway project and experience a once in a life time event with sub sandwiches and back to school SALES at Optix Eye Care!
We have Solar Shades available now at Optix for $3.00 with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Weaverville Greenway project. The Eclipse Peeks in Weaverville at 2:37:32 pm when the moon obscures 98.8% of the sun. Make sure you have your solar shades in time.
We would be honored to witness this event with you. JOIN US AUGUST 21st from 1:30 to 3:30 pm for a SOLAR ECLIPSE SUB SANDWICH EXTRAVAGANZA. We will also have some great back to school specials running the 21st – 25th so make sure you take advantage of these great deals.
For more detailed information on safe ways to view the total eclipse:
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
https://www.nasa.gov/content/eye-safety-during-a-total-solar-eclipse
To stay up to date on the latest information on the Reems Creek Greenway project follow Connect Reems Creek on Facebook:
Miya Gallery is now showing the work of Robert A. Tino from Sevierville, TN. Please join us for our opening and meet the artist, July 28 from 5 to 8. We will have food and drink, and of course, fabulous art.
Summer at Miya, 20 N. Main Street, Weaverville. 828-658-9655
The summer can be such a fun time of year, but sometimes your hair and skin may suffer after days in the sun, chlorine and salt water. Rough hair and dry skin are easy to avoid by trying the following tips to protect your hair and skin the next time you go for a swim.
Rinse off before you swim. Hair and skin will absorb chlorine, but if you shower off ahead of time your body absorbs the fresh water and then will absorb less chlorine or salt water. Make sure you’re good and soaked right before you go in to increase resistance.
Apply a hair protector: Stylists recommend that you apply either a deep conditioner or natural oil, like our Sun Care Protective Hair Veil, to the hair BEFORE going into the pool or sun. This product creates a weather resistant UV invisible screen to minimize damage and drying of the sun.
Apply skin lotion BEFORE exposure: Like conditioner on your hair, lotion on your skin gives you an extra layer of protection. Apply a sun protection if swimming outdoors
Wash after your swim: Rinse and really soak your hair in the water to help remove the chlorine and salt from the follicles after swimming. Using a gentle, sulfate-free product after you swim such as our Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser will gently remove the chlorine and salt from your hair and body.
Apply conditioner and moisturizer. Apply a deep moisturizer to your body like our Botanical Kenetics Hydrating Soft Creme and to your hair like our Sun Care After-Sun Hair Masque. Apply immediately after showering. This will help lock in the moisture and keep your hair and body hydrated.
“Good food, good music, good shopping and a good rest are the legacy of Weaverville’s evolution.”
It is difficult to imagine we’d get this far so quickly!
Artisans on Main (14 N. Main to be exact!) has been up and running since January 16 and we’ve barely had time to take it all in. We are thrilled to open our doors to our wonderful neighbors in Weaverville and to become a true brick-and-mortar art gallery within this inspiring and expanding art community.
We hope you’ve had time to visit our on-site working artist studios and carefully curated collection of fine arts and crafts. We are always adding new items and will be hosting various shows for guests artists and other events.
In July, we are cooking up a show for Chester Shuey, furniture maker extraordinaire. To see more of his work find him on Instagram: @AppalachianJoinery or you can see his website at www.appjoinery.weebly.com.
Also, mark your calendars for the Weaverville Art Safari Fall Studio Tour Sat – Sun | November 4-5, 10 – 5 with a Preview Party: Friday, November 3, 6 – 8pm.
We will have more information regarding all of our events on our Facebook page and you can also follow us on Instagram at: @artisansonmain.
Thank you for reading and we look forward to meeting you in person!
ARTISANS ON MAIN
Spring Opening 2017
WASH YOUR GLASSES WITH SOAP AND WATER! Think about it, your glasses are on your face, do you want them stock piled with germs and debris? Not only is it good hygiene but it improves your vision and extends the lifespan of your glasses when you wash them properly. To list a few of the most common undesirables we regularly see caked in around the lenses, hinges and nose pads: dead skin cells, dried sweat build up, make up, hair products, dirt, etc. You get the point, wiping your lenses with a microfiber cloth just doesn’t cut it.
Microfiber Cloths are great when you are out and about; however they build up dirt over time. If you never fully wash your glasses and cleaning cloths you end up wiping dirt around on your lenses which will result in scratched lenses and eventually obstructed vision. You probably have seen this on your glasses at some point. It looks as though someone put hundreds of tiny circular scratches all over the lens with a super fine sand paper. If you never wash the frames, the salt in our skin as well as other beauty products dry out the frames over time which makes them more brittle and more susceptible to breakage.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR GLASSES LIKE A PRO: *RECOMMENDED ONCE A DAY
STEP 1: With clean hands, put a drop of dish soap on your finger tips. (Dawn, Palmolive, etc.) -Hand soaps are not recommended as they often contain lotions which can smudge the lenses.
STEP 2: Wet frames with room temperature water and rub entire frame and lenses with dish soap. *NEVER USE HOT WATER AS IT CAN DAMAGE THE COATINGS ON THE LENSES
STEP 3: Rinse frames and lenses again with room temperature water making sure all soap is removed.
STEP 4: Dry the glasses using a clean %100 cotton or linen towel. When wet these fibers do not scratch.
- WASH YOUR MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS IN THE LAUNDRY. DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENERS.
If you properly clean your glasses regularly you will; reduce scratches on the lenses, improve your vision through the lenses and add longevity to your favorite frames! The moral of the story is: Wash your glasses with soap and water!
What happens if/when you get a scratch on your lens? Remember coatings are scratch resistant not scratch proof! Life happens… so you probably will get a scratch at some point and when you do, contact your optician. All the best Anti-reflective/Anti-scratch coatings provide a 1 year warranty. Take advantage of it!
Stop into Optix Eye Care (across from N. Buncombe Middle School) anytime and we are happy to adjust or clean your glasses anytime.
Keeping Our Bones Strong…..
Maureen McDonnell, RN – Health Editor WNC Woman Magazine
I’ll cut right to the chase – Due to the fact that our current health care system- (which really should be renamed our “Disease Care system”) is dominated by a very powerful pharmaceutical industry, most people (including physicians) are not clued in to the fact that there are many non-pharmaceutical approaches for both preventing and in some cases, reversing osteoporosis- a condition that affects 25 million Americans -1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50.
Additionally, many falsely believe that since the creation of strong bone starts when we are young and our peak bone mass is reached around age 35– that changing to a healthier diet and lifestyle later on in life could not possibly or positively impact the health of our bones. But this is not necessarily the case. Of course, the younger we start taking care of our bones with nutrient-rich diets and exercise the better. But as you will see, there is much we can do to help keep our bones strong at any age!
Understanding a bit about the miraculous intricacies of bone formation is helpful. Bone is a living substance that contains blood vessels, nerves, and cells. To maintain healthy bones our body relies on a brilliantly designed, dynamic interplay between osteoclasts (cells that break down old bone to make room for new ones) and osteoblasts (cells that rebuild bones). Problems begin when the breakdown (resorption) exceeds the rate of bone formation (absorption), resulting in a decrease in bone mass.
Typically, when it is determined that a person has weak bones and they are diagnosed with Osteoporosis, instead of honoring and supporting this perfectly designed and intricate system, drugs such as Fosamax are prescribed. Although this drug (from a class of chemicals called biphosphonates) kills the osteoclasts cells -which will prevent excessive breakdown and create denser bones, it is now known that as a result of taking this medication, eventually the bones actually become weaker! How can this be you ask? It happens because this particular class of pharmaceuticals interfere with the dynamic interplay between osteoclasts and osteoblasts and the end result is your bone will not go through the natural regenerative process.
As if interfering in this natural process wasn’t enough of an alarm bell, Fosamax also doubles the risk for developing atrial fibrillation, increases risk of ulcers, can cause liver damage, gastric and esophageal inflammation, renal failure, skin reactions, low blood calcium levels, Osteonecrosis (jaw bone deterioration) and serious eye inflammations (possible blindness.)
Other Options to Consider: I think I speak for all of us when I say that our desire is to remain active and independent for as long as possible (and compared to previous generations, we are living longer)- So given the fact that our bones have all of these important functions – they are a warehouse of minerals, they house bone marrow (where white blood cells develop) and they shelter our vital organs (heart, brain, lungs etc.) it makes complete sense to find the best ways to do all we can to prevent the loss of bone mass and keep our bones strong without solely relying on pharmaceuticals (which in this case, may cause more harm than good.)
Lifestyle and Dietary Changes that will help create stronger bones:
- Diet– To obtain many of the nutrients necessary to maintain healthy bones, consuming a diet with lean sources of organic protein and an array of organic vegetables (especially green leafy ones) that are alkalizing and rich in calcium- or fresh made vegetable juice) is a great place to start.
- Acidic vs Alkalizing foods– Many of us in the natural health field ascribe to the idea that certain foods taken in excess – meat, grains, sugar, alcohol, coffee (and stress for that matter) cause our body to become acidic. Because the body must do all it can to maintain a balanced PH, an acidic condition can lead to the leaching of calcium from our bones and teeth leaving them depleted in this important bone protecting mineral. It may be wise to shift the balance by including more green vegetables, & other alkalizing foods such as legumes, an array of vegetables, nuts etc.
- Omega 3s Healthy sources of Omega 3’s (fish oil, krill oil etc.) are good for the bones. According to a study in British Journal of Nutrition, the Omega 3 fat DHA “appears to be a vital constituent of marrow and enhances bone mineral content.”
- Gluten Intolerance: Gluten (the sticky protein in wheat, barley, rye, some oats etc.) for some individuals (even when not diagnosed with Celiac) can prevent the absorption of nutrients needed for bone health. One study showed a Gluten Free diet minimized bone loss. (1)
- Stop with the Sodas: Phosphorus in soda depletes our calcium supplies and diet sodas cause a greater release of calcium
- 4 important nutrients: Calcium, K2, Vit D and Magnesium are required for healthy, strong bones. These all work together and each is dependent on the other. If one is missing or not present in the right amount our bones can pay the price. It is always best to obtain nutrients by consuming a varied, organic diet, but if diet alone is not sufficient (which may be the case due to depleted soils, high stress levels, excess toxicity, poor absorption etc.), supplementation may be necessary:
- Calcium (food sources include sesame seeds, sardines, spinach, almonds, Swiss cheese, goats milk, collard greens etc.)
- Vitamin K2 is referred to as the biological glue which helps calcium get absorbed into the bone matrix (food sources: egg yolk, butter, fermented dairy, fermented vegie or natto)
- Vitamin D (best source-15 minutes per day of sun exposure) May want to consider getting your Vitamin D level checked and if it is below 50 consider supplementing & recheck after 3-6 months.
- Magnesium (beans, nuts, green leafy vegetables, organic brown rice)
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, MD “Many experts believe most bone health issues today aren’t due to insufficient calcium. Rather, it’s a lack of the other nutrients, vitamins K2 and D, and magnesium that may be putting people’s bone health at risk. The balance of bone-building nutrients is what truly matters. Too much calcium, or calcium without its other co-nutrients can be hazardous to your health, especially for your heart and arterial health. Calcium can end up in the wrong places in your body especially if taken without vitamin K2.” The type of calcium you take also makes a difference as many calcium supplements tested had unsafe levels of lead.
- Smoking: studies have also shown smoking cigarettes increases the rate of bone loss (2)
- Alcohol– consuming more than 2 drinks a day (for men) and 1 drink (for women) interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium which slows down the formation of new bone. (3)
- Exercise is considered by many to be as important to bone health as eating a diet that is rich in calcium and other bone protecting nutrients. If you don’t get the right kind of exercise, bones can lose their density, become brittle and break more easily. A Surgeon General’s report suggests 30 minutes of weight bearing physical activity (exercises that force you to work against gravity) of moderate intensity on most days (if not daily) and strength training at least 2 x per week. This type of exercise stimulates osteoblasts (bone building cells) Mercola suggests “a good exercise to include in your routine is a walking- lunge. This helps build bone density in your hips, even without additional weights.”
- Natural progesterone cream: Consider discussing its use (which is definitely NOT a synthetic version of progesterone) with your naturally oriented health practitioner.
Natural Progesterone cream can help promote the osteoblasts (cells that build bone). Depending on whether a woman is still menstruating, pre or post menopausal will determine how many days of the month the cream is to be applied. So do check with your health care provider. Normal bone loss accelerates during and after menopause for about 5-7 years before returning to the slightly slower rate than men experience so adding this soy or wild yam derived natural hormone might be helpful.
- Certain drugs can negatively impact bone health. Statins for instance- (a 29 billion/per year industry, used to lower cholesterol) often interfere with K2 and can increase one’s risk of deficiency. Antidepressants we know alter serotonin levels which can lower bone density.
Most startling of all, as mentioned previously, drugs given to treat Osteoporosis can weaken bones.
Summary: Having strong dense bones is key to living a happy, productive, active and independent life. No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in (but especially as we age) honoring this incredible gift we’ve been given by loving and taking care of your bones makes total sense. Since bone loss is symptomless (often referred to as “The Silent Thief”) and the only way to know if your bones are strong is to have a bone density test done regarulary – go do that! Additionally, exercise and find a health care provider who is well versed in the specific nutrients, diet and lifestyle components necessary to keep your bones strong. If all that is in place, and medications are still necessary, then so be it, but at least you will be a knowledgable and active participant in your health! As Betty Davis once said “getting older aint for sissys”. Many interpret this quote in a negative way – I believe she was encouraging us to be bold, step up and self educate ourselves about ways to stay healthy so we can be the happiest and strongest version of ourselves as we age!
Contact Maureen McDonnell, RN for a private health consultation ([email protected]). She has been a passionate, outspoken, holistic, nutritionally-oriented RN for 40 years and the Health Editor of WNC Woman Magazine for 6 years.
- J Gastroenterol.2001 Jan:96(1):11209 Osteoporosis in a North American adult population with Celiac,Meyer D,et al.
- J Bone Miner Res 1999 Feb:14(2):215-20 Smoking increases bone loss & decreases intestinal calcium absorption, Krall EA et all
- NIH Home Publications, Alcohol & Other factors affecting Osteoporosis Risk in Women, H. Wayne Sampson, PhD
10% of all sales at Mangum Pottery will go to the Reems Creek Greenway during the weekend of the Weaverville Art Safari, Saturday and Sunday, April 29th and 30th. Come enjoy the art and the mountains and support a good cause. for more info about the Reems Creek Greenway go to:
