Patch sat down with local artist Gretchen Slentz to discuss the things that inspire her large paper mache sculptures and intricate fabric-based art. Patch: What is your preferred form of art? How did you develop the interest?Slentz: That’s a good question. I would have to say paper mache, because I love to sculpt and paint, but it’s very hard to pick just one. I’m not loyal to any particular medium. My interest in art started very young. My mom spent time in Malaysia and Pakistan as a child, and I would look at the figurines and tapestries that her family had collected there. In high school I…

Havre de Grace Patch sits down with local artist Auralea Krieger to discuss the couture collages and the character of her new book of short stories, a young girl named Ophelia. Krieger, originally a graphic designer with her own freelance business, turned to art to support herself when the economy slumped and her freelance work slowed.  PATCH: What is your preferred form of art? How did you develop the interest?Mixed media collage. I developed my interest because I have always loved design in any form, especially in art papers and handmade papers. PATCH: When did you begin creating your art …

Havre de Grace resident Amanda Close began designing and creating jewelry when she was a teenager. Since then, her craft has evolved over time. Close's passion is contagious, and now her husband Mike also designs and creates jewelry, and the husband-wife team sell their work locally. As Amanda Close became more interested in the arts, she took up painting and creates custom designs. Patch caught up with Amanda Close for an artist Q&A. Q: What is your preferred form of art? How did you develop the interest?A: Well, I love making jewelry. I really like to see someone wearing something I made …

Mezzo-soprano Suzanne Chadwick began getting serious about music when she was 15 years old, just so she could get the good parts in school plays and musicals. She said she never really anticipated it would be a lifetime craft, even though she went to college and studied music. After graduating from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University with her master’s in music and vocal performance, she was stuck with the quandary: “What am I going to do? I thought I was going to go into arts management,” she said. So Chadwick took on a “practical job” in the world of non-profits and …

For Tom and Tina Parks, art has become an essential part of their everyday lives. “Everything we do is art related, even food is art related, music—everything is an art form to us, every day. We live it and breathe it. [We try to] create something every day,” Tina said.  She is a painter and custom framer. Tom works with metal at scalding-hot temperatures topping 2,000 degrees, all the while sculpting and/or painting. As owners of the White Rabbet art gallery, they both live to create art, and it’s amazing what their talents yield. Because Tom works with metal, it’s not out of the ordinary …

Tina is a painter and custom framer. Tom works to create modern metal art. Together, the Parks offer up a talent that is quite a sight to see. Take a peek at what they're showcasing at their gallery, the White Rabbet. To delve deeper into what they do, click here.

Genevieve Britton's enthusiasm is clearly evident when she talks about her craft and her home in Havre de Grace. “I love to paint outside. It’s so great. I have the best little backyard, too. Ahh!” she says, her voice rising an octave. “It’s got a little waterfall and a pond, we just did a patio—it’s like a giant slab of stone. I have bonsai plants and a pergola, it’s just perfect. It’s perfect Zen!” Britton's home also has a studio. "I use my house as the test ground. There’s a lot of wacky stuff that just doesn’t jive right now. Sherwin Williams just came out with new faux paint so I’ve …

The Painted Lady recently opened up a retail shop offering whimsical pieces of art, jewelry and collectibles. Take a peek at what these painted ladies are selling. For a profile on The Painted Lady, click here.

It's amazing what Teresa Fitzpatrick's hands (and imagination!) can do with less than three minutes. See for yourself as you look through this photo gallery.   

Teresa Fitzpatrick likes to joke when you ask her how long she has been sculpting. “Well, my mother always told me I was playing in the mud, but I don’t know how true that is,” she deadpans. Fitzpatrick jokes quite a bit, in fact. When asked what inspires her she blurts out “money” then quickly retracts, “No, I shouldn’t say that ...” When she was making fish faces, she loved them even though they were labor-intensive. Now, when she is making turtles, she loves them too. Same goes for her fanciful fleet of frogs. For her it's all about whimsy. Her turtles have various expressions and faces …

The photos in this slideshow reveal Ezra Berger's work at Silks Restaurant.

Ezra Berger likes to find the art in everything. And we mean everything. “Everything passes through an artist’s hands at one time or another, even that,” he said, pointing toward the metallic drink shaker sitting atop the bar at Silks Restaurant. Berger’s art is on display at Silks. The mural adorning these walls is a breath-taking vision paying tribute to Bulle Rock’s heritage while adding character and depth to this restaurant. It is stunning. But Berger is the epitome of the humble artist striving for perfection. He tends to get squeamish when it comes to taking compliments. But he’s …

Patch went behind the scenes with Jim Pierce in his decoy shop.  To read more about the carver, go here. The Havre de Grace Decoy and Wildlife Art Festival is this weekend.

Election officials present the results from Tuesday to the citizens of Havre de Grace.

Jim Pierce is an affable man who’s been an avid hunter and fishermen all his life. He’s been making decoys for 62 years. He says in no uncertain terms that his wife Lori “knew when she married me that I loved to hunt and fish. And I made decoys.”   Pierce retired from Bell Telephone Company at the age of 55 after 36 years of service. But he had started making decoys as a youngster and learned through the “father” of carving—R. Madison Mitchell. For Pierce, it was more of a hobby: “It really wasn’t a real business. I made them for hunting most of the time, you know what I mean? Then after that…

The first time I met Liz Arango-Howshall she hugged me. We had never seen each other before, and I was just stopping by her store, The Art Rooms, on North Washington Street to buy a few canvases. She hurried to greet me at the door, a small dog trailing along behind her. When I told her what I was looking for, she grabbed a ladder and started climbing shelves, shouting down to make sure she was selecting the right canvases for me. That's the kind of person she is. Arango-Howshall radiates warmth and her kindness consumes anyone standing within a mile or so of whereever she is. Arango-Howshall…

My grandmother introduced me to art at a young age. She had easels all over her living room. Paint, chalk and brushes were everywhere. I took some classes in high school and at Harford Community College, but I was never much more than your average art student. Some people have it from an early age. Others work at it. Nancy Welsh may be a little of both. I'm not alone in knowing a dedicated, passionate local artist. In fact, I know a few. My mother-in-law, Bev Browning, is a fantastic painter. My sister-in-law, Meg Browning, is a fashion designer. My wife and her father are musicians. Art …