See unique, artsy creations in Antioch
Downtown Antioch will be filled this weekend with treasures not available in any store, as more than 100 crafters sell their wares in the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Industry's fall arts and crafts fair.
One of those artists is Dennis Cashmore, who uses a portrait along with a slab of plywood to create a new look at someone's picture.
Just before retiring from the City of Highland Park in 2005 as street department foreman, Cashmore decided he wanted to pursue his desire to work with wood. He had learned about scrolling at a wood show and started to make small gifts for his grandchildren. When he mastered making pictures of animals like horses and deer, the Gurnee resident decided to expand and scroll portraits.
Again, he started with his grandchildren. The first portrait he made was of his 4-year-old granddaughter Ashley. His daughter Jill enjoyed the portrait so much she displayed it at the hair salon where she works, attracting inquiries from customers. He has since done other family portraits, including a nephew who served in Iraq and uncle who recently died.
"It is personal. People get a kick out of it because it is so personal," he said.
To make the pieces, he first scans a picture into his computer, and using software creates a stencil that he places over the wood to make the cuts using a scroll saw. He then places black paper on the back of the wood to show the detailed cuts.
Cashmore displays a sign at his booth to let visitors know the pieces are not laser cut, but are cut by hand. And while time consuming to create - each takes about three hours - he enjoys the response when customers see finished result.
"It is gratifying when you get them done," he said.
Cashmore will take orders for wooden portraits at the craft fair. He added it is best to bring a professional picture such as a school portrait or wedding picture, and the photo should feature the shoulders up to get more detail.
Another artist, Antioch resident Katie Hartl, learned her craft when traveling with her husband, Justin, to Korea to teach English. Hartl took a class to learn how to work with hanji, a traditional Korean paper handmade from the bark of the mulberry plant. The paper has been used over 2,000 years, originally for books and later in households as wallpaper or to decorate everyday items.
Hartl attaches the paper to the item - she specializes in boxes and lampshades - using glue. Each piece takes several days to complete because each additional step requires time to dry.
"The final product looks like it has an antique wood finish, even though it's just paper. It is beautiful. It is elegant," she said.
Friends and family told Hartl they had not seen anything like her work in the United States and suggested she sell her pieces at craft fairs. What also makes her pieces unique, she said, is the paper comes from factory producers in Korea. Through contacts she made in Korea and many phone calls and e-mails, she is able to get a larger variety of paper designs that are less expensive than what she can find in the United States.
Hartl's booth will feature decorative boxes and lamps where the hanji paper covers the shade and allows the lamp to emanate a soft glow. There also are mirrors and serving trays. But she said anything that can be covered in paper can be done.
Hartl hopes in addition to doing more decorative lamps to eventually expand to create small furniture pieces just as she saw her instructors create in Korea.
"The sky's the limit," she said.
If you go
What: Fall arts and crafts fair hosted by Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Industry
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Downtown Antioch
Details: Visit the chamber's Web site at www.antiochchamber.org or call (847) 395-2233