Wearable art is her way of connecting with the natural world. Recently published in a national magazine, she has attained recognition deserving of her amazing talent.

Meet Nancy Louise Olson, multi-media fiber arts and hat couture.

Nancy has called the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range her home for 20 years, during which she has enjoyed climbing, skiing the high peaks, wandering the valleys, and running many rivers. Employment opportunities in the Sierra, Alaska and other western states offered her an open canvas; a camera always by her side, she won awards in slide shows. Her natural world, she remembers, was wild inspiration for the artist within.

Before the landscapes of the west dominated her lifestyle, she created sculptural pottery while exploring the disciplines of botany and ornithology. Her footsteps have traversed many bridges between the wonders of the natural world and the contributions made by human cultures. One of her earliest fiber art adventures was a class in creating a tule duck decoy. Following, the Museum of the American Indian (Smithsonian) requisitioned her to weave a tule mat for the museum’s ancient artifact exhibit (New York City, Heye Center, “Creation’s Journey” 1994).

While commuting via helicopter to job sites in Alaska over 20 years ago, Nancy learned to knit to take her mind off flying. It was her “mind over matter multi-task” that blossomed into functional art pieces with style. She also desperately wanted something else to wear other than ski garb in wintertime which led to her passionate endeavor in creating felted hats.  And, since one must have a scarf to wear with a hat, she made room in her life for silk painting and scarves and Hat Couture was in its infancy.

“Creating with fibers is a tactile pursuit resulting in unique attire. However, engaging in the process is the pleasurable reward.”

Besides hand knitting and felting wool into hats and other wearables, she also creates chapeaus of silk, straw and cotton. She hand weaves raffia into colorful sun hats. Many of her current explorations include dye painting and surface design on silks, creating handmade paper, and expanding her repertoire in wearable works of handcrafted felts. The use of natural fibers is her specialty and currently she is infusing recycled natural and man made materials into her artwork.  Nancy creates and has published her own patterns.

Nancy’s work is on display at the North Tahoe Arts ARTisan Shop, and can be reached at (530) 308-0028 or nancylou@ltol.com.

This delicate art form requires meticulous skills and talent due to the fragility of the precious materials used in the settings.

Looks like Molly is a pro!

It was 15 years ago when Molly fell in love with fused glass and wire wrapping and Tahoe Fire Glass was born in her art studio in South Lake Tahoe.

Molly’s distinctive style and innate talent lies in her ability to balance the glass and intricate wire wrapping to showcase the beauty of the fused glass piece without overpowering it, creating a total work of art.

She starts with a piece of dichroic glass, then layers it with various colored glass (up to 8 layers in some pieces) to achieve the design she is seeking. Many of her pieces are adorned with swarovski crystals like the Dichroic glass pendant pictured here that also includes pink and blue glass. Finally, each piece is wire wrapped in sterling silver or 14 karat gold-filled wire.

Molly is also well known for her intricate wire wrapping designs using sterling silver or 14 karat gold-filled wire. that can be performed on most precious stones (as long as they are not too soft) turning them into wearable jewelry.

Molly and her husband Mike attend several shows throughout the year, in Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

To learn more about Tahoe Fire Glass, please visit www.tahoefireglass.com.  Or better yet, make an appointment to see more of Molly’s work or for custom wire work at (775) 772-6165 or mollyb@tahoefireglass.com

If they are fortunate enough to end up into the hands of Truckee metalsmith Jessica Hall, they will be worked with love and devotion as she resurrects them into a stunning piece of hand-crafted jewelry.

Meet Jessica at Truckee Thursdays June 16, 2011.

“It’s not only important for me to use recycled and re-claimed materials in my jewelry,” says Jessica, “but it challenges me to take something that was previous discarded or already existing and turn in into a piece of wearable art.” Jessica recently opened her studio, Bluebird Designs, at 10059 Palisades Dr #3 in Truckee with regular store hours for eco-friendly quick gifts, custom jewelry consultations, and jewelry repair.

You can see her intricate pieces and cute birdie designs at her booth at Truckee Thursdays on 6/16, 6/23, 6/30, and 7/7. Or visit her during ARTour to see some of her custom pieces and get a glimpse of her workstation July 8-10 and 15-17 from 10am-5pm.

About Jessica Hall

As a certified jewelry technician with a credentialed background in metal-smithing from Seattle, Honolulu, and San Francisco, Jessica uses the utmost precision in her pieces. Her desire to make things beautifully perfect and unique is fueled by her life long passion of jewelry making. “I started making jewelry sometime around age 5 which included collecting beads and usable objects even back then,” states Jessica. “At the age of twelve I went on a road trip from Florida to Alaska where I collected anything and everything I could to make jewelry with.”

In 2004 Jessica pursued her life long dream by attending a metal-smithing course at North Seattle Community College. The skills she gained there eventually lead to her creating a nationwide jewelry company. Unsatisfied with the monotony of re-producing these small wholesale pieces, she decided to further her skills as a jeweler. “I truly love my work and am passionate about what I do. I wanted to push myself and learn more so that I could create and fabricate anything I or a customer could imagine.”

Jessica attended classes at the Honolulu Academy of Art and then returned to California to complete the Jewelry Technician Program at Revere Academy in San Francisco. “I wanted to provide a full service jewelry option for community members,” says Jessica. “The training I received allows me to not only create small, artistic pieces, but also gave me the skills to competently create, repair, set, and clean and polish very fine, custom jewelry.”

About Bluebird Designs

Located in Truckee just a 1/4 mile from historic downtown, Bluebird Designs offers a wide variety of Jessica’s earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Jessica offers her pieces in a variety of recycled and precious metals and selects fair-trade gemstones.

Though she works in everything from diamonds and gold to copper and enamel, her favorite gem stone to work with is Tourmaline: “I love to work with Tourmaline because of the variety in colors and natural brilliance it exhibits. It’s generally a very affordable gemstone (with the exception of the rare and expensive gorgeous blue/green Paraiba strain), and I like to make things that anyone can afford and appreciate.”

Bluebird Designs offers something for everyone, including custom wedding rings to graduation gifts, to everyday earrings and her signature enameled bluebird necklace. This allows Jessica to work a little in each direction each day.

“I love the variety of my work right now. I can start the day on a diamond wedding band, and finish it with a whimsical enameled pendant that I just fired in my kiln.” Her wedding rings take her longer to create with a recommended 2 month timeline, while her small earrings and necklaces may take only a few hours to days.

Additionally, Jessica offers jewelry repair and cleaning through Bluebird Designs. Located next door to Blue Coyote at 10059 Palisades Dr #3 in Truckee, Jessica is offering a free jewelry cleaning per new visitor. Her studio hours are Wednesday through Sunday 11 to 6 or by appointment by calling 775-338-3880 or emailing her at jessica@bluebirddesigns.com.

He’s one heck of a writer too.

Inside Tim divulges the secrets of the Tahoe Rim Trail, the 165-mile trail that circles Lake Tahoe along the crest. In his second edition, Tim gives the latest conditions of the trail, including the new Mt. Rose trailhead. Updated topographic maps by noted cartographer Tom Harrison depict the entire route in eight separate segments. Along with the easy (and fun) to read trail directions, the book includes fascinating information on the plants and animals you’ll see along the trail, plus essential advice for planning a hike on the TRT, whether it’s a day’s outing or a 2-week circuit of the entire lake.  You’ll also learn where to find water on the trail, where to photograph the best wildflowers, how to plan a backpacking trip and what shuttle options are available for day and thru-hikers.

Accessible by hikers, equestrians, skiers and mountain bikers (for the non-wilderness portions), the world renown Tahoe Rim Trail crosses through six counties, three national forests, and two states and was completed in 2001 largely by volunteer labor.

The first and only how-to guide to this popular trail, this is the official guidebook of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, whose mission is to improve, maintain and promote the trail.

Tim Hauserman has been a resident of North Lake Tahoe since 1960. He has hiked and biked in the area for many years and has been a guide for the Sierra Club, the North Tahoe Hiking Club, and the Tahoe Rim Trail. A member of the Tahoe Rim Trail Board of Directors since 1998, he became the 11th member of the Tahoe Rim Trail 150-Mile Club in 1999.

Meet Michelle Murdock, printmaker, artist and owner of Quail Lane Press in Tahoe City.

Michelle’s intention is to make relief prints about the environment that do not hurt the environment.

Using linoleum plates, all of her linocuts or prints are hand-pulled and printed on 100% cotton fiber paper with non toxic oil-based inks.  Every linocut and detail in her printmaking technique is handmade at her tiny art studio located inside a ski lodge on Quail Lane in Tahoe City.

Michelle used to think she had to choose between a career in science or art, especially having earned a M.S. at Yale.  Today she has reached a happy medium by fusing the two into her prints that help her express her fascination with the intricacies of the natural world.

After living in Rome during her undergrad, Michelle got involved in the Italian graphic novel scene. There, the artists she met inspired her, both artistically and professionally, showing Michelle that it was quite possible to make it as a professional artist.

Michelle’s talent as an illustrator, photographer and printmaker undoubtedly helped!

While in school Michelle studied environmental science focusing on ornithology, and also took a number of art courses.  She soon discovered a way to combine her passion for art and science by incorporating science into her artwork.  Michelle would either draw flora and fauna or make it the subject matter of her photographs and prints.

Michelle’s favorite subjects include birds of Tahoe and our majestic trees such as the Jeffrey Pine and Sugar Pine.

“A lot of my prints come out of my daily life in Tahoe taking walks with the dogs and looking around the forest at the trees and birds. I use single plate, multi-plate and the reduction technique to allow me to express how I perceive the changes that the forest, and the creatures within it, undergo through seasons, or just day to day.” Michelle Murdock

In addition to the environmentally-friendly printmaking process, all of  the prints are shipped flat in a biodegradable cello sleeve, and cards include a  brown recycled paper envelope.

You can reach Michelle at Quail Lane Press by calling (530) 581-2203 or visit her website at www.michellemurdock.com

You can find her prints and cards online or in person at these fine shops:

Drake & Lulus Art Shed

Truckee Book and Bean

New Moon Natural Foods (Truckee and Tahoe City)

Growing up in Kings Beach you see, Bob always shared something in common with his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Bear.

Trash.

Yes, Bob loves trash.

However, Bob quickly realized that trash was killing his fellow Tahoe natives.  So he got to work collecting scraps of metal, discarded pieces of whatever – old car pieces, wood, anything – and he started to weld and create some beautiful one-of-a-kind bear boxes that made Smokey proud.

Bob calls his recycled bear boxes “an amalgam of the past, a multi-layered quilt of metal that lived a former life in a completely different context.” Considered art, Bob’s Bear Boxes are completely functional and not only help reduce the waste in our landfills, but they may just help keep our Tahoe bears alive by keeping them away from last night’s dinner.

To learn more about Bob’s Bear Boxes and to see his custom, intricate designs, click here.

When driving down the road of life, often we don’t know how good we have it, until we see it in the rear view mirror.

To help us remember the beauty of the past and the magic of the moment, Hillary Dembroff and Heather Kovac of South Lake Tahoe have created crystal hangings and jewelry charged with metaphysical and healing properties they call RearView Miracles.

The composition of crystals, natural stones and handmade beads in each Rearview Miracle piece is distinctive and designed by Hillary and Heather in their little art studio in South Shore.

Since miracles come in all shapes and sizes, so does the extensive collection of crystal hangings which is divided into three classes and sizes to give you that extra edge. There are smaller rear view miracles for your car (shown here). Garden bells perfect for your yard. And, larger Major Miracles suitable and often necessary for your home and office.

But, the creativity doesn’t stop with their wide assortment of whimsical and enchanting crystal hangings.  Hillary and Heather also create one-of-a-kind necklaces and earrings so you’ll be blessed with miracles wherever you go.

Click here to learn more about RearView Miracles, or you can find them in South Lake Tahoe at Gaia Licious on Tallac Avenue and Aprés Wine Company on Ski Run Blvd in the Ski Run Center.

He’s been sharing his passion for fine woodworking and marquetry since 1973 when he moved to Truckee.

Meet Tom Beebe, master craftsman and artist.

While he started Tom Beebe Construction in 1989 that focuses on interior finish work, Tom has gravitated more and more toward art – woodworking in particular.

It’s a natural transition for Tom since he’s really always been creating art as his “job”.

The tree panel Tom is working on in this photo are cabinet door inserts, and were made using an inlay technique.

But it’s Tom’s unique mirror frames that really reflect his creative expression. Frames are created with a variety of innovative techniques such as marquetry combined with veneers such as the side of the dragonfly mirror picture here.

Marquetry is the art of cutting and fitting intricate pieces of wood veneer together into a single sheet and then gluing that sheet down to a stable substrate. The artist can create pictures, patterns, or other effects.

The dragonfly mirror combines two techniques in one functional art piece. The dragonfly is an inlay composed of mother of pearl, abalone, and solid surface material and the frame is marquetry.

Tom and Carla love the active lifestyle and tight-knit community of Truckee, and volunteer time with a variety of organizations. Tom donates wine racks and other woodworking items to worthwhile auctions, such as for Arts for Schools, etc.

He has also made and donated art display cases for the hallways at Truckee High School.

Artist’s Statement:

The choice of woodworking as an artistic medium was natural having grown up in a family of artists and photographers.

Choosing the greater Lake Tahoe region to live and work in 1973 granted me an unimaginable opportunity to evolutionalize my skills down a great and wonderful path. Our local region has attracted some of the most talented engineers, architects, designers, and builders of this era.

To see more of Tom’s incredible art work, please visit http://www.tombeebeconstruction.com

Or, stop by the shop and order your own custom work:

Tom Beebe Construction
10434 River Park Place, Building B, Suite 3
Truckee, CA 96161

Contact: tcbeebe@usamedia.tv
(530) 587-1108

It’s the Truckee River Winery where they’ve been making wine since 1989.

It’s also the highest and coldest winery in the West. The Truckee River Winery specializes in Pinot Noirs, Merlots and Zinfandels.

While they plan on having their very own vineyard in Truckee by next year, currently they get their grapes from some of the best appellations in Northern California. Their pisoni clone vines for their Pinots come from Garys’ Vineyard located in Monterey County, Zinfandel comes from the Gribaudo Vineyard in Lodi, and Bear River Vineyard in Chicago Park near Colfax, is their source for Merlot. After the grapes arrive, the wines are handcrafted by Russ Jones in Truckee.

You may wonder…is being the highest and coldest good for making wine?

According to Winemaker Russ Jones the prefermentation cold soak and naturally cool fermentation tends to showcase the exceptional fruit of the pisoni clone. The wine ages longer in the barrels because of the much cooler temperatures and higher elevation for the young fruity flavors to taper off and let the more mature flavors show through. Russ says it results in a very well balanced and smooth wine with excellent mid pallet flavors and the ever present “pisoni backbone”.

We suggest you buy a bottle and try it yourself.

Truckee River Winery makes limited quantities of fine wines including Nevada County Merlot, Lodi Zinfandel and Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir and a small amount of white wine.

Unlike Napa and Sonoma wineries that charge for wine tasting, you can get a free taste and a free 30 second tour of this mountain winery. (The barn isn’t that big.)

The winery is located at 10061 South River Street in downtown Truckee and open by appointment.

You can find the wines at The Pour House, Pipers Patiserie, Florians Fine Wines in Truckee, Time for Wine in Tahoe City and The Napa Valley Winery Exchange in San Francisco.

To order wine or to set an appointment for a 30 second tour, call 530-587-4626 or send an email to russ@truckeeriverwinery.com.

Their handcrafted, all vegetable soaps are blended in South Lake Tahoe and made with pure Tahoe water.

Besides being locally made, the soaps contain no alcohol, artificial colors or preservatives. And, they’re highly addictive, especially when you lather up with their natural sponges.

Depending on the soap, a few include tiny particles of the natural ingredients to aid in exfoliation.  Lavender has tiny lavender buds, the honey citrus has cornmeal, and the peppermint has ground peppermint leaf. All of the eleven soaps contain palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and are fattened up with either sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil, and laced with the finest fragrance oils.

Complementing the popular soaps, Tahoe Mountain Soap also makes lotions in their little operation on the south end of the lake.

To see and smell the full line of soaps and other products, look for Dave at the South Lake Tahoe Farmer’s Markets on Tuesday mornings  and other locations, or click here to order online.

Tahoe Mountain Soap Company
P.O. Box 13239
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151

(530) 542-9475