Stop by the Reboli Center on Saturday, February 12th between the hours of 11am - 5pm for a Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Shopping Event with some of Your Favorite Local Artisans; Jessica Randall of Jessica Randall Studios, Renee Fondacaro of Old Field Apothecary along with Laura Peters, Russell Pulick and Julia Vogelle of The Brick Clay Studio and Gallery. To learn more about the participating vendors, keep on scrolling!
A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Jessica Randall is an artist, silversmith and jewelry designer whose studio is located in Setauket, NY. She has been designing and making original jewelry for over 20 years, and is inspired by found objects and nature, particularly the sea. Her unique pieces are designed to be worn everyday as wearable artwork. According to Jessica, “My jewelry is actually made of “Argentium Sterling Silver” and/or “24K Gold Vermeil”.
Renee is a health conscious, fragrance obsessed, candle-maker who founded Old Field Apothecary in 2020. Looking to utilize her creativity during the pandemic quarantine, Renee began diving deeper into her love of aromatherapy. Armed with a kit from a local craft store, she began making candles as gifts for friends and family and soon became deeply immersed in aromatherapy and candle-making. Her goal has been to create beautiful, clean, naturally scented candles and home accessories. Renee maintains that the most important aspect of her product lines will always be quality, and she will remain focused on her customers' appreciation of quality ingredients.
Russell Pulick is well-known in the craft show arena where he has been selling his pottery since 1976. His work is also sold through galleries around the country and on four continents. He was an instructor at the Art League of Long Island for 18 years, their studio manager for four years, and taught at the St. James Harbor Country Day School’s summer art program for 14 years. In 2018, he teamed up with several other potters to create The Brick Clay Studio & Gallery in St. James that offers classes, open studio hours and a gallery. He teaches beginner and advanced students there.
Julia Vogelle is an artist working with sculpture, drawing-painting, and jewelry making. Julia was raised on Long Island, NY and completed her BFA degree at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and MFA/Education at C. W. Post University. Most of her work is in clay. Julia begin with slabs and then incorporates wheel work. Julia decorates slabs with lace and stamped patterns. Julia states “I also like to draw either directly into the clay surface or with oxides and glazes. All platters and pottery are dinnerware and dishwasher safe.”
Since she was a child, Laura Peters has worked in various artistic medias. She was first introduced to pottery after moving to the Pacific Northwest from New York. Laura credits her inspiration for her work from field observations and her studies in Anthropology and Zoology at Oregon State University, and the extraordinary animals she worked with at the Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Oregon.
According to Laura Peters, “I found that my graphic art and illustrative background led me to approach the clay as a surface to be rendered upon. My work is primarily hand built using slabs or coils of clay. Each piece is created over a period of weeks in intricate detail. The most time consuming aspect is the underglaze brushwork, I do not use decals or any other form of image transfer.