Boundary Arts Connection: Volume 3

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Did you get over to the Boundary County Fair last week? It is proof that the creative spirit in our community is alive and well. I enjoyed the long-standing tradition of walking through the displays of hundreds of creations. Ranging from quilts to Lego structures, pencil drawings to huge wooden creatures — the artistic spirit was fully represented throughout the exhibit hall.

Excited to check out the many colorful works, my first stop was the back corner where the drawings and paintings were displayed. I loved seeing the desert scene by Charlie Dinning, a little boy who has been in the gallery many times with his grandmother and sisters. I could picture the adventure going through his imagination as he painted the cacti and sand.

Moving along, I encountered more artistic adventures. Some that jumped out at me were a pirate ship, a dramatic mountain scene, and a colorful happy shark — all the works of Saxon Craig. A few sections over, Logan Craig’s colored pencil works caught my eye. A dramatic green anglerfish, a turtle and friends, and a whole page full of colorful circles were some of his detailed entries.

Perhaps my favorite among the 2-D works was “Barber Shop” by Samuel Barbacci, a watercolor with pen and ink. The piece, both nostalgic and modern, depicted an old building with power lines overhead, evoking a sense of history intertwined with the promise of new ideas. I noticed another watercolor by Joe Barbacci in the senior category, leading me to believe Samuel might be following in his footsteps.

Next, I made my way over to the 3-D creations. An entire display was dedicated to dozens of Lego works, and the one beside it had creations of every material imaginable. Immediately I recognized the post-apocalyptic creation by Ezra Kessler. Although I haven’t met him in person, I met his dad a couple weeks ago, who told me about Ezra’s art and YouTube channel.

The creative sculpture resembled a machine-creature crossed with a pirate ship. Made to look like different types of metal in varying levels of decay, the copper and pewter-colored gears and joints looked as if they would make loud creaking groans if it was alive.

I reached out to Ezra via email to get a little more information about his unique artform.

He began making these creations called MECHs in March 2023, and started his YouTube channel at the same time. On his channel, he shares the step-by-step process of his various creations, which he explained are all part of a greater storyline he’s working on. Ezra said that the piece on display at the fair took him a little over two months. Check out his channel at youtube.com/@woodlanderstudios to see more of his impressive work.

After my little trip to the fair, it was back to the gallery to print out materials for my next group event. Tamara (of Wood Thief Art) and I have put together another opportunity to experience and celebrate the creative works of some of our tucked-away local artists. The Boundary County Artist Studio tour will take place September Sept. 14-15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days. It is free to the public and will showcase the works of 12 local artists at 10 locations — I hope you’ll join us.

Check out teascarlet.com for information on the Artist Studio Tour, where you can check out the individual artists and see the map.

Until next month, I hope you find a way to make the world a more beautiful place.

Hannah Sucsy owns and operates Teascarlet Fine Art.