Next up...Rita McKay

A resident of Pflugerville, Texas, Rita McKay is the sister of Bob Ragan, one of Florence's local stone artists and co-owner of Texas Carved Stone.  The Ragans must have received more than their fair share of talent, as Rita is as creative as Bob, although her chosen medium is fiber and textiles, rather than stone.  She is a skilled seamstress, knitter and crocheter, creating beautiful items for market, as well as for family and friends.  Using a method known as felting, Rita first crochets and knits hats, purses, totes and accessories for the home, then puts them through a hot water treatment that shrinks the wool to an extremely tight weave.

We have several of Rita's creations in the shop, and we invite you to stop by and see the skill and beauty she weaves into each piece.

The Weekender

Felted forest green bag with button closure.

Felted red wool cross-body bag with leather shoulder strap and  and silver button closure.

Red and turquoise felted trivets or hot pads and coaster sets.

Felted ivory cloche with button embellishment.

I failed to capture a picture of Rita's wine cozies, which are as beautiful and colorful as they are functional.  Drop by and see ALL her creations at Cow Palace today!

Next up...Kathy Combs

Kathy Combs may call The Woodlands home, but she has some pretty strong ties to Florence, Texas.  Her cousin, Cindi Lumpkin Clanton, lives here, plus she's a longtime friend of mine from our college days.

Kathy is one talented lady.  She can do just about anything she sets her mind to, and does it all well--crocheting, knitting, painting, writing.  She's even tried her hand at a potter's wheel!  At the moment, her favorite means of expressing her many talents is through jewelry design.  Featured on several occasions in Belle Armoire Jewelry, a publication of Stampington & Company, Kathy's most recent article focuses on creating patina through experimentation.  While designing, she works with a plethora of tools and materials to create her jewelry--wire, beads, paper, paint, fire, seashells gathered from the Texas coast and even spent shotgun shells, which seem to be a favorite of Cow Palace customers.  A bit of a traveler--okay, she's a confessed globe trotter--Kathy has traipsed across the USA and several foreign countries with her husband, Kim, and sons Kyle and Kendall.

Now let's take a look at what a lady with a penchant for fire and metal can create!

Special thanks to Kathy for sharing the pics I've used!  Drop by the Cow Palace and see Kathy's jewelry on display.  You can also see more of her work on her website.

Next up...Stefanie Brooks, aka Phishstuff

Stefanie Brooks plays with fire.  Literally.  Using a method known as lampworking, Stef creates beads from glass to use in many of her designs.  A midwestern gal, she now lives in Florence, where she continues to craft beautiful things from a deeply rooted desire to express her creativity.  She continually expands her use of color, material, inspiration, and skill in glass bead making, metal craftsmanship, and construction to integrate new techniques and looks.

I first met Stef when she visited Cow Palace's previous location and immediately sensed I'd made a new friend.  She displayed her jewelry, beads, letter openers and push pins at our very first Ladies' Night Out, then returned for another event to demonstrate the art of lampworking.  Besides her jewelry designs, I happen to know she is also an avid crocheter and I'm trying to convince her to bring some of her rugs to Cow Palace, as I know there are a lot of folks who would enjoy owning one of her textile creations.

Here's a sample of some of Stef's work.  If you notice the quality of the photography is better than my usual attempts, it's because I stole the pics from her website.  Sorry, Stef!






To see more of her work, stop by Cow Palace, or you can also visit her website www.phishstuff.com

Artists, Artisans and Craftsmen

From the beginning, it was my goal to represent as many artists, artisans and craftsmen from the Florence area as possible.  The bonus for me was that the merchandise in my shop would be unique and, in many cases, only found within the walls of Cow Palace Emporium.  I'm happy to say that my goal is quickly coming to fruition!

Over the next few weeks, I want to introduce you to a few of the artists, artisans and craftsmen whose work I display.

BB Barrick...A native of the High Plains, Bill Barrick was raised on the family farm near Abernathy, but recently moved to Florence where he is remodeling a building he moved onto his property for use as his art studio.  Known around Texas and the nation as a leading chronicler of life in the developing Southwest, his ability to capture on canvas the spirit of rural America with its stark beauty, hardship, and simple joys is the driving force and appeal of his art.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill about three years ago, while organizing the Florence Community Art Show.  Not only was Bill willing to display his work at our Art Show, he offered to set up his own rolling art display boards on which to display many of the other artists' work.  He went a step further and insisted upon hanging the other artists' work.  A very generous and helpful man, indeed!

Since our initial introduction, I've gotten to know even more about Bill.  He is an active member of his church and volunteers for many of the programs benefiting the Florence community, including helping with litter pickup through our Adopt A Street Program, and the distribution of food and gifts for the less fortunate during the holiday season.

I'm very fortunate to own a BB Barrick original, which hangs above the fireplace in my home.  Here are a few of his prints that are on display in Cow Palace.

I invite you to drop by the shop and see Bill's work in person, as my photography skills fall short of capturing the beauty of his work.  All his prints are professionally framed, as well as signed by the artist.  I think you will agree that Bill not only possesses an outstanding talent, he is a skilled chronicler of America's past, and a heck of a nice guy, to boot.