Meet the Artists
CLOTHING - PAINTING - WOODWORKING - JEWELRY - METAL - LEATHER - GLASS - CERAMICS - TEXTILES - CONCRETE - QUILTING - KNITTING - AUTHORS
Painting Artists
Sharon Stanley
Sharon Stanley is an avid painter. She works with all kinds of mediums; oils, watercolor, pastels, pencils and acrylics. She is a very accomplished artist and loves to participate in all types of workshops. She paints with local artists and a loosely bound Houston group called the Dam Art Group. She is a member of the Houston Art Society. Retired now, which gives her more time to spend on her passion. Painting.
Whitney Scarborough
While Whitney Scarborough is originally from Texas, she is new to La Grange. Before pursuing art, she spent much of her adult life teaching in international schools. What started out as a hobby of “upcycling” materials to decorate her house overseas has slowly grown into a side art business known as The Rustic Market, where she helps people turn their ideas into a reality through intentional custom painting. Whitney is a wife to Tim and mom to three little kids.
Jewelry Artists
Gail Fitzgerald
Gail Fitzgerald is an avid jewelry designer. She is a self taught beader and after working with local designers learned the art of designing beautiful creations. She takes workshops to learn new techniques to enhance her creations. She uses mostly natural gemstones, crystals and precious metals. Some of her designs incorporate the use of multiple types of seed beads. This type of beads are a lot more delicate but so much fun to work with. Since retirement she has been able to spend more time doing her favorite pastime - making beautiful jewelry for everyone to enjoy.
Leather Artists
Rebecca Woods
I give all of the glory to God, if not for Him none of this would be possible. About 15 years ago I received a box from my Sister and Brother in law that contained leather and leather tools. We didn’t get along at first but I kept going back for more and I soon became addicted. First creating belts and bracelets and purses for myself and friends and before long I had orders. People are important to me so when presented with their idea that they have created in their mind, I get excited to make it come to life for them on leather! I have to know a bit about the person that the leather item is for so with each new creation starts a new relationship and now the fun begins! Now years later when I see someone wearing a belt or other leather items that I made, it reminds me of the fun that I had getting to know that person and what a privilege that it was for them to trust me with their idea. I am inspired by my family that I dearly love. With my Husband of 35+ years, my Daughter & Son in law, my Son & Daughter in law and soon to be 6 Grandkids there is no slowing down for this “Granty” and I love every minute of it! I am thankful for you that encourage me to keep creating. God Bless!
Knitting Artists
Mandy Comer
Where It All Began. . . . I grew up sewing, thanks to my mom. She had taught herself, as a teenager, and as I grew, she taught me to sew alongside her. She did beautiful work, and often told me there was no point in doing work I wasn't proud of. She also made me do the hard stuff, when I was ready for it, like zippers, and buttonholes, saying that I might not want to wear pull-on pants all my life so I'd better learn closures. When I was in college, I lucked into a work-study job in the costume shop of the theatre program. With my solid foundation, and the help and guidance of the several amazing women who taught and worked there, I found that I was on the path to a career that I hadn't even known existed when I started. I spent twenty-three years making costumes, working in what is known as regional theatre. These theatres produce their own work, from the ground up, including costumes, and I have worked with some truly amazing and talented designers over the years and in some really wonderful costume shops -- ten years on the East Coast, primarily in Boston, and thirteen years in Houston, at the Alley Theatre. I worked my way up the ladder to become a draper, which is a position that entails interpreting a designer's rendering to make the pattern and oversee the construction. This is complicated work, because the philosophy is more about making real clothes, not something disposable that only looks good from the outside. Corsets, petticoats, the whole shebang. It's a pretty awesome thing to do for a living. But, I hit a point where I really really needed to do my own thing. So I started Diamond Dust Studio as a way to express myself, in my own way, yet maintain the quality ethic I had absorbed both through my mom and my career in theatre. My mission is to create beautiful things that are functional and durable as well.I can't seem to stop myself.
Authors
Cathleen Gail Angela Noska
Cathleen Gail Angela Noska is a wife, mother of four children, mother-in-law of four, and grandmother of nine. She and her husband live on a cattle farm in central Texas, Fayette County. Living the country way of life is what they enjoy the most, and they visit family in the city on occasion. The grandchildren love to return to the farm and ‘going to the barn’ is one of their favorite things to do. The farm animals are very interesting to observe and to write about. In her books Cathleen shares her imaginative views of what it must be like for the animals and how they communicate with one another. They all seem to get along well and go through the seasons with a zest for survival and a willingness to learn in their journeys through life. Cathleen claims that there are many stories to be written about their real-life adventures, and she plans to share her stories with young and old alike!