As the American Craft Council Baltimore Show drew to a close, I heard a passerby say, “it’s just one thing after another! Wow, it’s just amazing!” I can think of no better way to describe the experience. It was a complete pleasure to meet with the craftspeople and to see their works up close. There were a lot of people that I only knew through their popular works up until this event; but I still felt like I knew them well. Let me give a final nod to some of the artists that touched my soul.

The Iron Design Company, spearheaded by Marc Maiorana, promotes stylish designs. Elegance of this caliber is not usually associated with this material, so it’s hard to believe that Maiorana’s exquisite candlesticks are the result of processing such an industrial substance. Even the simple, small cylindrical bottle openers that they have can double as an art installation.

While we’re on the topic of installations, let me talk about Jamie Harris. He recently added a “mod” to his array of blown glass pieces. These crafts are layered with loud colors, then it was carved very thinly so that could easily clip to your wall. The glass canvass is a magnificent piece to add to your decorations.

Euh-Suh Choi also works with glass, but she does so a little bit differently; letting her personal experiences show on the material does her designs instead. The glass she works with is extremely thin, and she ends up with contemplative designs that are simply stunning.

They are all more than eager to show off their talent to the rest of the world. If I could have afforded it, I would have perused their works more carefully and gone through each one. But, even so, there are a lot more talented people there than the ones I have shown here. And you will get to meet them when you visit a craft show.