Barbara Robertson

I began making beaded jewelry but then explored metal clay then silver and copper. My metal clay charms are handmade by me plus I make personalized lake charms with a cz showing where your place is located. I also love making rings and pendants. I have a large variety of charms and jewelry to choose from. I also enjoy making special charms for people and for special occasions.

Visit Barbara’s beautiful website and buy yourself a treat.

Mark Munger

Mark Munger is a Duluth storyteller who has participated in the Northwoods Art and Book Festival for over a decade. He keeps coming back because, well, folks who attend the festival like to read and like to buy his work!

His latest, Kotimaa: Homeland is part historical novel and part thriller set in Minnesota, Norway, and Finland. Kirkus Reviews had this to say about the final installment in Munger's Finnish American trilogy:

His attempts to grapple with current immigration issues, including Syrian refugees in Europe and the election of Donald Trump, make for a complex yet appropriate end to

a series that is essentially a long meditation on leaving home and building another life somewhere else. Fans of thoughtful, probing historical fiction should enjoy this final volume, which stands well enough on its own.

A detailed, wide-lens historical novel of Finnish-Americans then and now.

(Kirkus Review, November 2019.)

You can reach Mark at the link below.

cloquetriverpress@yahoo.com

Relativity Press

At relativity press, we created Relativity Now for Relatively Small People, ages 5-7 because we believe an early introduction to "Big Ideas" primes the mind for future encounters with these ideas (just like an early introduction to foreign languages makes future language-learning endeavors more successful). In this edition of Relativity Now, children will receive their first introduction to the idea of time dilation (at the heart of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity). Along the way, some relatively remarkable pups will keep everyone captivated and entertained! 

http://www.einsteinunderground.com

Kim Gordon

I grew up making images - drawing, painting, printmaking. And I have always loved stories. I have created these images to tell simple stories about elemental aspects of life: finding joy in transitory beauty, peace in nature, the pleasures of relationships. Companion animals as well as wild ones are the characters that explore these themes. I love the design aesthetics of both the Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movements and of Japanese block prints. I am also influenced by the local landscape and by natural events and find ways of incorporating these natural occurrences to tell small stories of life's chances and wonders and mysteries.

This will be my first time participating in the Northwoods Art & Book Festival before but look forward to brings my greeting cards, luminaries and prints to the Northwoods.

(We look forward to having Kim with us next year). You can reach Kim at her email address below.

opencupboarddesigns@gmail.com

Lisa Cassman

Lisa Cassman is a licensed counselor, author, licensed minister, and speaker. A Minnesota native, she has more than 20 years of experience counseling children and families in the church, as well as working with sexual abuse and domestic violence victims at a crisis center. She has a cosmetology license and currently is an owner of a spa.

Cassman has written three books, released by Halo Publishing International, about marital relationships. “The Road Less Traveled: A Guide to a Positive Marriage,” was inspired while on a road trip with her husband, Steve, in his semi-truck traveling along the West Coast. From her professional experience, she pours her inspirational insight and her own personal understanding of relationships into her work and guiding others through marriage.

Her book, “The Light in Your Eyes,” was written across the last 30 years. It documents Cassman’s journey into what love means, as her husband showed her, starting when they were hopeful teens.

Her book, “Finding the Beautiful You", was written to help women and teens find their self -esteem and value according to what scripture says.

Her newest book,  "Talk Before Text ", was written so the reader can write in and pen their thoughts. The journaling guide format is easy to use.

In addition to her books, Cassman is a speaker at conferences, churches, workshops, and seminars. Her self-worth seminars teach men and women how to like themselves and receive healing through God. She also does pre-marital counseling for couples and trains them how to like themselves, so they can have a successful marriage. As a licensed, traveling minister, Cassman officiates over 30 marriages a year.

She has a master’s degree in Christian Counseling from the Pastoral Counseling Center, which is accredited through the National Christian Counseling Association (NCCA), and is also certified to administer the Arno Profile System (A.P.S.) report, which is a personal identification/inventory.

She and her husband have four children together and eight grandchildren. You can book Cassman as a speaker or wedding officiant by visiting www.LisaCassman.net.

Jo Guttormson

Jo has been weaving beautiful, handcrafted baskets for years. She is a member of several basket guilds and attends many national workshops and conventions where she hones her craft. She has taught classes at the Longville Arts Center, the Hackensack Senior Center, and at various locations in the Twin Cities. You can reach Jo at her email address below.

jogutts@yahoo.com

Paul Elwell

Paul Elwell, owner of Cottage Heights Blades, says making the knives is a very labor intensive process. He first has to cut the wood into the basic shape that he wants, and then goes through multiple steps in the sanding process. He finished the blade with five layers of lacquer. Each layer needs to dry before the next is applied. You can reach Paul through his email link below.

cottageheightsblades@outlook.com

Tom Soucek

Tom is a self taught watercolor artist. Always have enjoyed working with watercolors rather than any other medium.

He has been painting for over 30 years. His signature is usually the birch trees that stands out in many of his paintings. Themes are mostly winter and north woods scenes. Barns are a customer favorite also.

psoucek2006@yahoo.com

Kathryn Rosebear

Functional porcelain pottery – mugs, cups, plates, bowls, and vases – with animal and floral themes. All work is food-safe and oven-, dishwasher- and microwave-proof.

If I had lived in a warmer climate, I might never have become a potter.  My first artistic medium was soil, from which I coaxed gardens - broad swaths of color from perennials, and the more subtle shades of green from foliage.  Over 35 years, I have turned my entire corner city lot into a garden which regularly wins awards from Minneapolis’ Blooming Boulevards Program.

In Minnesota, though, the gardening season shuts down for almost half a year, leaving us with stark scenes of white and black, shadow on snow, and the persistent cold.  During one of those long winters during the 1990s, I decided to take up pottery.  Now when I have to leave my garden, I can go to my studio in the Northern Clay Center, a non-profit dedicated to clay art, where I share the camaraderie of working with other artists and the warmth from the kilns.

My work has evolved over time, but is strongly influenced by my interest in gardening and the natural world. I work in porcelain, which offers a strong white palette on which I can paint floral and animal motifs.  I often sketch in my garden, creating motifs based on the plants I love and the insects which benefit from them.  Those animals which make appearances on my pots –cats, foxes, rabbits, and a variety of birds – are often found within a half mile of my home.

The functionality of my work is important to me, and I think it is important for those who own my pots to use them. For that reason, I fire my pots to cone 10, or approximately 2300 degrees, to ensure that they are safe for household use and wear.  I have experimented on glaze formulas and applications to ensure that the pots retain their bright colors though they are fired at such a high temperature, and also to ensure that the pots are durable and safe to eat from and use, whether in a microwave or oven. I hope that, as people use my pots, the colors and motifs remind them of the magic of summer and the gardening season throughout the year.

You can contact Kathryn by Email or her Facebook page.

Mike Lein

Mike Lein successfully published over 50 non-fiction pieces in magazines and journals before moving on to book publishing. His first two books – Firewood Happens – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Minnesota’s Northwoods and Down at the Dock – More Stories of the Good Life in the Northwoods scored back-to-back First Place Awards for Humor from the Midwest Independent Publishing Association. A comment from one judge says it all – “This book belongs in every cabin in Minnesota!”

The Crooked lake Chronicles – Mostly True Stories of Life Up North continues this series with more lightly embellished tales of the things that happen, the people you meet, and the struggles with Mother Nature that occur when you step out and enjoy the simple life in the Great Outdoors.

You can buy Mike's books through this link.

Meet S. S. Baits and your next lure!

The Stennes Sisters, Erica and Shanna have created the company S.S. Baits. They have lived in the MN North woods their entire lives. Growing up in a rural area, on a lake, ensured plenty of time on the water. As children many of our summer days were spent preening and modifying their tackle to better catch the elusive monsters of the lake. As adults we developed and expanded our skills to create one-of-a-kind lures that the fish cannot resist.

Please visit the Stennes Sisters website linked below.

S.S. Baits

Susan Cross - Wild Wind Studio

Wild Wind Studio, is an art festival based business. By using our silk items and unique dye you can create a special piece of wearable art. We look forward to August 14, 2021 when Susan can help us create our own unique silk scarf or bag.

Hand Dyed Silk Scarves and Bags

wildwindcenter@yahoo.com

M E Fuller

Saving the Ghost, the debut novel by M E Fuller, is a story of resilience and courage. When Ellen McInnis left home at 17, she was free of her abusive father’s violence against her. His death brought the terrors of childhood back to life. Ellen, now 57, is desperate to tell the truth. She believes it’s the only way she can save herself from total emotional collapse. But there’s only one living family member she can trust, her elderly aunt Mercy, and Mercy is keeping her own secrets, devastating secrets of unimaginable horrors and betrayal.

Saving the Ghost is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Contains adult language and violence. This project was supported by Five Wings Arts Council with funds from the McKnight Foundation.

Fuller has published short fiction in Shark Reef-A Literary Magazine, Talking Stick 26, PHOTOWRITE 2018, and South85Journal blog. She is a freelance writer and visual artist in central Minnesota and a member of Brainerd Writers Alliance and The Crossing Arts Alliance.

Becky and Bob Seemann

Nature: Love. Respect. Protect. "We want to help people enjoy, respect and protect the beauty of the woods, water and wildlife all around us," says Becky and Bob Seemann of Artwoods.

"This inspires us to create our nature-oriented silver jewelry and rustic furniture and accessories to share with other lake folks. There are endless ideas for creativity in the forests and lakes -   leaves, trees, unique stones, and animals. Our name Artwoods simply means that we make art in the woods of northern Minnesota. We give 10 percent of net profits to support environmental organizations and want to help people understand that it's up to all of us to preserve it for future generations."

becky.seemann@icloud.net

Tim Jollymore

Tim Jollymore grew up next to the swamps, forests, and Indian reservations of northern Minnesota, the setting of his first novel. He spent his working life as a tree planter, pulp peeler, local historian, traveling salesman, and corporate manager. After migrating to California, he pursued residential design, contracting, and the teaching of English. Jollymore has a master’s degree in literature from the University of Minnesota.

Since leaving teaching in 2011, Jollymore has devoted his time to fiction and drama, writing a five-act play, completing two novels and numerous short stories.

During summer, he camps across the western states traveling to visit extended family in northern Minnesota. Otherwise, he writes in Oakland, California and shares free time with his artist companion, Carol. His three grown children live nearby.

Jollymore’s fiction explores struggles of identity and loss in American society from the viewpoint of the under and working classes. Though these contests—sometimes mysterious and often fierce—play out in spare, natural settings and every day, domestic life, they are marked by unusual, compelling events. 

His novels include: "Listener in the Snow" (2014) which abounds with Native stories, Algonquin legend, Indian characters, and heartrending strife set against the Northern Minnesota snowscape.

"Observation Hill", a novel of class and murder (2015). Police Detective Paul Tuomi has his hands full. He has just been assigned the highest-profile murder case of his career, is in the middle of investigating the strange death of a family member, and is about to cross the line on a long-ago failed marriage.

"The Advent of Elizabeth", (2016). Twenty-four years have passed since the murdered girl was buried. The classmate who confessed to the stabbing is doing time. Both families moved out of town. Case closed? Justice done? Not so fast. As they converge on their California high school’s 100th-anniversary celebration, cryptic notes are unsettling members of the “Class of ‘67”. Some question what they thought they knew.

Jollymore's books have won awards or been finalists in several award categories. His book of short stories, essays, and poems, "Lake Stories and Other Tales", (2017) has had a warm reception. Comic, heartfelt, and mysterious, these stories charm the reader with good humor, affection for their natural settings, and the gentle, persistent seeking for a lasting place in the daily world of common folk.

Jollymore's newest book, "People You've Been Before" (2019) edges into city life, recovery culture, the lives of writers, and fallout from the Vietnam conflict. 

All books are available on Amazon and his website timjollymore.net

Sue Rowe

Sue Rowe was born quite a while ago - growing up around black bear in northern Wisconsin. However, she had no way of knowing that depicting them in art would take up more than twenty years of her later life. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls in 1981 she put fine art aside to concentrate on a different creative occupation. But in 1997, while working in a Stillwater, Minnesota antique shop, she decided to copy an illustration of a grizzly bear that she'd found in a vintage hunting magazine. Little did she know that this one action would alter her life's direction for the next twenty years!  

Sue's pastel and acrylic paintings have garnered awards in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. She is returning to oil painting again - one current work is a painting of the Minnesota Zoo's grizzly bears.

Recently Sue's subject matter has expanded. Spunky squirrels, gentle rabbits, fluffy sheep, and dancing pigs ( her favorite subject while in college) have joined the bruins in the studio. She also does pet portraits - specializing in cats and dogs.

In March Sue had planned to teach her first workshop on Visual Journaling at an event in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Because of COVID-19 concerns, this event was canceled. However,  she enjoys Visual Journaling so much that she is definitely planning to teach this creative subject in the coming years!

You may find Sue Rowe's work in the following shops or galleries:

• Art Dock - Duluth, MN

• Lake Superior Trading Post - Grand Marais, MN

• Stillwater Art Guild and American Gothic Antiques - Stillwater, MN

• The Grand Hand - St. Paul. MM

• Brickyard Pottery - Shell Lake, WI

• Pottery at Best - Webster, WI

• No Rules Gallery - Spring Green, WI

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You can reach Sue at one of the accounts below:

• Instagram: surobear1

• Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

• (website is not working at this time - sorry)

• email: surobear1@gmail.com

• phone: 651-303-5453

Marsha and Gary Wolff

Marsha and Gary Wolff own Wolff Works Studio, north of Nevis, where they turn out all sorts of fun stuff. Gary is a potter and a painter and Marsha is a mosaic artist and a jeweler. Marsha spends most days breaking dishes, which she highly recommends to others.

Among their unique mosaics, they also create paintings, pottery, jewelry, and bags. We look forward to seeing them in August 2021.

You can get a hold of the Wolff’s at their email below.

decoys@arvig.net

Jackpine Writers

The Jackpine Writers’ Bloc is an active writing group in north central Minnesota, in existence since 1993. Our group kicks off each year by opening up for submissions to the next Talking Stick Book. These books are collections of poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction submitted by Minnesota writers.

During each year, we put on writing workshops, prepare the book, and put on an annual book release party where we pay out prize money for the top two places in each of the three writing categories. We continually look for new ways to entertain and inspire writers and fellow artists.

We want to thank the writing and arts community for their continued enthusiasm for our group and our books. Bring your friends to our workshops and parties.

For many years, we supported ourselves with donations, book sales, and a few grants. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to fund our books. Without your support and donations, there would be no Jackpine Writers’ Bloc and no Talking Stick books. Remember, your tax donation is tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

The Jackpine Writers’ Bloc is native to Minnesota. We are a writing group as well as a publishing company. Our literary journal, The Talking Stick, has become a state-wide publishing ground for amateur and experienced writers alike. Our goal in publishing writers is simple – we publish to encourage solid writing that shows promise, creativity and brilliance.

We started where most writers up here seem to start – hiding behind jack pines with few outlets and few who could enjoy our craft with us. Things have changed. The writers in our group, and those from many other writing groups that have sprung up in nearby cities, offer experience, criticism and encouragement in abundance.

Kim Young

Kim a retired dental hygienist who is passionate about canoeing and camping discovered that making jewelry was a wonderful gift that allowed her to be creative. Make one Kim’s beautiful hand painted earrings, fish leather earrings, snap bags, Lake Superior Rock Necklaces, sea glass earrings and or necklace your own.

queticokim74@gmail.com

Barry Nelson

Barry Nelson was our 2019 Spirit of the North Award Winner - Bird Brain Bird Houses

Barry Nelson was our 2019 Spirit of the North Award Winner, Barry has always been interested in birds, although didn’t start building birdhouses until about 9 years ago. He worked on quite a few houses until he came up with this design. Barry wanted something that looked unique compared to other designs he had seen. These are functional homes for birds and where ever they will be placed, either yard, garden, or your home, they will certainly add interest. These birdhouses embellished with sticks and driftwood are made from barn wood and ceiling tins that are 100 years old. Barry has also been featured on Kare 11.

You can contact Barry birdbrainbirdhouses@gmail.com