Our newest Studio Artisan: John DesMeules

Lately, it’s been a little more toasty than usual in Tamarack’s glass studio – Studio C. Doug Coleman, who does glass-etching, has been in Studio C for quite a while; and while we wish we could say his warm and fun personality is the reason that it’s been warmer in there these days, we have to admit that the 1,900° glass furnace that now sits in the studio is more than likely the reason.

John DesMeules

Why do we have a 1,900° glass furnace in Studio C? That’s because John DesMeules is now going to be blowing glass during the day in the studio! We’re all pretty excited about it here at Tamarack, and it’s not just because watching an expert glassblower is really fun and engaging, it’s also because John DesMeules is just an all-around nice guy. I got a chance to talk to John a little bit while he was setting up his equipment and he was telling me about how he got into glassblowing to begin with.

“I got a job at a sandblasting place that my brother worked at right after I graduated from high school. I figured it was just a job, ya know?” says John as he adjusts the door on the glass furnace, or ‘day tank’ as he calls it. I asked him when sandblasting went from a job into something he decided to cultivate into an art, “Oh, almost immediately. I loved making art in high school and when I was younger. As soon as I started sandblasting, I just liked doing it,” says DesMeules.

John checking the heat of his furnace

In 1991, John was taught glassblowing by Don Hamon of Hamon Glass in Scott Depot. “Don… he’s the godfather of glass,” says John as he pulls out his visual thermometer contraption to measure the temperature of the furnace. Which does he enjoy doing more, glassblowing or sandblasting/etching? He says it’s about 50/50, although he admits that he is able to be a bit more creative with glassblowing, especially on the larger pieces.

As for John DesMeules and Tamarack, he’s been making product for Tamarack even before the building was finished; he also did the ornate design work for many of the glass doors you see throughout the building. You could definitely say that John has had his hands in making Tamarack what it is today. “Tamarack is a fantastic place that has helped me out a lot,” says John, taking a step back to admire his handiwork, “there are great people here that are just great to work with.”

As we stand in the studio, I kind of get the feeling that we’re standing around a warm campfire sharing stories. “I get a comfortable feeling when I’m here at Tamarack, almost like I’m at home…” he says with a sly smile. While that might be a little cornball for most of us, it just goes to show how excited John is to be here at Tamarack. We couldn’t be more happy to have a place that John calls home.

Tatiana Rakhmanina, the Milliner

We often refer to Tamarack as “The Best of West Virginia” because our goal is to showcase just that: the finest art, craft, food, music, etc. that West Virginia has to offer. We’ve been striving to continually meet that goal for the past 15 years.  But while our goal is to showcase the best of West Virginia, sometimes we find ourselves showcasing items of world-class quality. And in very rare occasions, we feature artisans that come from all over the world but now call West Virginia home. Tatiana Rakhmanina is such an artisan.

Tatiana is a milliner, it’s a word you don’t hear very often any more… and it’s actually kind of fun to say. Millinery is an old word, so much so that if you search it on wikipedia, it just wants to redirect you to “Hatmaking”. Being a milliner is not nearly as common a profession as it used to be, most likely because we as a society don’t wear hats as much as we used to. Watch any classic film, “Casablanca”, “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “12 Angry Men”, the men and women are all wearing hats. You don’t see that attire much anymore. Kind of a shame, isn’t it? But Tamarack is fortunate enough to carry hats by Tatiana, who is preserving an age-old profession by making gorgeous ladies’ hats, something we often associate with a bygone era.

Tatiana has been a juried Tamarack artisan since we opened our doors fifteen years ago, and we’ve been fortunate to have work of such quality on display for all these years. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where her grandmother, Larissa, passed on the beautiful tradition of millinery to the young Tatiana. She remembers making her first “serious hat” at the age of twelve, displaying a natural adeptness to the trade. As she grew, Tatiana’s interest in culture, history, language and art encouraged her to express herself artistically; consequently, she began to devote her time and energy to the artistry of hats.

Since 1990, Tatiana has been in the United States, making hats from her studio, right here in West Virginia; and since 1996, Tatiana has been a part of the Tamarack family of artisans. We’re so very proud to showcase Tatiana’s work, considering her fashions are worn the world over. Look closely, and you could find her hats resting on the heads of sophisticated ladies in Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Norway, Brazil, Russia and Japan. It’s such a treat and a delight to have work of international renown available right here in our own backyard.

Now that Spring is here again, Tamarack will again be bringing in local artisans to demonstrate their craft and product; every weekend you’ll be able to talk to artisans who produce some of the beautiful work that we have on display at Tamarack. Much to our delight, Tatiana will be here this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, demonstrating her work in front of the Gov. Hulett C. Smith theater. So you should come by and see her; if you’ve never seen her work, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to see her gorgeous hats and to talk with such an interesting woman. We hope to see you this weekend!

Discovering The Newest Tamarack Artisan

If you’ve ever visited Tamarack and taken a stroll through our retail area, you’re well aware we have thousands of unique products on display – every single one of those products is crafted by a West Virginian artisan that has taken the time and energy to hone his craft. Additionally, every one of the artisans who sells products at Tamarack is juried into the “Tamarack system”, simply meaning their work has been determined to be a prime example of the Best of West Virginia.

To ensure the highest standards, quality and craftsmanship, Tamarack’s Artisan Services Department conducts bi-annual jury sessions in which they invite artisans to bring their work to be critiqued by a panel of their peers who specialize in a specific field of art and craft. Whether it be woodworking, photography, basketry, painting, etc., the jury uses its expertise to critique the quality of each piece that is submitted. But even before the actual jury session, each prospective artisan is asked to pre-screen with Artisan Services, which entails a one-on-one counseling session with the artisan to discuss ways to improve his product; as well as business, marketing and product packaging advice.

The next jury session will be this coming Thursday, the 31st. Currently, Artisan Services is busy getting ready to accommodate all the prospective artisans bringing in their work for jury. It’s a busy time, but it’s also very exciting because of the new people who could possibly become a part of the Tamarack family of artisans. Steve Cassle, Professional Development Coordinator for Artisan Services, describes the tremendous benefit the jury session provides to Tamarack: “The jury session is not just an opportunity for us to see new art and craft – it’s a good opportunity for new artisans to get an honest and expert evaluation of their work from their peers. It also gives the artisans the chance to learn new business skills; and explore new ways for them to competitively sell their work.”

While the upcoming jury session is only a week away, the next session will definitely be here before we know it. So, have you ever thought about becoming a juried Tamarack artisan? Maybe you have an art or craft hobby that you’ve practiced for years, but it’s always been just that – a hobby. Are you serious about turning your hobby into a legitimate business venture?  Then you should seriously consider setting up a pre-screening appointment with Artisan Services for the August 17th jury session. If you’re committed to taking your product and growing it into a prosperous business, Tamarack’s Artisan Services will enable you to turn that weekend hobby into a full-time job or a way of life. Tamarack sells products from numerous artisans whose sole occupation is making art and craft, devoting their time to something they love – maybe you can, too!

For more information concerning the Tamarack jury system, visit www.tamarackwv.com, or call 1-88-TAMARACK and ask to speak to Robin Watson, Artisan Services Coordinator.