Artists

Karen Hurd

Christiana, PA

Tinsmith 

Karen is originally from Michigan and moved to Lancaster in the 1970s. She uses antique techniques & tools to create handcrafted tin wares from America's past. Karen was featured several times in Early American Life. She created a series of cookie cutters for the Philadelphia Museum of Art store. She is currently creating reproductions of sconces and candle holders for PMA. Karen will be focusing on creating one-of-a-kind folk art and contemporary pieces. Her motto is "Whatever happens is going to happen."

Doug and Susan Shaw

Penryn, PA

Woodcarvings

Doug has carved in some form or other all his life but only started carving seriously after he stopped making wooden hay forks, rakes, and wooden grain shovels back in the 1990s. He enjoys carving all kinds of figures from animals and birds to human figures including Santas, historical figures, and everyday human figures. He states he gets pleasure and satisfaction from carving today as he did 30+ years ago.

Jim Murphy

Millersville, PA

Painted Furniture and Bird Trees

Having been born and raised in the suburban Philadelphia area, Jim grew up knowing little of antiques and nothing of folk art. But, after moving to Lancaster and teaching high school English in the heart of Pennsylvania German country, he developed a fascination for the art, furnishings, and culture. He began refinishing furniture and started to wonder if scraping amazing finishes from early pieces was the best way to preserve and present them. After removing so much vibrant color and turning everything to some shade of brown, he decided he needed to learn how to use paint/color and re-create a respectable “old look”. With lots of trial and error, research and experimentation Jim finally arrived at what he considered a good primitive finish. In his search, he discovered that some of the best color was in the magnificent folk art of this region. Unable to purchase many of the things he would love to own, he tried his hand at making similar objects with his “prematurely aged” look.

Now, spending much of his time carving and painting, Jim loves building things of a bygone era, when life was slower and simpler….things that are useful, things that are pretty, and things that are “just for nice”.

Frances Foltz

West Reading, PA

Frances is a creator of folk art using acrylic paints on handmade paper from France. She started painting again 10 years ago after her retirement as the Activities Director at The Highlands in Wyomissing. She also was an Adjunct Professor at Alvernia College, and she enjoys teaching. She has been a graphic artist her entire life. "I love the way the paper can be layered creating a 3D effect." She lives in West Reading and she loves participating in local art shows sponsored by the Berks Guild of Craftsmen. 

Ned Foltz

Reinholds, PA

Redware Pottery

Ned Foltz has been making pottery for over a half century! Ned grew up in Lititz, PA, and he bought his first piece of pottery at age 14.

After studying graphic arts in college, Ned taught art in the Cocalico School District from 1962 to 1980. In 1980, Ned started potting full-time and quickly developed a very busy business. He is a self-taught potter and works with locally sourced clay and does all aspects of production himself. 

He was influenced by traditional Pennsylvania German forms and motifs as well as Moravian pottery. His pottery and sculptures are decorated with sgrafitto, slip trailing, stenciling, and applied work and cutouts. His first pottery show was Christmas of 1978.

Brown’s Country Originals - Mike and Donna Brown

Adamstown, PA

Mike Brown and Donna Brown own Brown’s Country Originals. They create unique folk art for home and garden. Mike is a self-taught artist and has been doing art since he was very young. He has worked in wood, clay, oils, water colors, chalkware and paper mache. Most recently his concentration has been in chalkware and paper mache. His pieces can be described as uniquely crafted folk art with a little whimsy. 

His paper mache pieces are hand sculpted of paper mache clay, hand painted, numbered, signed and dated. He does not do the traditional paper mache which uses paper strips dipped in wheat paste. He makes a paper clay from old newspapers with a special binder added. Most of the embellishments are handmade but sometimes there are a few flea market finds that are added. Each piece takes approximately 2 weeks to complete. Each figure has its own unique look without using any molds which makes it one of a kind.

Steve and Mary Petlitz

Mt. Airy, NC



Steve and Mary Petlitz are from Mt. Airy, NC and have been bringing their painted tin decorations to the Foltz Pottery Shop for many years. They established The Owl’s Nest of NC in 1971. Throughout the 1970's and early 1980's, they worked exclusively in wood. In the mid 1980's, they began designing rusted metal garden stakes. Folk Art Shows were becoming popular and while attending a show, they were approached by a customer saying she would like painted flowers to put in her window boxes during the winter months. At this point, their direction turned toward producing home decor items representing all seasons and holidays.

They use reclaimed tin from barns or wherever they can find the tin and then cut out the decorations. Steve cuts the tin and Mary paints the designs. They used to travel with Ned and Gwen to the wholesale shows back in the day.

They have been featured in Country Living Magazine, Country Home Magazine, Home and Garden TV as well as local and regional newspapers.