We review new artists three times a year.

Get the details about how to submit your work for review HERE.

Bath & Beauty
Valier, PA

Creating a sustainable, eco-friendly, conscious lifestyle takes a lifelong commitment, and Tara Heckler has dedicated herself to this for the past 17 years. She is always learning, creating, experimenting & exploring, while above all, loving and living what she does.

Tara uses local ingredients, as well as herbs from her garden, in her bath and spa line of products. Her salt scrubs and sugar scrubs will offer locally grown loofah to assist in exfoliation. Tara’s focus is on reusable, compostable, organic, and eco-friendly products for one's self, as well as for the home.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Pottery
Ridgway, PA

At Mudslide Pottery, they produce well-crafted stoneware and porcelain pottery. Although deeply rooted in tradition, their work uniquely conveys their ideas about the modern world. They draw inspiration from the environment that surrounds them; from the forests they played in as children to the modern architecture that looms over today’s cities. They use motion and gesture as a design concept to give their work a sense of life. Roly and Geno strive for their pots to work as well as they look. Their hope is that the use of their pottery will enrich and bring joy to their customers everyday lives.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Photography
Caddo, OK

An “expatriate” native of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, Dick and his wife, Olivia, now live in Caddo, Oklahoma where they own and operate GlenMar Ranch. After graduation from Ridgway High School, Dick attended the United States Air Force Academy and, after graduation, served 22 years on active duty, primarily as a C-141 Starlifter pilot. The transition from flying to agriculture gave Dick a greater appreciation for the outdoors and nature’s beauty. Armed with a Nikon D60 he set out to record nature’s offerings. His primary subject is wildflowers, but his work includes landscapes, skyscapes and fauna.

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Mixed Media
Pittsburgh, PA

Tony Cavalline is a mixed media artist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His work explores the subjective nature of memory, and the created reality of personal perception. Cavalline studied art at the University of Pittsburgh, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Society of Artists. He is also a co-founder of Vagabond Galleries, a company dedicated to creating pop-up art galleries.

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Elk County, PA

The Concert Choir of Elk County is a 50-member strong group of local residents who love to sing! Their ages and backgrounds vary widely, yet they create beautiful harmony.

The Choir’s typical season starts in September when rehearsal begins for their Christmas show; this program is typically presented just after Thanksgiving. After the Christmas show, work begins on 1-2 more shows presented between February and May. One is a secular dinner/show, while the other may be a sacred presentation.

Some abbreviated appearances at various functions throughout the county are done as well.

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Pottery
Ridgway, PA

Lisa is a clay artist and constructs from slabs of stoneware or porcelain that are sculpted by hand. She took ceramics in high school but did not pursue the craft until several years later. She has a few classes under her belt from local artists, workshops and folk schools. She also has a home studio in the northwest Pennsylvania region of the Alleghany national forest: it is a beautiful backdrop for creating. Lisa’s love of animals and nature inspires her sculptures for garden and home.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Painting
Ridgway, PA

Lisa Connelly is a One-stroke certified instructor; she has been with the gallery for many years. She enjoys working with glass surfaces and dabbling in other mediums as well. She first became interested in One-stroke painting after purchasing a kit online. Following that, she went to a certification class where she spent four days painting and testing. She enjoys teaching and wishes she had more time to do so.

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Painting
Ridgway, PA

A native of Ridgway, Tom began his art career by attending the Art Institute in Pittsburgh. Upon graduating, he moved around a lot and finally settled in Kissimmee Florida where he painted numerous murals. Tom has since returned to Ridgway area and continued to paint. He completed many murals throughout Elk County before passing in 2021.

Prints of his artwork remain for sale at ECCOTA while they last.

Fiber
Kane, PA

Lois Crozier is a local artist who lives in the Kane area. Her passion for fiber and animals started as a little girl and continues to this day. She owns and operates an alpaca farm where the fiber is grown, processed and spun on her farm. She then incorporates these yarns along with other fibers to create usable products.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Johnsonburg, PA

Stephanie Distler is a self-taught jewelry artist. Using nature for inspiration, she designs and creates artisan jewelry together with hand tools using silver (sterling and pure), copper and brass in wire or sheet form. Her home-based working studio allows space for metalwork, displays, workshops, PA Wilds events, and other artistic endeavors. Distler operated a gallery for many years, and now this space allows the opportunity for her to consolidate visioning, craftsmanship, and exhibition in one location.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Photography
Kersey, PA

His first break in life was having amazing parents, and growing up in the beautiful, Elk County. Tom sees the mountains as wild and beautiful, with photo opportunities around every corner. Since childhood, he was always intrigued with cameras and photography. His love of photography has taken on a life of its own over the last several years. What was once a keen interest has truly become a passion with wildlife being the subject of this obsession.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Ridgway, PA

Having so many different interests, Lori’s work can vary greatly from piece to piece. Sometimes she feels like working strictly with gemstones, creating a piece based not only on the way the stones look, but incorporating their meanings and folklore so the result has a theme that makes it special. Other times she focuses on the metal components, especially copper - bending, hammering, texturing and shaping it to fit an idea she has in mind. Lori says, “That is the exciting thing about making jewelry...you are only limited by your own imagination and there are no rules!”

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Mixed Media
Wellsboro, PA

Dean & Carol Fry founded Balsam Ridge Workshop LLC back in 2007. They have since been making custom knives in their shop in the mountains of Tioga County near Wellsboro, PA. This two person crew work together to create unique items. Dean specializes in designing and grinding the blades and leather-work. Meanwhile, Carol is the Mastermind of handle design and finishing.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Literature
Pacific Palisades, CA

A longtime advocate for the environment, Gnan’s book sales are dedicated toward education, aiding communities, restoring habitat, and preserving wildlife. She’s taught children for over 20 years, holds a B.A. in Music and Theater, is a member of SAG-AFTRA, SCBWI, and an ambassador for Heal the Bay. She’s worked for Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, and Brandman Productions before forming her own multimedia production company.

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Woodworking
Penfield, PA

Scott Gnan of Penfield enjoyed working in the construction field for the past 30 years. Two and a half years ago he bought a lathe and decided to try his hand at wood turning bowls. Since that time his skills have grown to include turning wine stoppers, bottle opener’s, pizza cutters, salt and pepper shakers, and game calls, among other household utilitarian items. The reward of wood turning is taking a piece of wood destined for the burn pile, and turning it into a beautiful heirloom gift.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Bradford, PA

Susan Gobbel is a visual artist and retired art teacher from Warren County who has been involved in Arts Integration for most of her twenty year career. An artist since childhood, Susan has enjoyed both performing and visual arts.

Her passion is in creating 'one of a kind' silver jewelry designs using fabrication, forging, cuttlebone casting, and wire wrapping techniques. Susan has a BS in Art Education from Edinboro University, and studied Jewelry Design at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

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Ceramic
St, Marys, PA

Woodworking
Woodland, PA

Gaius’ first experience with woodworking was making laminated slingshots from scraps in his father’s workshop in the late 1950s. An old wood lathe that had been in his family for several generations initiated his interest in wood turning, which forms the basis of much of Gauis’ artwork today. After an early retirement in 2002, he began wood turning full time, and in 2004, started creating segmented bowls and vases, which quickly became his favorite projects. They offer unlimited opportunities to be creative – combining different colors and patterns – and the results can be stunning.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Ridgway, PA

Susan’s enjoyment comes from designing and making jewelry. She has been interested in jewelry-making for many years, but as a middle school teacher here in Ridgway, she developed a new love for it which she shared with her students. When the middle school started a clubs program, Susan started the Middle School Beading Club. With the initial help of Lori Elias, who came into the classroom to show students and Susan some basic beading techniques, the club was off and running! It was very popular among the middle school girls and the rewards were amazing!

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Mixed Media
Rimersburg, PA

Richard is from Rimersburg Pennsylvania and has been working with wood since he graduated from Union High School in 1979. Over the next 20 years, he grew in his knowledge and passion for wood working and soon had mastered every machine in the shop at his furniture job. After a 12-year hiatus from carpentry, Richard bought a small lathe to revive his wood-working passions. After a rather hefty investment and time, he was set to create his first pen. Little did he know this would become an addicting hobby, that would help him get through some tough times ahead.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Amarillo, TX

Bobbi’s love of jewelry has taken her on quite a journey testing her will and determination. She has always loved jewelry, from collecting 'precious' jewels as a kid, to teaching herself bead weaving and stringing as a teen. Since graduating college, she has enjoyed honing her skills as a bench jeweler, creating designs that are more wearable, and selling her work online. One thing she loves about metalsmithing is the constant learning curve; there is always a new technique or idea to challenge yourself. Taking the time to go back to basic jewelry making has allowed her the ability to perfect techniques, designs, and her efficiency in production

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Pottery
Ridgway, PA

As a child, Stacie was mesmerized by dance and the difficult jumps and turns, that the delicate dancers made look easy; they were lifted and tossed as if they were weightless. She was awed by the strange and colorful costumes, the brilliant lights and dazzling sets surrounding those beautiful and magical dancing creatures. As a ceramics artist, she is inspired by and employs many lessons acquired from her years of dance training. For Stacie, the clay is the body of the dancer. Each piece allows the viewer to bring to it their own feelings and experiences, inviting them to see and lift for themselves, a light and graceful dancer. As a person looks at a piece of her work, she hopes they see the dancing, laughing lines, the unexpected bursts of color and the joyful movement.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Glass
Saint Marys, PA

David Kuntz’s fascination for glass began as a young child. He spent time with his grandfather who enjoyed Crystal Beverage. The soda pop colored the bottles orange, red, and brown. For 10 years David has been designing realistic and abstract blown glass pieces. He picked up the art while recovering from an injury that required him to seek a warmer climate. Classes at the University of Miami confirmed his love for blowing glass. David returned to his home in Elk County and now operates a studio and offers classes.

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Printmaking
Kane, PA

The Laughing Owl Press is a full-service letterpress print shop nestled in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds in beautiful Kane, PA. Founded by Joe and Andrea Lanich, they have been producing quality letterpress printing since 2010. They are here to make your project perfect, be it fifty wedding invitations or 100,000 coasters. Before all else, they are letterpress printers. Joe and Andrea relish in perfect inking, level impression, and outstanding quality. Their skilled, creative team is ready and able to execute on their clients’ visions. Whether developing a concept from scratch, or bringing an idea to life, Laughing Owl Press creates designs that inspire and delight.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Painting
Smethport, PA

Currently a resident of Smethport, Pennsylvania, Julie grew up with a love for The Great Outdoors and with a pencil in hand, she sketched the farms and rolling hills of Southern PA. Primarily a self-taught artist, Julie interprets the McKean County landscape and landmarks of the region as both paintings and drawings focused on preserving regional and natural history through her artwork. Taking advantage of her ten years of drafting experience, pen and ink drawings were Julie’s concentration until 2004 when she discovered watercolor painting and her world extended beyond black and white.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Photography
Ridgway, PA

A native of Ridgway, Pennsylvania, Jim grew up on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest with an inherent appreciation of the natural world. A 1975 graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he purchased his first 35mm camera while a student there. once known for his limited edition pen & ink wildlife prints & watercolors, Jim is now raising digital photography to a fine art form. Jim claims, "Photographers see differently than most people in that there is always a chance of a great photograph with every step taken. Like painting a picture, you want people to feel & see what you feel & see.”

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Literature
Flagstuff, AZ

Kevin spent his formative years in Elk County Pennsylvania and now reside in Flagstaff, Arizona where he has spent the last 40 years. In his early twenties, he put schooling and work aside to spend a year alone (with his canine companion) in a remote setting in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. It was there, in a very remote area named Irishtowne, where his father and his father’s brothers built a camp, Kevin recorded Part 1 of his book. Setting these writings aside for 40 years, he decided they would fit well with some recent writings which became Part 2 of his work. Kevin’s travels ended in the mountainous area of Northern Arizona and it was here his wife and him raised two boys.

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Woodworking
Kane, PA

Jack turn bowls knowing each piece is going to be different and lets the wood tell him what he’s going to make. Jack may start with one idea and end up with a completely different piece; he uses local hardwoods and salvages or scraps wood for his art. He uses pieces left from logging, left in the woods after timbering, and from veneer logs left at the sawmill. It is all found wood, wood people can’t use. Jack has never cut down a live, healthy tree to turn a bowl. He enjoys working with burls because they create some of the most interesting pieces. No two works of Jack’s are alike, and he twice-turns each piece.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Literature
Johnsonburg, PA

Augustine Oglesby has been writing poetry and short stories since her early teens. She has always had an interest in creative writing, and explored this subject with mostly observational writing. She also attended Edinboro State College (now University) for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, and a minor in drawing/design.

Augustine is a self-published literary artist and has printed: Adventures with Zella, Baptisms of Fire, A Hand on My Shoulder, A Quiet Life, and Stitches.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Ridgway, PA

Cheryl Oknefski, the owner of Peaces of Me, brings the peace she has in her life from her Yoga, Reiki, Organic Farming, and living in the Allegheny National Forest, and puts this energy into her art. She has been creative since she was a child; Cheryl would spend care-free days learning from her grandma, sister, and wonderful school teachers. She was born in Ridgway, PA but moved away at the age of 20 and lived in many different places in the U.S. and Germany.  Her favorite mediums are knitting (mainly with specialty yarns), chainsaw carving, jewelry crafting from roughly tumbled gems and/or found items, and tie-dying. Cheryl also sews, paints on canvas, makes dream catchers, and undergoes many other crafty endeavors.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania

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Glass
Kersey, PA

Michael Orshal has just recently become involved in the production of copper foil stained glass. He started by taking a course in Ripley, WV in 2010. His teacher, Dave Hauser, was amazed when Michael chose a very difficult pattern for his first piece and completed it with extreme skill and craftsmanship. He is a natural glass worker. Mike's eye for detail guides him to making very skillfully rendered glass works. While living near New Bethlehem, PA, Mike created many raised flower beds on what his landlord called "Rocky Top". So it's only natural that he works daily, outside of Kersey, with his partner at Flower Ridge Studio on the many flower beds.

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Literature
Brockport, PA

PJ Piccirillo is an award winning author and literary artist-in-residence for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. A two-time winner of the Appalachian Writers Association Harriette Arnow Award for Short Story, PJ’s fiction and articles have appeared in journals, magazines, newspapers, and syndicates.

He teaches creative writing and conducts seminars on craft at public venues. An instructor of English and Humanities at Butler County Community College, PJ holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine and a B.A. in English from Saint Francis University. He has always lived in northcentral Pennsylvania where he enjoys all outdoor pursuits.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania

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Painting
Saint Marys, PA

Patty was born and raised in the Elk County area. She is married to Jerry and together they raised six children. She worked outside the home for thirty two years and is now retired.

Patty is now enjoying having the time to paint and create art. She looks around and sees so much beauty in the world, that she is compelled to put it to canvas and paint. Patty tries to capture and hold onto some of the beauty of the Earth.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Mixed Media
Kane, PA

Born on the edge of the Bering Sea, Ryding spent her youngest years in the northwest coast of Alaska before the family moved to Connecticut and later Illinois.

After undergraduate studies in Illinois and finishing with a BA in Seattle, Washington she spent a couple more years back in the village of Unalakleet, Alaska. Now living in northwestern Pennsylvania, she has been in one place for a long time, but looks for every opportunity to hit the road and see what's out there.

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Glass
Tidioute, PA

Glass studio providing lampworked borosilicate and furnace glass creations of all kinds.

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Jewelry/Accessories
Ridgway, PA

Bridgette is a local jewelry artist who has lived most of her life in the Elk County Area. Although Bridgette’s career background is in Law Enforcement, her search for inner peace led her in the direction of creativity many years ago.

In 2017 while browsing the internet, Bridgette stumbled across a piece of wire wrapped jewelry, and was intrigued by the awesomeness of it. The idea that one could utilize natural stones, beads, and spools of wire to create such unique pieces of body art compelled her to spend countless hours learning the techniques of wire wrapping. She is self-taught and has evolved her craft which utilizes copper and sterling wire, leather, natural stones, glass beads and crystals to create wire wrapped pendants, bracelets, earrings, and rings.

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Painting
Kersey, PA

When a painter chooses a medium for expression, it is often chosen because it reflects, to a degree, certain characteristics of the artist. Grover Slater is a retired art teacher and he has chosen watercolor painting because he likes control, but watercolor is free flowing. He likes careful planning, but watercolor is full of blossoms, back washes, runs, splatters and drips. Grover knows that watercolor painting means going with the flow of the medium and this allows him a certain appreciation to a balance of life. Mr. Slater lives at Flower Ridge Studio just outside of Kersey, PA where he spends a couple hours each day, with his partner, caring for the many flower beds.

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Painting
Bradford, PA

Samila’s story began after moving her family to a rural part of Pennsylvania. It is a place where snow sits on the ground for at least six months out the year, and the summers are short and rather chilly. They have a swimming pool for the kids, but the water must be heated all summer long. Their house is surrounded by woods and she wakes up every morning to the singing chorus of birds; She doesn’t have to go far for her inspiration. This land is a lifetime supply of inspiration for an artist who enjoys this subject. The desire to share the beauty of this land, and tell her story about it, is shown throughout the paintings in Samila’s series.

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Photography
Troutville, PA

Paul received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts Education from California University of Pennsylvania and taught technology in public schools in northeastern New Jersey. Upon retirement, he relocated to north central Pennsylvania and resided in Troutville. After purchasing his first camera he became passionate about photographing nature. In addition to elk, he also photographed tame and wildflowers that are presented in a unique visually artistic manner.

Paul’s photography prints remain available at the ECCOTA Gallery following his passing in 2022.

Literature
Ridgway, PA

Jeanette was orphaned at the age of three when her father passed away and her mother was unable to care for her and her six siblings. After her father's death, the family moved from Pennsylvania to Mooseheart, an orphanage in Illinios. The Red Caboose is a memoir of the ten years she lived at the orphanage and the ten years it took her to acclimate to life outside an institution. Along with her husband Cliff, she traveled to Holland in 2014. Together the couple manage a cottage industry raising dairy goats and selling goat milk soap. In addition to writing, Jeanette enjoys gardening, cooking, nature, and walking her two corgi's Tasha and Tucker in the Allegheny National Forest of Pennsylvania.

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Woodworking
Kersey, PA

As Terry has transitioned into the role of retirement, he has enjoyed the opportunity of being able to share his woodworking skills with the many people that come to visit the PA Wilds. Many of his projects are designed with the outdoor enthusiast in mind. Terry’s turkey calls, fishing nets and other projects are all functional pieces that can be used by the outdoorsmen and women that have come to enjoy all the the Pennsylvania Wilds has to offer. He also enjoy making one of a kind wood ribbon jewelry boxes and live edge keepsake boxes.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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Painting
Ridgway, PA

Daniel CE Swanson was born in Van Nuys California. During the course of his childhood he lived In Maine, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia, finally settling in Pennsylvania where he currently resides. Daniel began his journey in art at a young age. He was educated at the Pittsburgh Technical Institute for multi-media and ultimately switched to Graphic Design. He prefers dark subject matter that tells a story. "You may find my work a bit out of the ordinary. I enjoy giving the viewer the opportunity to use their imagination, and to show them a piece of mine."

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Music
Ridgway, PA

For most of the past nine years, Mark and Bekki Titchner performed mostly traditional Celtic and Appalachian music with fiddler Tara Sansom in the trio, Fieldstone. Two years ago, their focus exclusively to songwriting. Longtime friend and drummer Don Strandberg said he would love to be a part of a recording project, and suggested bassist Mark Santaniello to round out the rhythm section. Recording began in earnest in the fall of 2011. Along the way another old friend, Dave Piccirillo, added guitar work to some of the tracks and Tara played fiddle on a song as well. The Titchner-Scott Band began exclusively as a recording endeavor but keeping all that fun confined to the basement seemed wrong.

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Painting
Saint Marys, PA

Saint Marys native, Janet VanEerden, has been painting for over 8 years. She primarily works in watercolor and is drawn to nature, especially flowers.

Janet is interested in how paint pigments can represent different textures. In addition to her paintings, she also creates watercolor note-cards and commission work upon request.

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Photography
Johnsonburg, PA

Bill’s passion for the great outdoors and photography has led him to where he is at present, owning a photo framing business. As a young man in Elk County, Pennsylvania, he enjoyed the forest and explored it to the fullest by hiking, backpacking, and camping deep in the woods along the rivers and lakes, usually with his trusty Kodak 110 camera. As the years progressed, Bill’s love of nature and photography increased and his equipment got better, as did his knowledge of both. It can be said that he is a self-taught photographer, with no formal training.

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Painting
Saint Marys, PA

Born in Altoona, PA and a resident of Saint Marys, PA until his passing in 2024. Pete held degrees in Fine Art from Mount Aloysius College and in Art Education from Mercyhurst College.

He taught fine art at Elk County Catholic High School for forty-two years and had sixteen one-man shows. Pete specialized in watercolor medium and focused primarily on color, design, and abstract forms within his work.

Painting
Penfield, PA

The inspiration behind Perry’s work usually comes from an emotional connection with his subject. He likes to think the public’s response to his paintings is also on an emotional level. He feels for a painting to be successful, it should reflect the beauty of the subject as well as the personality of the artist. He believes there should be a place in the work for the viewer to impose their own thoughts as well. Stretching the watercolor medium to the extreme in different styles has always been exciting to Perry. The different styles of his work are intentional, and are employed to reflect the character of the subjects he chooses to paint.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania

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Painting
Ridgway, PA

Charles Wish began his artistic journey investigating California theme parks and escaping to the cornfields and music subcultures of the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys. He would often find his formative years marked by memorable statements of self-expression and imagination.

A core of Wish's significant paintings pair South-Asian religious symbols with classic Americana or seminal works associated with Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton. 

The artistic impulses behind Wish’s work, like the vision of "Tantric gods and goddesses having intense relationships with Regionalist landscapes on canvas," would first manifest themselves in the mid-1990s. These two distinct schools of thought are described by the artist as, "primary characters in my differed visual vocabulary."

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Woodwoking
Kersey, PA

Joseph Wortman almost completely self-taught, through trial and error, reading and some classes; he finds building projects primarily from wood to be both relaxing and rewarding. Up until this time, most of his projects have been free, including a friend’s kitchen in Ridgway, a new kitchen and office furniture for the Temple Baptist Church in DuBois, and making the doors and drawer fronts for a house he built with his friend. His projects are made almost exclusively from materials which are grown, harvested, sold, and worked in the Pennsylvania Wilds area of our state.

Member of The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

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