2011 Texas Furniture Maker Show Awards 

The 2011 Texas Furniture Maker Show is now available for your viewing enjoyment at the Kerrville Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville, TX.  The awards ceremony was on November 19.  Once again, there is a beautiful collection of artistically and technically pleasing furniture to view and purchase (if you should so choose!)  The winners this year include:  Caleb Nolen, Robert Galusha, Mark Seay, Chris Kemler, Randy Secrest, Rex White, Barry Bradley, Chris Shenkman, Jim Wallace, Jeremy Grubb, James Breaux, Dean Storey, Danny Kamerath, Lou Quallenberg, Kim Townsend, Alton Bowman, Paul Odem, John Sherman, Bert Ray and Gordon McDougal.  To see some of the highlights, view the photos below.

BEST of SHOW! By Caleb Nolen

2nd Place Overall - By Robert Galusha

3rd Place Overall - By Mark Seay

Best Contemporary Style - By Chris Kemler

Best Texas Style - By Rex White

Best Art Style - "Melting" - By Barry Bradley

Best Apprentice - By Chris Shenkman

People's Choice Award and Judges' Special Award - "Pie Safe" By Jim Wallace

Judges' Special Award - By James Breaux

Judges' Special Award - By Dean Storey

Tall Jewelry Case - By Danny Kamerath

Furniture Commmittee Award - By Lou Quallenberg

Society of American Period Furniture Makers Award - By Rex White

New Gallery!

NEW GALLERY!

We are excited to announce that Rex is now showing his work in the RS Hanna Gallery (http://www.rshannagallery.com/) in Fredericksburg, TX.  It is a beautiful space filled with a variety of artistic styles - water color, oils, pastels, bronzes and Rex's furniture!  Shannon and Thad Hanna have attracted an impressive group of artists whose work will satisfy many different tastes.  We invite you to come visit!  The Grand Opening will be Saturday, October 22, 2011, 6:00-9:00 p.m.!  Here are a few photos to peak your interest...but they don't - at all - do the gallery justice!  So come see for yourself!  208 South Llano Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624.

To Life

Our niece Carrie Judson was married on the 4th of July to Justin Urso. They danced together with the Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) Company in Fort Worth, TX for a few years and now, as Carrie continues to dance with the ballet, Justin is pursuing his artistic expression in musical theater. They are both extremely talented and their wedding and reception was a wonderful expression of their talent and the talents of their friends. We were blessed to enjoy a wonderful weekend of festivities in their honor in the Santa Cruz, CA area with them, their friends and families. At their rehearsal dinner, I shared the following poem, which I wrote for them and in honor of their very special gifts, which they have shared with all who are around them. Thanks Carrie and Justin! We love you!

To Life!

We listen, we hear, we answer the call
To Dance!
We listen with discipline
We hear with passion
We answer with beauty
And we share a little bit of heaven with the earth.

We listen, we hear, we answer the call
To Sing!
We listen with resonance
We hear in harmony
We answer with joy
And we share a little bit of heaven with the earth.

We listen, we hear, we answer the call
To Love!
We listen with our souls
We hear with our devotion
We answer with our union
And we share a little bit of heaven with the earth.

We listen, we hear, we answer the call
To Live!
We listen with our talents
We hear with our love
We answer with our lives
And we share a little bit of heaven with the earth.

To Dance, To Sing, To Love
To Life!
To Carrie and Justin!

A poem written for and about Carrie and Justin for their wedding
7-4-2011
By Mary Lou Cunningham White

Louise and Brian's Wedding

Our niece, Louise Dolby and Brian Schultze got married in Stanford Memorial Church on March 19, 2011. What a beautiful wedding and festive celebration it was! Despite torrential downpours throughout their wedding day, the bride and groom stayed poised and jubilant through all of the activities of the day. I wrote a poem as part of our wedding gift to them and was honored that they chose to have it read as part of their ceremony! As our first blog post of 2011 (finally!), I share it with you. Enjoy!

LOVE UNFOLDS

A seed of love was planted in our hearts long ago

Tiny, Fragile, Buried

The elements of life seemed to threaten, not encourage, the seed to grow

Pain, Hurt, Loss

Deep within the darkness, something stirred within

Longing, Knowing, Hoping

The tears of life had moistened the soil against the skin

Softening, Breaking, Opening

And love sprouted with new growth, in new green

Joy, Life, Laughter

Transcending all that it had known, the light was seen

Vision, Adventure, Possibilities

Reaching skyward toward the light, a fresh breeze blows

Awakening, Igniting, Uplifting

And the flower slowly, elegantly unfolds. The heart knows.

Life has called forth life

Love has called forth love.

Texas Furniture Maker Show 2010

At long last I post photos and award winners at the 2010 Texas Furniture Makers Show in Kerrville, TX. The show was held at The Kerr Arts and Cultural Center - www.kacckerrville.com and is an annual event each November/December. If you missed this year's show, below are some highlights. If you were able to attend and/or participate, you will enjoy re-visiting these outstanding entries. First, we ask you to indulge us in some shameless self-promotion - Rex won Best Traditional Furniture for his Demi-Lune Table made out of quilted maple. For more of Rex's work, visit http://www.rexwhitecustomfurniture.com/.

First Place Overall - Best of Show - went to Jim Wallace of Cedar Park, TX for his Tapestry Table (below):

Second Place Overall went to Alton Bowman of Flower Mound, TX for his Writing Desk (below):

Third Place Overall went to Danny Kamerath of Dallas, TX for his Martin Hall Table (below):

Other outstanding entries are below by such excellent furniture artists as Lou Quallenberg of Llano, TX; Barry Bradley of Fredericksburg, TX; Lee Burns of Kerrville, TX and Phillip Sell of Wimberley, TX.

Sunset

Sunset

A couple sits nearby

They parked in handicapped parking.

Age has kissed them

silence has gripped them.

They sit and sip and quietly watch the water, the sunset.

Their days of party and passion are past.

Now they settle into a rhythm of breathing and being

together.

He cuts her food as she watches

gently feeding her the nourishment she needs

to carry on.

She sips through a straw, her water or wine...

not far removed from my days, my life.

"Irresistible" plays in my ear.

There was a day when these two knew the meaning of that word.

And they still do.

Taking their love to another place, another time.

"Irresistible" and "Unforgettable"

they will always be.

Life's Landscape

The Landscape of My Life

As I sat on an airplane bound for California to visit my mother, looking at the landscape below, I contemplated the landscape of my life. How does my life appear? Does it appear more like the rugged mountains with their dramatic ups and downs, sharp edges, yet breathtaking vistas? Or, is it more the flat valley with waving grasses, blustery winds and straight, predictable lines. Perhaps it is a seashore with its changing tides, rolling waves, life above and life below the surface. Or, the gently rolling hills, seasonally changing from green to brown and back again - nothing dramatic but lovely, flowing, peaceful. I suppose my life has been a bit of all of these terrains - a traveler along life's pathway enjoying the beauty of each, navigating the challenges of each.

Where I feel most alive and most connected is at the seashore. Perhaps it is the mystery of the deep - the sense that there is much still to be explored below the surface. I am awed by the power of the sea, the colors of the sea, the beauty of the sea. It reminds me that I am not in control and at any time it could come and sweep me into its depths. Yet it mesmerizes me, hypnotizes me, enchants me. I desire to discover more of its mystery.

I will continue my quest across the landscape of life - discovering my own heights, depths, steep climbs and quiet valleys - carving and molding the landscape of my soul.